With its 30th anniversary this year, Pokémon stands out as the most financially successful entertainment franchise globally. A series this popular and long-lasting understands the power of nostalgia, which is why we’ve seen so many excellent remakes of older games. However, it’s a bit surprising that Game Freak hasn’t simply ported those classic games to modern systems, as that would be a direct and effective way to appeal to fans’ fond memories.
While remakes can be enjoyable, they’re uncommon and often struggle to meet fans’ expectations for the original games. For example, many were disappointed when Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire left out the Battle Frontier from Pokemon Emerald, and others questioned why Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl didn’t include much content from Platinum. Ultimately, re-releasing older Pokemon games is important because used copies often cost more than the original consoles they were played on.
Retro Pokemon Games Can Cost a Week’s Worth of Groceries for Some
The fifth generation of Pokémon games, especially Black 2 and White 2, were fantastic. These games really built upon the originals and were unique as the first direct sequels in the series, rather than a third version. They also marked a shift towards a stronger focus on storytelling. Many fans consider the Pokémon games on the Nintendo DS to be some of the best ever made. However, finding a copy of Black or White can be expensive – they often sell for over $100 online, and that’s usually without the original box or instruction manual.
The follow-up games, Black 2 and White 2, are selling for more than double the price on Amazon. Actually, most of the core Pokémon games from the first five generations are surprisingly expensive these days. In contrast, a standard Nintendo Switch Online membership lets you play over 100 classic NES and SNES games for just $15 a year. That’s a huge library of games that, combined, cost less than one-fifteenth the price of Pokémon White 2 on Amazon.
It’s obvious there’s a high demand for classic games, and Nintendo is aware that people will buy them. They’ve always had a system for offering older titles, starting with the Wii. In fact, main series Pokemon games like Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal were previously available on the 3DS Virtual Console. Now that the 3DS eShop is closed, players who didn’t purchase those games can only play them by finding an original console and paying a high price for a physical copy.
Last Appearances for Some Classic Pokemon Games
| Game | Last Official NA Release Date | Current Lowest Price on Amazon (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Pokemon Yellow | September 27, 2016 (3DS Virtual Console) | $84.99 |
| Pokemon Crystal | January 26, 2018 (3DS Virtual Console) | $273.24 |
| Pokemon Emerald | May 1, 2005 (Game Boy Advance) | $340.92 |
| Pokemon FireRed | September 7, 2004 (Game Boy Advance) | $199.98 |
| Pokemon LeafGreen | September 7, 2004 (Game Boy Advance) | $194.94 |
| Pokemon Platinum | March 22, 2009 (Nintendo DS) | $216.99 |
| Pokemon HeartGold | March 14, 2010 (Nintendo DS) | $229.99 |
| Pokemon SoulSilver | March 14, 2010 (Nintendo DS) | $210.99 |
| Pokemon Black | March 4, 2011 (Nintendo DS) | $159.99 |
| Pokemon White | March 4, 2011 (Nintendo DS) | $133.92 |
| Pokemon Black 2 | October 7, 2012 (Nintendo DS) | $209.00 |
| Pokemon White 2 | October 7, 2012 (Nintendo DS) | $219.99 |
The Nintendo Switch Would Make Retro Ports More Lucrative Than Ever
Pokémon fans have always debated when the games started to decline in quality, but those discussions became especially heated with the release of games on the Nintendo Switch. Many longtime fans still haven’t forgiven Sword and Shield for drastically reducing the number of Pokémon available. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl disappointed fans by feeling outdated and lacking content from the enhanced Platinum version. And Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were plagued by performance problems. While Legends: Arceus and Legends: Z-A were better received, overall, the last seven years haven’t been the strongest for the series.
Despite some criticism, the Pokémon games on the Switch are very successful both financially and with critics. Even Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the lowest-rated titles on OpenCritic, still scored a 71 out of 100. Nintendo reports that the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games, along with those from the Galar region, have each sold over 25 million copies by December 2025 – surpassing sales of even The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While the newest Pokémon games aren’t flawed, those criticizing them represent a relatively small group of players. Both older and newer Pokémon titles have unique strengths that the other lacks.
Nostalgia Isn’t Inherently Bad
Image via Game Freak Just saying something was better ‘back in the day’ isn’t a strong reason to appreciate it, but it’s okay to feel nostalgic as long as it doesn’t cloud your judgment. Every Pokémon game has fans, so even older titles still hold value – both for their continued popularity and for keeping gaming history alive – by releasing them on current consoles without altering them. Pokémon is popular enough that nostalgia actually motivates fans to buy these games, even if they realize their childhood favorites weren’t perfect.
Game Freak might be avoiding re-releasing older Pokémon games because they worry it could lower sales of the updated remakes. However, remakes take so long to develop that a simple re-release every now and then shouldn’t really affect excitement for the new versions. The time between original games and their remakes has been steadily increasing. For example, FireRed and LeafGreen arrived almost 8 years after Red and Green in Japan, HeartGold and SoulSilver were about 9 years after Gold and Silver, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were 12 years apart from Ruby and Sapphire, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl took a full 15 years after Diamond and Pearl. The gap for remaking Black and White is already longer than any previous wait, and as of now, there’s still no announcement about them.
Image via Game Freak Many fans, either for nostalgic reasons or to introduce new players to the classics, are hoping to see older Pokemon games re-released in their original forms. While remakes are great for updating those titles with modern features, simple ports would satisfy those who prefer the original experience and also help preserve gaming history. Leaving aside any rose-tinted glasses, I really enjoyed the Nintendo DS era and would love to play Pokemon Platinum without having to spend a fortune on a used copy.
Read More
- Solo Leveling: Ranking the 6 Most Powerful Characters in the Jeju Island Arc
- How to Unlock the Mines in Cookie Run: Kingdom
- YAPYAP Spell List
- Top 8 UFC 5 Perks Every Fighter Should Use
- Bitcoin Frenzy: The Presales That Will Make You Richer Than Your Ex’s New Partner! 💸
- How to Build Muscle in Half Sword
- Gears of War: E-Day Returning Weapon Wish List
- Bitcoin’s Big Oopsie: Is It Time to Panic Sell? 🚨💸
- How to Find & Evolve Cleffa in Pokemon Legends Z-A
- Most Underrated Loot Spots On Dam Battlegrounds In ARC Raiders
2026-02-10 01:07