According to the results of the launch of Detective Pikachu returnsI planned to write about what other Pokémon spinoffs I’d like to see return to the Nintendo Switch, as well as Pokémon Snap did There are a lot of fun ideas that the franchise’s older spin-offs played with that I’d love to see revived. Instead, a recent announcement from Nintendo has made the issue of poor preservation of the older core Pokémon games even more pressing.
On Wednesday, Nintendo announced that the Wii U and 3DS online services will end in April 2024. Poké Transporter and Pokemon bank will continue to run after that happens, we have an indication that these apps won’t be around forever, which would greatly detract from one of the best aspects of the most modern versions of the classic Pokémon titles. This announcement was the reason that the feeling of desire went over the edge for me. I used to think it would be nice if these few Pokémon games came out on the Nintendo Switch. Now, with the announcement of the 3DS online services being discontinued, I see it as a necessity.
The 3DS is no longer a suitable home
Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silverand Crystal for a long time were only available on Game Boy or Game Boy Color. To celebrate the franchise’s 20th anniversary in 2016, The Pokémon Company brought red, blue, and Yellow into the 3DS Virtual Console program. Gold, silverand Crystal were added to the 3DS over the course of two years. These fully functional re-releases allow players to trade and battle wirelessly and send their captured Pokemon Pokemon bank.
Thanks to these re-releases, you can get Pokemon from every main game in the series Pokemon house. While this was the best way to play these games without illegal emulation, the last couple of years have made the 3DS a poor home for these games. First, it’s impossible for anyone new to purchase these ports right now, as the 3DS eShop shut down in March 2023.
We recently learned that the 3DS and Wii U online services will be discontinued in April 2024. While the Virtual Console versions of these classic Pokémon games won’t technically lose any features when the online services go away, the writing is on the wall only more obvious. For now Poké Transporter and Pokemon bank are an exception to the impending shutdown, even Nintendo’s support website hedges that these programs “may also end at some point in the future.”
As someone who still loves to use his 3DS, I had no problem with the Game Boy Pokémon games not being available on other Nintendo systems — until now. That said, it’s clear that the 3DS will soon be a complete shell of what it used to be, and that’s it Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank’s the days are numbered. It’s time for The Pokémon Company and Nintendo to repeat what they did in 2016.
Nintendo Switch will be a good home
While it’s not overwhelming demand – a certain segment of Pokémon fans have been begging for these Swtich reissues for years – we’re at the point where it’s not just that the 3DS is no longer a viable home for Red, blue, yellow, gold, silverand Crystal. Nintendo Switch’s online infrastructure for emulated versions of older games is also finally ready.
Nintendo Switch Online allowed its subscribers to play classic Nintendo games online with friends. This service has long been limited to NES and SNES games, but the number of supported systems has expanded. In February 2023, Nintendo also began adding Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to the service, with online multiplayer and more. In fact, such Pokémon spinoffs are playable Stadium 2 and Trading card game online on Nintendo Switch right now.
It’s important to note that Nintendo has promised that its current version of Nintendo Switch Online will be ported to future platforms. If that promise is fulfilled, then we won’t have to worry about a repeat of what’s currently happening on the 3DS any time soon. For all these reasons, it finally seems like the oldest Pokémon entries have made the transition to Switch Online as a natural evolution.
Since the Game Boy Advance is also supported, Nintendo might even re-release Pokemon FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphireand Emerald for the first time too. There is fan interest and a need for conservation to make it happen now. These are some of the most influential RPGs out there and deserve to be supported and made properly accessible.
Whether they’re included in a subscription or sold separately, we need an easy way to legally buy and play these older Pokémon games on a modern platform. The next year of Nintendo games is already packed with remakes, remasters, and re-releases, so it wouldn’t seem out of place to do it anytime soon.
While it’s fun to enjoy new Pokémon games and theorize about what quirky ideas The Pokémon Company and Nintendo should explore, it’s important that the core titles in the series aren’t lost to time. Nintendo Switch Online gives the Pokémon Company all the tools they need to keep these games alive, so I hope it’s just a matter of if, not if. Don’t let the Pokémon story die out on the 3DS.
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