Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Will Likely Be Missing One Feature on Switch 2

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Nintendo surprised and delighted Pokémon fans by bringing the classic Game Boy Advance games Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen to the new Switch 2. Many fans consider these remakes the best way to play the very first Pokémon story, set in the Kanto region with the original 151 Pokémon. While these remakes added a lot of new features when they were originally released, they might be a little different to use on the Switch 2.

When FireRed and LeafGreen were released, they featured improved graphics alongside other popular Pokémon games of that generation, like Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Many fans consider these Gen 3 titles to be the peak of the Pokémon series, and the remakes of the original Kanto games (FireRed and LeafGreen) offered significantly more content than the very first Pokémon Red and Blue games. They included extra things to do after completing the main story, but it’s currently unknown if the upcoming Switch 2 versions will include similar features.

Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen Will Lack Trading Content With Other Gen 3 Games

As a Pokémon player, one of my favorite things is trading with friends. It’s how we complete our Pokédex, especially when each game has Pokémon you can’t get in the other! In FireRed and LeafGreen, trading was super important because of all the version-exclusive Pokémon and those Pokémon that only evolve through trading. I’m guessing it’ll be just as big a deal in the next Switch games. What was really cool about those older games, though, was that you could trade with the Hoenn region games too – that was the first time we could trade Pokémon across different regions, which was a game changer!

You could only access this feature after finishing the main story in FireRed and LeafGreen – defeating the Elite Four and obtaining the National Pokédex by catching 60 different Pokémon. Then, by exploring the Sevii Islands, you could start a quest to link the islands’ computer systems with those in the Hoenn region. This involved finding rare items called the Ruby and Sapphire, hidden across the islands. You’d need to battle leftover Team Rocket members and use certain moves (HM moves) to get these items, then connect them to a special machine to enable trading with other Pokémon games.

This side quest probably won’t be in the Switch 2 version of the game, or it won’t lead anywhere even if you finish it. While the areas known as One Island and the Sevii Islands might still exist, there’s no point in connecting them to the Hoenn region in these updated versions of FireRed and LeafGreen. So far, the main Pokémon games available on the Switch 2 have been either remakes of the fourth generation, like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, or newer games such as Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet, along with a number of spin-off titles.

The Switch 2 Doesn’t Have Ports For Ruby, Sapphire, Or Emerald Yet To Allow For Multi-Region Trades

Currently, the Switch 2 doesn’t support transferring Pokémon from other Generation 3 games. This means the cross-region trading features found in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen aren’t functional. While future game releases on the Switch 2 might change this, right now it just adds extra content to the remakes without a clear purpose. It’s a bit of a letdown, as players can’t use Pokémon originally from the Hoenn region at this time.

One of the enjoyable aspects of trading between different game versions in FireRed and LeafGreen was the ability to start a new game with Pokémon not normally found in the Kanto region. For instance, choosing Torchic as your starter instead of Charmander to battle the original Kanto Gyms offered a unique experience that hasn’t been replicated in many other Pokémon games. This special combination of Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and FireRed/LeafGreen being available simultaneously created a unique crossover that won’t be possible on the Switch 2.

Future Ports Could Make This Underrated Feature Available Again In The Kanto Remasters

If the ability to trade Pokémon between the upcoming Switch 2 versions of FireRed and LeafGreen is included, it would make a strong case for Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald to receive similar updates. These games are fan favorites, and letting players trade Pokémon between the Hoenn and Kanto regions would greatly expand the variety of Pokémon available in both sets of games.

As a Pokémon fan, I always loved how the Game Boy Advance and DS games let you trade and battle with Pokémon from almost three full generations! It felt huge at the time, but it’s something I don’t see talked about much. Now that a new Switch is probably coming, I’m really hoping Nintendo lets us play those older games on it. It would be awesome to revisit them, and imagine all the new trading possibilities! Even if they don’t add anything new, just being able to play those classics again would be a dream.

Do you remember being able to trade Pokémon across different game versions in Generation 3? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-02-23 23:14