Why Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen are still great 20 years later
Posted on 2 weeks ago by Ethan Gnau in Features, GBA, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Whether you love or hate the modern Pokemon era, it’s safe to agree that Nintendo Switch has a huge selection of games in the series to pick from. You’ve got Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for open-world gameplay, Sword and Shield for a more classic and experimental experience, Legends Arceus for a whole new take on the franchise, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl if you want to be bored out of your mind. But now, for the first time in several years, Pokemon has made two of its legacy titles available – and available on Nintendo Switch for the first time ever. By this point, many of us are growing tired of Kanto – we have full-price Kanto remakes on the system already, even – so the thought of playing FireRed and LeafGreen again wasn’t hugely exciting to me, even as a huge Pokemon fan. 35 hours later, though, and it’s clear to me that these games really are the definitive versions of Kanto. Whether you’ve played these games before and are coming back for more, or if you’ve never really gotten into Pokemon and want a good place to start, FireRed and LeafGreen are great options.
More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon FireRed, Pokemon LeafGreen, top
Safari Zone guide for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
Posted on 1 month ago by Ethan Gnau in Features, GBA, Switch, Switch 2 | 0 comments
With Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen coming to Nintendo Switch, we have a dedicated guide for the Safari Zone.
The Safari Zone is its own unique brand of evil. It’s home to Chansey, Kangaskhan, and Tauros, who cannot be found via any other means. Scyther appears here in FireRed, as well as Pinsir in LeafGreen, though they can also be purchased as game corner prizes in Celadon City. There’s also Dratini and Dragonair, which can be fished up with the Super Rod. All of these Pokemon are difficult to catch – if you don’t know this already, the Safari Zone prevents you from weakening wild Pokemon with paralysis or sleep, which would normally make catching them much easier. Wild Pokemon also love to run away – for instance, I spent well over 6 hours catching all of these rare Pokemon just today. Here’s everything we learned about the best ways to catch rare Pokemon in the Safari Zone.
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Nintendo Switch fix massive glitch 22 years later
Posted on 1 month ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
We’ve only had one release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen for the past couple of decades with its GBA launch, but now that they’re seeing new life on Nintendo Switch, a huge glitch has been fixed.
Back in the day, the GBA games had something known as the “roaming roar bug”. If you initially chose Bulbasur or Squirtle as your starter, Raikou and Entei would show up first in the post-game. Following that, if you found either of the Legendary Pokemon and they used “roar”, the game would accidentally count it as them being knocked them out rather than making them flee, plus they wouldn’t appear in the Pokedex. This meant that Raikou / Entei would essentially be deleted and players wouldn’t have another shot at catching them.
These Game Boy, DS, 3DS, GameCube, Wii, and Wii U games sold exactly 1 copy each in the U.S. in 2025
Posted on 1 month ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, DS, GameCube, GBA, News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments
New data has been released that reveals games that sold exactly one unit in the United States during 2025 on older Nintendo platforms. Wii U is the newest of the bunch, but this stretches all the way back to the Game Boy.
The full list is as follows:
Nintendo Switch Online adding GBA games Klonoa Empire of Dreams, Mr. Driller 2
Posted on 6 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News, Switch, Switch 2 | 0 comments
Not one, but two new games are inbound for Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Classics via Nintendo Switch Online with Klonoa Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2 joining the service. Both arrive on September 25, 2025. A membership to the Expansion Pack tier of the service will be required.
Klonoa Empire of Dreams originally hit the GBA in 2001. Mr. Driller 2 debuted earlier, launching in 2000.
Nintendo Classics Switch Online GBA app adds new functionality
Posted on 7 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News, Switch, Switch 2 | 0 comments
The Nintendo Classics Switch Online app has now been updated, and new features have been added in. Note that you’ll need to download and install version 3.0.0.
The main addition is that button remapping is now supported. That means if you’re unhappy with the setup for a particular game, you can rearrange things to your heart’s content. Button mapping was added to the Nintendo Classics SNES app not too long ago as well.
More: Nintendo Switch Online
Forsaken 64 announced for Nintendo Switch Online, Japan getting Magical Vacation
Posted on 7 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News, Switch | 0 comments
Two new Nintendo Switch Online games are on the way, with North America getting Forsaken 64 while Japan is set to receive Magical Vacation.
Forsaken 64 originally launched in 1998. Probe Entertainment was behind the title, which was a first-person shooter.
More: Nintendo Switch Online, top
Square Enix open to revisiting Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and A2, also up for sequels and new games
Posted on 7 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in DS, GBA, General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
Square Enix is leaving the door open to just about everything when it comes to the tactics genre, including revisiting more classics such as remasters of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and A2, and even Final Fantasy Tactics sequels.
That information comes from Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles director Kazutoyo Maehiro. Inverse recently asked about the possibility of bringing back Tactics Advance and A2 – titles that have only stayed on GBA and Nintendo DS. Maehiro not only expressed interest in that, but also “sequels and new titles”.
Lost GBA game Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics resurfaces
Posted on 9 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News | 0 comments
After many years, fans have recovered the lost Game Boy Advance game Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics and shared a build of the project online.
Full Fat Productions was behind the 2D platformer, which was never released. The game did not launch despite the fact that it was pretty much finished. Fans have recovered a new build in which you can make it all the way to the end with a fight against Pink and Brain.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, lost Shantae GBA game, finally releasing in 2024 [update: extended trailer]
Posted on 9 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GBA, News, Switch | 0 comments
July 12: WayForward has revealed that Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, a game that was originally in development during the Game Boy Advance era, is finally seeing an official launch. It will be available on an actual GBA-compatible cartridge in early 2024, courtesy of Limited Run Games.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution was put on the shelf for nearly two decades. Now, however, the once-canceled title will be completed. Shantae creator Erin Bozon, series director Matt Bozon, and programmer Michael Stragey are using GBA-era development tools to authentically complete the handheld experience. There’ll be multiple chapters, numerous towns and labyrinths, six creature transformations, fierce bosses, and a soundtrack from Maddie Lim, plus a four-player battle mode.
