Nintendo added the wrong Pokemon Red to Switch Online
While Nintendo Switch Online has just expanded its catalogue to include the classic Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, disappointed players want the OG Pokemon Red to arrive on the service.
02nd Aug 2024 13:26
Images via The Pokemon Company | Nintendo
Nintendo added the wrong Pokemon Red to Switch Online
While Nintendo Switch Online has just expanded its catalogue to include the classic Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, disappointed players want the OG Pokemon Red to arrive on the service.
02nd Aug 2024 13:26
Images via The Pokemon Company | Nintendo
We'll be the first to admit we've lost count of how many Pokemon games there have been over the past 28 years, with the franchise spinning off from the mainline games into everything from Snap to Stadium, Ranger to Rumble. One of the most beloved spin-offs has been the Mystery Dungeon series.
The Mystery Dungeon games are a forefather of the ever-popular roguelike (thanks Hades), with players taking on the form of an adorable Pocket Monster transformed from a human. Making your way through a series of randomly generated dungeons, you're paired with a partner Pokemon and attempt to expand your team.
Nintendo adds the 'wrong' Pokemon Red to the Switch Online catalogue
While there's plenty of love for the Mystery Dungeon games, they aren't exactly up there with the mainline games in terms of popularity. This has been highlighted by the latest Nintendo Switch Online update, confirming that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team is coming to NSO on August 9.
Red Rescue Team arrives as part of the Switch's continued efforts to add retro games to the service, landing in the expanding Game Boy Advance catalogue. As the Red and Blue variants of the original Mystery Dungeon had version-exclusive Pokemon, it's also disappointing that Blue Rescue Team isn't joining the party.
More than this, the reveal has led to uproar that the standard Pokemon Red and Blue (Red and Green if you're in Japan) are still noticeably absent from NSO. It's true that emulators have made it easier than ever to play the classics in 2024, but with the 3DS and Wii U shops shutting down, the inaccessibility of retro Pokemon games is shocking.
Others in the comments were equally disappointed that this isn't the Pokemon Red we were asking for, with one disgruntled gamer adding, "How about the mainline games." Another said, "Not FireRed, LeafGreen but its a start," and a third concluded, "Cool. Now add gens 1. 2 and 3."
We've previously raised concerns about how Nintendo would release mainline Pokemon games, with a Poke-shaped gap in the back catalogue of the NSO seemingly pointing at bigger plans. If Nintendo was going to release them, it would likely be in another premium version of the service like we saw with the N64 games.
All of this is also a move away from physical games, with plenty of gamers begging for Nintendo to release some physical form of Pokemon classics like it did with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. You can only imagine the money the gaming giant would make by releasing even some of the older Pokemon games in a collection.
Given that Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX remastered Red in 2020, we're not sure who the latest release is aimed at. Still, for those who've paid for the GBA expansion and might've never experienced this game before, why not give it a go? Just don't expect it to be anything like the GOAT that is Pokemon Red.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
