Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Did You Know?

• The games were rereleased digitally for the Nintendo Switch on 27 February 2026, coinciding with the series' 30th anniversary, selling around 4 million copies for a total of 16 million sales.
• The rerelease includes the Aurora Ticket and Mystic Ticket items, previously distributed as special event items, allowing players to catch Deoxys, Lugia, and Ho-Oh.
• In Japan, a Special Edition physical release includes a reproduction of the original Game Boy Advance boxes and a set of three laser engraved glass Poké balls with light up stands.

Plot

FireRed and LeafGreen take place mostly in the fictional Kanto region, which includes varied habitats, towns, cities, and routes. Some areas require special items or Pokémon abilities to access. Near the end of the plot, the protagonist can venture to the Sevii Islands, a new area based on the Izu Islands, which contains Pokémon normally exclusive to the Johto region and several post-game missions. After completing those missions, trading with Ruby and Sapphire for Hoenn-exclusive Pokémon becomes available.

The silent protagonist lives in Pallet Town. After venturing into tall grass, Professor Samuel Oak warns the player and takes them to his laboratory, where they meet his grandson (the rival). Both select a Starter Pokémon, and the rival challenges the player to a battle. Later, the player delivers a parcel to Oak and receives a Pokédex, with Oak asking the player to compile a comprehensive list of every Pokémon.

Development

FireRed and LeafGreen were announced in September 2003 as remakes of the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green. Game director Junichi Masuda stated the titles were developed around simplicity, using a slightly modified version of the engine from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The games are fully backward compatible with Ruby and Sapphire, allowing Pokémon trading. Connectivity with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter was described by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata as enhancing head-to-head battles, information exchange, and communication.

An enhanced interface and contextual help system were created for new players. The Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara said the games felt like new games with wireless technology, not remakes. The exclusive Japanese production run was limited to half a million copies. The North American versions were indirectly announced at DICE in 2004.

Masuda chose to retain the Japanese names "Red" and "Green", noting the leaf represented a peaceful icon in contrast to fire.

Reception

FireRed and LeafGreen received mostly positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 81 percent on Metacritic. Jon Minife of The New Zealand Herald praised the resolution of connectivity issues from Ruby and Sapphire. Craig Harris of IGN gave the games a 9.0/10 rating, praising the game for the handheld market but criticizing the graphics as limited and basic. Greg Kasavin of GameSpot gave 8.4/10, noting the games had more content and challenges than Ruby and Sapphire and praised the graphics for colorful good looks and endearing character designs.

GameSpot later named LeafGreen the best Game Boy Advance game of September 2004. Game Informer rated the games 8/10, calling them fun but finding the graphics unremarkable. Phil Theobald of GameSpy awarded four out of five stars, stating he was hooked again by the simple gameplay and strategic battles, and praised the contextual tutorial, flashbacks, and multiplayer capabilities via the Wireless Adapter.