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Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games are now available on Pokémon games. Pokémon Red and Blue helped create a second life for the Game Boy, to the point where an ancient piece of hardware was seen as being as valuable as the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. There are few systems more perfect for new versions of Pokémon Red and Blue than the Nintendo Switch, thanks to the features that are already present in NSO and other Pokémon apps that are on the system.
There are already remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue on Switch, or rather, remakes of Pokémon Yellow. The Pokémon: Let's Go games are partial remakes of the Gen 1 games, though they have as much in common with Pokémon GO as they do the original Game Boy titles. The wild Pokémon mechanics in the Let's Go games are vastly different than they were in Pokémon Yellow, and as such the existence of the Pokémon: Let's Go games shouldn't detract from the chances of the Gen 1 games appearing on Switch, especially as they've been out for a few years now.
Pokémon Red & Blue Was Already Emulated Once
There is precedent for the original Pokémon games to appear on modern consoles. All the Game Boy Pokémon titles appeared on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console throughout the lifespan of the system. It would have been easy for The Pokémon Company to just throw a basic emulated version of the games onto the Nintendo eShop, but the Virtual Console versions actually had the functions of the link cable, through the Nintendo 3DS' local wireless features.
This means that Virtual Console players can battle and trade with each other, allowing them to capture every Pokémon except for Mew. A version of Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red on Switch Online could improve upon the Virtual Console release even further, and after the most recent Nintendo Direct shadow-dropped Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance compatibility - including even the Pokémon: Trading Card Game - it just makes sense.
There are lots of Nintendo Switch Online games that have online multiplayer functionality, allowing people to play NES and SNES games online with their friends. If Pokémon Red and Blue are brought to Nintendo Switch Online, then they could also have online multiplayer, making it easier than ever for players to trade and battle in the Gen 1 era. The people who missed out on the chance to catch them all in the '90s can finally do so by playing Pokémon Blue or Pokémon Red on Switch.
Stadium Paves The Way For Pokémon Red & Blue On Switch
Pokémon fans of the Game Boy era had to let their imagination do most of the work during a Pokémon battle, as the hardware of Nintendo's old handheld was just barely up to the task of playing different battle effects. The players who had a Nintendo 64, a Transfer Pak, and a Pokémon Stadium could bring their Pokémon to life on the TV screen, as Pokémon from Pokémon Red and Blue could be brought into the game and used in battle.
Connecting to Pokémon Stadium was also necessary for unlocking the Pikachu Beach minigame in Pokémon Yellow, in order to unlock the surfing Pikachu. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack added Nintendo 64 games to Switch Online, including Pokémon Snap, and in September 2022 Nintendo confirmed that Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 will be re-releasing on NSO in 2023.
If Pokémon Red and Blue come to Nintendo Switch Online, it would line up perfectly with Pokémon Stadium's launch on the Expansion Pack, especially if emulating the Transfer Pak is possible, as it will give players the full Gen 1 experience on one system. It's unknown exactly when in 2023 the Pokémon Stadium games will be coming to the Expansion Pack, but even if the Transfer Pak won't be emulated, it would be enjoyable to have more Gen 1 games on Switch.
Pokémon Home Could Use Pokémon Red & Blue On Switch
The Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Red and Blue had an additional function that made them useful for longtime Pokémon fans. The Poké Transporter app allowed players to extract Pokémon from Pokémon Red and Blue as part of a one-way process, in order to send them to the Pokémon Bank app. Once the Pokémon were stored in Pokémon Bank, they could be sent to the Gen 7 games or into Pokémon Home.
This allowed players to move Pokémon from the Gen 1 games into any of the other titles, so long as they weren't cut during the Dexit process that has been happening since Pokémon Sword and Shield. If the Virtual Console games and Pokémon Bank can transfer the Pokémon from the Gen 1 games into the modern games, then surely the same can be done on Nintendo Switch? The Nintendo Switch already has a dedicated Pokémon Home app that can be used to directly connect with Nintendo Switch Online's apps, after all.
This would also give The Pokémon Company an incentive to allow Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red on Switch Online, as Pokémon Home has a paid subscription option, and compatibility with the old Gen 1 and Gen 2 games might bring in some extra subscribers. The old Pokémon games aren't bringing in any money, save for the Virtual Console releases that will soon no longer be accessible, thanks to the Nintendo 3DS eShop closing, so bringing them to Nintendo Switch Online could at least inspire some interest in Pokémon Home.
The old Pokémon from the Game Boy era cannot be brought forward to later titles, due to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire not being compatible with older games, but Nintendo Switch Online could let players use Gen 1 Pokémon in their modern games. There are several reasons why the Nintendo Switch is a perfect fit for Pokémon Red and Blue, especially with how they could connect to other Pokémon games on the system.
Nintendo doesn't fully own the Pokémon franchise, but it's a major part of The Pokémon Company, so there's a strong possibility that even more Pokémon games could come to Nintendo Switch Online in the future. Pokémon Red and Blue would be huge draws to NSO now that Game Boy titles have already been added, and it would fit perfectly with the already announced release of Stadium.
Video Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube
