We've officially been trying to catch 'em all in Pokemon games for 30 years now, as the franchise enters its third decade of games in February 2026, and we've also managed a lot of remakes and ports in that time! One of the latest is Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen port for GameBoy Advance on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
But what's really different about FireRed & LeafGreen, which warranted a first-gen remake already in the third generation, and which versions of the games should you buy? Compare and contrast to find out which Pokemon game is right for you!
The second hero
Leaf, Woman Sprite
While the male character in the first generation of Pokemon games, Red, has long been synonymous with Ash Ketchum from the Pokemon anime, Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen also brought a new female sprite to the game when they first brought us back to Kanto.
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The female trainer's canonical name is Leaf for this generation, which ties in nicely with Red taking her name from FireRed and keeping the theme in kind. This was the first time we met Leaf, but it wouldn't be the last we'd see of her, as the sprite Pokémon trainer has appeared in many side-games and spin-offs since her introduction.
The Sevii Islands
Lots of Johto based fun
If you've gone through the trouble of clearing the Indigo League, defeating every member of the Elite Four, and finally stealing the title of Pokemon Champion for yourself, then you've no doubt spent a lot of hours on Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen. But if you're looking for more content after the game, check out the Sevii Islands south of Kanto.
Here you'll find seven individual islands that offer plenty of opportunities to catch Pokémon from the Johto region, which have become popular parts of the Pokémon series since our first adventure in Kanto. This includes Baby Pokemon, other Legendary Pokemon, Third Generation Mythical Pokemon, and more!
Modernization of Pokemon Stats Updates
Enter changes, updated move lists and more
While there's no doubt that Pokemon Red & Blue laid the groundwork for what we know and love in the Pokemon games today as the very first entries in the long-running series, there was room for improvement over time and the second generation of Pokemon saw many changes after Game Freak worked out some of the bugs with the first game's mechanics.
In Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen, you'll see your favorite generation 1 Pokemon have updated information based on what happened to them in subsequent titles. Moves that were introduced in gen 2 and 3 were added to their respective movesets, types that were added in Johto were factored into the writing for gen one pokemon, and lots of other stat boosts or changes in species.
Introducing help features
Newbies don't have to worry anymore!
While it's easy to chuckle at how deep an introduction to the first generation of Pokemon games can sometimes be, it's important to remember that Pokemon Red & Blue and the adventure we took them through Kanto was the very first time anyone played a Pokemon video game!
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We've come a long way since then, but Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen introduced plenty of ways to help both newcomers and returning fans master Pokemon mechanics. You can access the help channel on any TV, use the in-game help menu with Switch bumpers, and tons of other ways to make sure your adventure is the best it can be.
Seeker VS
Rematch Tons of Trainers Around Kanto
Whether you're looking to help your Pokemon level up throughout the game, or trying to earn some extra cash to stock up before your next gym match, VS Seeker has been added to Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen to allow you to occasionally seek challenges in the form of rematches with trainers you've already battled.
When you're out and about after you've taken a certain number of steps or a set amount of time has passed, you'll be able to ping nearby trainers and see who wants a rematch. They may have a different team than they did when you first fought, but a more challenging fight means even better rewards at the end.
Professor Oak is the one who tasked you with filling your Pokedex as you make your way through the Indigo League in Kanto through Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen, but he's an elderly man based in Pallet Town who can't be everywhere at once to check on your progress.
Enter Oak's sidekicks, six people around Kanto in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen who offer milestone rewards on your Pokemon journey. As you log more and more Pokémon, be sure to stop and check in with them at the gates between major roads and towns, as they offer a variety of useful items and tools as rewards.
Changes in Exclusive Versions
Some are now exclusive, while others are no longer at all
Pokemon releases pairs of games in the same generations that feature a handful of Pokemon in one version that aren't in the other, and we're seeing this again with Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen. While most of the exclusives are the same as in Pokemon Red & Blue, there have been some changes.
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Mankey and Meowth were exclusive versions in the first generation of games, but were stripped of that status and given universal availability in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. To replace them, four Pokémon have been changed to exclusive versions: FireRed players will regularly find Psyduck and Shellder throughout the game, while LeafGreen players will see Slowpoke and Starya in these locations.
They give Gen 1 pokemon their Gen 2 evolution
Let your original Pokemon be strong like never before!
Not every Pokemon gets an evolved form, and there were a lot more of them in the first generation of games than now, with time allowing The Pokemon Company and Game Freak to introduce the evolution of these Pokemon later.
Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen have incorporated these changes, and any Pokemon from the first generation games that later evolved can now evolve into them in the gen three remakes, provided you've unlocked the National Dex first.
Pokemon that received evolutions in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are:
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Slowbro can evolve into Slowking.
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Onix can evolve into Steelix.
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Chansey can evolve into Blissey.
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Seadra can evolve in Kingdra.
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Scyther can evolve into Scizor.
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Porygon can evolve into Porygon2.
Espeon and Umbreon cannot be obtained in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen due to missing in-game hours. Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon are currently the only Eeveelutions available in the game, despite their debut in Generation Two.
Rebattle The Elite Four
It's a great way to grind after a game
The battles you work towards during your journey in Kanto in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are battles with the members of the Elite Four – X – and eventually the reigning champion X. It will take a lot of blood, sweat and tears to grind your Pokemon to be high enough to battle these trainers in the late game and beat the main game Champion with their Pokemon.
However, if you'd like a new challenge, you'll be able to request a rematch with any of the five characters listed above. However, they may have a different, noticeably stronger roster the second time around, so don't come back expecting the same fight the second time around!
Introduction to important statistics
Abilities, Traits, and more
While these days have come to be considered basic stats in Pokémon games, many stat additions have been added to Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen, offering more insight than was ever possible in Pokémon Red & Blue.
A Pokemon's nature will determine how their stats evolve, with some natures gaining different stats than other Pokemon of the same species, allowing you to really see what stats you'd like to boost for your next battles. Abilities, meanwhile, are passive effects that allow your Pokemon to do things like ignore a certain type of damage, deal more offensive damage of their own, and more. Finally, Held Items have been enabled in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen to help your team boost their fighting abilities even more.
Every Pokemon game on Nintendo Switch, rated
I have to line them all up!
