History of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen in Timeline

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue games, released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, they belong to the third generation of Pokémon games. They are enhanced remakes, marking the first time previous games in the series were remade. Released in Japan in January 2004, and North America and Europe later that year, these games allow players to revisit the Kanto region with updated graphics and features.

1996: Original Pocket Monsters Release

In 1996, the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green games were released in Japan, serving as the basis for the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes.

September 2003: Games Announced

In September 2003, FireRed and LeafGreen were announced as upcoming remakes of the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green games.

January 2004: Initial Release in Japan

In January 2004, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version were first released in Japan. These games are remakes of the original 1996 Pokémon Red and Blue.

September 2004: LeafGreen named best Game Boy Advance game

In September 2004, GameSpot named LeafGreen the best Game Boy Advance game of the month. Reviews of FireRed and LeafGreen were mostly positive, with an aggregate score of 81 percent on Metacritic.

2004: North American Announcement at DICE

In 2004, the North American versions of FireRed and LeafGreen were indirectly announced at DICE. The remakes retained the Japanese names of "Red" and "Green".

March 2008: Sales Milestone Reached

As of March 31, 2008, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen had sold 11.82 million copies worldwide.

February 2026: Digital Release for Nintendo Switch

In February 2026, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are set to be released digitally for the Nintendo Switch, coinciding with the series' 30th anniversary.