Pokemon Fire Red and LeafGreen Return to Switch as Standalone $19.99 Digital Releases

The company announced that pokemon fire red and its companion LeafGreen — the 2004 Game Boy Advance remakes of the original Pokémon games — are returning to the Switch family of systems as digital-only releases on Feb. 27. The re-releases land outside the console’s subscription Game Boy Advance collection and will be sold as standalone purchases, making the classic Kanto titles widely available again on modern hardware.

Pokemon Fire Red: release details and platform notes

These Switch versions are ports of the 2004 remakes and reproduce the Game Boy Advance-era updates to the original games. Players can encounter the original 151 pocket monsters and experience era-specific mechanics that were added during the GBA generation, including abilities, natures, weather effects, held items and the option to choose a player character’s gender. The release is aimed at both longtime fans and newcomers who want a faithful Kanto experience on Switch hardware.

The re-releases are playable on the current Switch model and are expected to be compatible with the upcoming hardware in the same family, although no system-specific features for that next device were announced. The titles are digital-only on the console’s online storefront and will also be offered at select retailers during launch week.

Price, availability, languages and multiplayer

Launch materials list a suggested retail price of $19. 99 (USD) for each title. Separate announcements have characterized the standalone purchase cost at roughly $20 apiece for each game. The games arrive on Feb. 27, following a planned presentation scheduled for 9 a. m. Eastern Time the same day.

• Availability: Digital on the console’s online store; select retailers will carry the titles during launch week.
• Languages: English, French and Spanish versions will be available individually; language selections are separate versions with no in-game option to change the language after purchase.
• Multiplayer: The Switch versions support local wireless multiplayer for trading and battling, mirroring the original GBA-era wireless features; no online multiplayer support has been announced.

The initial announcement at one point included a note that support for creature-transfer services would arrive “soon, ” but that line was removed from later materials. That detail remains unresolved and may evolve as launch approaches.

Why this matters: preservation, accessibility and expectations

Bringing the GBA remakes back as purchasable digital titles restores a widely praised iteration of the early series to players who no longer have access to the older hardware. Selling the games as standalone releases rather than adding them to the subscription retro library means anyone can buy and play them immediately, but it also separates these notable remakes from the bundled retro offerings that some players rely on.

Practical implications for players include the returned local wireless functionality and the need to choose the correct language edition before purchase. The removed mention of transfer support leaves an open question about whether rosters will be portable into newer games in the franchise; launch-day materials do not confirm transfer options.

Recent updates indicate the re-releases will arrive on Feb. 27 and that further clarifications about multiplayer, transfer features and storefront distinctions could follow as launch nears. Details may evolve.