Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions
- FireRed and LeafGreen redirects here. For the Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, see EX FireRed & LeafGreen (TCG).
| Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions | |
|---|---|
| [[File:File:Pokemon FireRed boxart EN-US.jpgFile:Pokemon LeafGreen boxart EN-US.jpg|250px]] Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions' boxart, featuring Charizard and Venusaur, respectively | |
Basic info
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| Platform: | {{{platform}}} |
| Category: | RPG |
| Players: | up to 5 players |
| Connectivity: | None |
| Developer: | Game Freak |
| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Part of: | {{{gen_series}}} |
Ratings
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| CERO: | N/A |
| ESRB: | E for Everyone |
| ACB: | N/A |
| OFLC: | N/A |
| PEGI: | N/A |
| GRAC: | N/A |
| GSRR: | N/A |
Release dates
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| Japan: | January 29, 2004 |
| North America: | September 9, 2004 |
| Australia: | September 23, 2004 |
| Europe: | October 1, 2004 |
| South Korea: | N/A |
| Hong Kong: | N/A |
| Taiwan: | N/A |
Websites
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| Japanese: | ポケットモンスター ファイアレッド・リーフグリーン ポケットモンスター ファイアレッド・リーフグリーン (@Nintendo) |
| English: | Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions |
Pokémon FireRed Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスターファイアレッド Pocket Monsters Firered) and Pokémon LeafGreen Version (Japanese: ポケットモンスターリーフグリーン Pocket Monsters Leafgreen) are a pair of main series Generation III games that are set in the Kanto region. By nature, the games are remakes of the original pair of Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Green, and so feature all of the characters, plot elements, and challenges of them, but with several important upgrades to bring them up to speed with other Generation III games.
Despite the fact that outside of Japan, Red Version was paired with Blue Version, LeafGreen saw release internationally. A trademark was filed for "Pokémon WaterBlue Version", however, indicating that this renaming may have been considered.
FireRed and LeafGreen went on to become the second best-selling games of the Game Boy Advance, only behind Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. They also received Nintendo's Player's Choice awards.
Changes from Pokémon Red and Green
- Players can now play as a female character, as well as choosing to play as the male character that was default in Generation I.
- The music has been remixed to take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's power; however, the themes themselves remain the same.
- As in all Generation III games, Pokémon now have natures, abilities, genders, and can hold items.
- Three additional aides for Professor Oak have been included to pass off items that were introduced in Generation II and III, while a returning aid now passes off the Exp. Share, the item which replaced the Generation I item Exp. All in Generation II.
- Pokémon retain their Generation II and III evolutionary lines (e.g. Golbat can evolve into Crobat), but cannot evolve into these stages until the player has obtained the National Pokédex.
- Magnemite and Magneton are Electric/Steel, as they were in Generation II as well as Ruby and Sapphire.
- A new southern region, the Sevii Islands, is accessible, where Generation II Pokémon can be caught. Notably most of these Generation II Pokémon cannot be found in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
- One of Johto's legendary beasts will be roaming around Kanto after defeating the Elite Four and obtaining the National Pokédex. Out of which of the three that is selected, Entei, Suicune, or Raikou will appear based on which the type advantage they have over the Starter Pokémon the player initially selected.
- Pokémon can breed in the Pokémon daycare in Four Island as well as still having access to the Pokémon daycare on Route 5.
- Trainers outdoors can be rebattled using the Vs Seeker.
- Information on major characters, e.g. Gym Leaders, are stored in the Fame Checker.
- Pokémon movelists are updated to include moves introduced in Generation II and Generation III.
- The TM list is shared with other Generation III games.
- Move tutors become available to teach moves formerly contained in Generation I TMs.
- The Elite Four can be re-battled and get Generation II Pokémon on their teams in addition to Generation I Pokémon after the Sevii Islands quest has been completed.
- Version-exclusive Pokémon and wild Pokémon distribution have been altered from the original games to account for new evolutions released in Generation II.
- Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, and Hydro Cannon are available as move tutor moves to the Kanto starters' final forms at Cape Brink on Two Island.
- Deoxys debuts two new forms: Attack Forme (FireRed) and Defense Forme (LeafGreen).
- Team Rocket has an expanded role in the game's post-Elite storyline, with a new base in the Sevii Islands.
- Battles with wild legendary Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo feature a remixed battle theme. In addition, Moltres has moved from its original location in Victory Road to Mt. Ember. The Cerulean Cave where Mewtwo is has not only changed to where Rock Smash is not only needed, but completing the post-game mission on the Sevii Islands is now an additional requirement to be permitted to enter.
- Other than Moltres, Ponyta and Magmar (LeafGreen only), have also been moved to a new location. They are now located on One Island's Kindle Road (Ponyta) and Mt. Ember. In Generation I they were found in the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island.
- In non-Japanese versions, the dialogues are colored, depending if it is from a male or female, being the colors blue and red, respectively. In dialogues from other sources, such as signs, the text remains black.
- A resume feature was introduced, allowing players to remember the four most important events they achieved in the games the last time they were played.
- A help feature was added, and can be viewed by pressing the L or R buttons of the console.
- The Power Plant background music has been changed. In the original games, it played the Rocket Hideout theme. In FireRed and LeafGreen, it plays the Pokémon Mansion theme.
The GBA Wireless Adapter was initially included with the games when they were first released, eliminating the need for link cables when trading between the two games (and later Emerald).
Plot
The plot essentially follows the same storyline as Generation I, with the player beginning in Pallet Town. After meeting Professor Oak while trying to leave for Route 1, both the player and his or her rival are asked by Oak to choose a starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, from the desk near him. Oak allows the player to choose first and the rival quickly gets jealous, chooses the starter whose type weakens that of the player's, and challenges the player to a battle.
After the battle has ended, Oak allows the two new Trainers to leave for their journey across Kanto. Stopping off in Viridian City's Poké Mart, the player will find that a package has come in for the professor, and the clerk asks that it be delivered to him. After this has been completed, the professor gives two Pokédexes, one for the player, and one for the rival, away to them, and sends them on their way. Viridian has a Gym; however, it is locked.
From here, the player has their first encounter with other Trainers, on Route 2 and in Viridian Forest, and their first encounter with a Gym Leader: Brock the Template:Type2 Gym Leader of Pewter City. After his defeat, journeying along Route 3 and through Mt. Moon brings the player face to face with the regional villainous team Team Rocket, attempting to extract rare fossils from the cave. Their defeat allows the player to continue through the cave and onto Route 4, which leads directly into Cerulean City, where another Gym is. This one, however, is run by Misty, and specializes on Template:Type2 Pokémon. To the north, as well, there are two routes leading up to Bill's cottage, where he will give the player a ticket for the S.S. Anne, a luxury ship moored in Vermilion Harbor and filled with Trainers. Taking a shortcut through a house burglarized by Team Rocket, the player finally arrives at Route 5.
After traveling down Routes 5 and 6, using the Underground Path to bypass Saffron City, the player finally arrives in Vermilion. This city is home to another Pokémon Gym; however, the way to it is blocked by a small tree! The only thing to do is to show the ticket to the Sailor guarding the harbor, allowing entry into the S.S. Anne. It is here, after assisting the captain with his seasickness, that the player will obtain the first of the seven Hidden Machines available in the game, containing Cut. With this, and the Cascade Badge, the tree blocking the way to Vermilion Gym can be easily cut through, and Lt. Surge, a Gym Leader specializing in Template:Type2s, can be challenged. From here, Route 11 beckons, as does Diglett's Cave, through which is the only way to get back to Route 2, and a second HM, containing Flash. The player takes a brief detour to Pewter City's museum's back entrance which is was previously blocked due to a Cut-able tree, which can now easily be bypassed. The player obtains the Old Amber in the museum. Heading back to Diglett's Cave, and to Vermilion, the player must go to Cerulean and to the east, onto Route 9 and towards the Rock Tunnel.
Rock Tunnel, a still undeveloped natural tunnel between the sections of Route 10, is pitch black inside; for this reason, Flash is recommended, but not required, for navigation of it. Finally reaching Lavender Town, the only town in Kanto without a Pokémon Gym besides Pallet, there is not much to do; the local Pokémon Tower is haunted. From here, Route 8 leads to Saffron City, but it again must be bypassed by way of another Underground Path, which has its other entrance on Route 7, on the west side of Saffron. Celadon City, the home of the fourth Gym, specializing in Template:Type2 Pokémon is just a short walk further. Like the Vermilion Gym, the Celadon Gym also has a small tree blocking the way to its entrance, and an old man outside.
The Rocket Game Corner in Celadon is not what it appears to be. In fact, the game corner itself is merely the above ground portion of a sprawling underground complex: the Rocket Hideout. The Team Rocket boss, Giovanni, appears for the first time here, and after his defeat, flees, leaving behind a Silph Scope. A Silph Scope is required to fully navigate the Pokémon Tower inside of Lavender Town that the player encountered earlier.
After this, the Pokémon Tower can be navigated, and the ghosts haunting it are revealed to be Gastly and Haunter. In front of the stairs to the final floor, blocking the way, is also a final spirit, that of a deceased Marowak that was killed by Team Rocket when they captured her child. Making it all the way to the top reveals Mr. Fuji held hostage by Team Rocket grunts, who will leave when they are defeated. Fuji gives away the Poké Flute, and with that, the Snorlax blocking Route 11 and Route 16 can finally be moved away. Another HM, containing Fly, can be obtained easily by cutting away a tree blocking the northern section of Route 16.
Now the player is presented with a choice of how to get to Fuchsia City. Traveling down either way the Snorlax are blocking, a faster way via Routes 16, 17, and 18 on Cycling Road, or down the Silence Bridge of Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15, inevitably brings one to the southernmost city in continental Kanto, Fuchsia City, home of Koga of the Poisonous Fuchsia Gym and the Kanto Safari Zone. The Safari Zone is currently running a contest: the person to reach a specific rest house first will win yet another HM, containing Surf. Finding the Safari Zone Warden's Gold Teeth also will have him reward the player with the final of Kanto's HMs, containing Strength.
The player then goes back to either Celadon City or Lavender Town, encountering the other Snorlax on the way back. After stopping off at the Celadon Mansion and getting some Tea, Saffron City can finally be entered. However, Team Rocket is guarding almost every door in the city, including that of the local Pokémon Gym! One of the open buildings however, is the unofficial Fighting-type Pokémon Gym. After the player defeats the Fighting Dojo, he/she is entitled to either a Hitmonchan or a Hitmonlee. The city's centerpiece building, Silph Co.'s headquarters, has also been infiltrated by the organization, and at the top, waiting in the boardroom, is the Team Rocket Boss, Giovanni, appearing for a second time, demanding that the president give him the Master Ball that the company had developed. After his defeat, he flees.
After Team Rocket clears out of Saffron City, all buildings previously blocked are now open, as well as the Gym. The Gym Leader, Sabrina, specializes in Template:Type2s. The floor, as well, is covered in warp tiles that make it difficult to navigate. After Sabrina's defeat, the player makes his/her way back to Fuchsia City again, and heads out to obtain the rest of the badges.
With six badges in hand, and five HMs in the TM Case, finally the player can adventure onto the open sea of Routes 19 and 20. A short way across them, of course, is a minor obstacle: the Seafoam Islands. After they have been navigated through, the player can continue on Route 20 to Cinnabar Island, home of Blaine's Template:Type2 Gym. There are also several more facilities on the island, including one that actually revives Pokémon fossils. After Blaine's defeat, Bill shows up again, because he needs help in a region east of Kanto, the Sevii Islands. If the player accepts, the Seagallop Ferry will travel to One Island, where a friend of Bill's, Celio, is attempting to connect the islands' PC system to that of Kanto. During this, there is also a crisis in Two Island, where the daughter of the owner of the Joyful Game Corner has gone missing, and in Three Island where a group of invading Bikers are causing trouble. After defeating them and finding the lost girl, Lostelle, who is in Berry Forest, Bill and the player will return to Kanto, where the final Gym, that of Viridian City, lies.
Finally unlocked, the Gym, whose leader specializes in Template:Type2s, is revealed to be none other than the boss of Team Rocket himself, Giovanni! After his defeat, he vows to disband Team Rocket and disappears. Now with eight badges, all that lies ahead is the Pokémon League at the Indigo Plateau, conveniently at the end of Route 23.
The Elite Four await challengers, those who have proven themselves worthy by getting all eight badges and making it through Victory Road will face them, in order. Lorelei, who trains Template:Type2 Pokémon is first, followed by Bruno, whose specialty is Fighting, Agatha, whose specialty is Ghost, and finally Lance, who specializes in Template:Type2s. After defeating these four, the reigning Pokémon champion challenges the player to a final battle, and the champion is none other than the player's own rival! After his defeat, Oak arrives and tells the player that they won because they care better for their Pokémon, and the player's current party are added to the Hall of Fame.
After the credits roll, the player is back in Pallet Town. Professor Oak will have the player come to his lab to check on the Pokédex, and if the player has caught at least 60 Pokémon, will upgrade it and ask for the player to return to the Sevii Islands to encounter Pokémon Oak has never before seen.
There is some more work that Celio needs to do on his network machine, as he wishes to link to yet another region. The signal, however, is not strong enough, and he needs the Ruby and the Sapphire, two items found in the Sevii Islands, to strengthen it. The Ruby is found deep in a cave in Mt. Ember, which Team Rocket grunts have been seen fooling around with. The Sapphire lies at the deepest part of the Dotted Hole in Ruin Valley. The Ruby can be given to Celio without a hitch; however, the Sapphire, when found, is stolen by a Scientist named Gideon, who takes it back to Team Rocket's warehouse in the Five Isle Meadow. By infiltrating the warehouse and defeating the remaining Rocket Admins, they realize that Giovanni has disbanded Team Rocket. They do, however, vow to return one day, and bring Team Rocket back to its glory. Gideon reluctantly gives back the Sapphire, and after this, trades are possible with the Hoenn-based Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. The Elite Four can once again be challenged, and their Pokémon are 12 levels higher, as well as some of them possessing new Pokémon. Cerulean Cave, as well, is now open, and the powerful Mewtwo can be found there.
Version exclusives
The following Pokémon are only obtainable in one game of this pair. In order to obtain Pokémon exclusive to the other game of this pair, they must be traded either from that game or from another compatible game of Generation III which has that Pokémon available. In addition, several Generation II Pokémon and a majority of Generation III Pokémon must be traded from a Hoenn-based game.
Compatibility
FireRed and LeafGreen were created as a result of the first Generation III games, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, lacking backward compatibility with Generations I and II. Trading between these games and the third Hoenn-based game, Pokémon Emerald, is possible through the traditional link cable. Trading with other copies of FireRed or LeafGreen as well as with Emerald may also be done through the GBA Wireless Adapter, though Ruby and Sapphire are not compatible with it. Using a GameCube-GBA cable, players may also trade party Pokémon with Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD, but only after the player has obtained the Ruby and Sapphire and given them to Celio.
While FireRed and LeafGreen cannot trade directly with the Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, a player's Pokémon may be permanently transferred via Pal Park, and some Generation I Pokémon can be found using dual-slot mode.
Reception
FireRed and LeafGreen received strong sales. Over 800,000 copies were sold in Japan over the first week of release. This number was lower than that of counterparts Ruby and Sapphire; this has been attributed to the fact that they are remakes.[1] Nintendo remarketed the games as "Player's Choice" two years after the initial release; this re-release did not include the Wireless Adapter that came with the original release.
The games were praised by critics for maintaining the same storyline as the original versions, and also for incorporating new events. Criticism was received, however, for the lack of graphical improvement from Ruby and Sapphire.[2] Generally, the games scored highly. Nintendo Power magazine gave them 4.5/5, and labeled the games as "great".[3]
The games were well-received in the general fan base. Webcomic Super Effective bases its plot and humor on the situations and discrepancies within the games.
Trivia
- These games were the first remakes ever, being followed by the Generation II remakes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- The LeafGreen Pokédex entries are the same as those in the original Pokémon Red and Blue (as well as the Japanese Blue Version) for the Generation I Pokémon. The FireRed entries for the same Pokémon are the same as those in the original Pokémon Red and Green, which were previously not translated into English or any other languages.
- The Pokédex entries in LeafGreen were also used for the international Pokédex entries featured in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
- The Pokédex entries for most of the Generation II Pokémon are the same as those in Pokémon Gold and Silver, with Silver's entries being in FireRed and Gold's being in LeafGreen.
- A similar situation would later happen with the Generation II remakes, where the Pokédex entries for all of the Generation II Pokémon from Pokémon Gold and Silver are respectively used for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- In the end credits, updated forms of the Japanese boxart from the Generation 1 games of Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, and Pikachu is shown.
- The truck, long rumored to have a Poké Ball containing Mew under it, appears again as scenery near the S.S. Anne. This time around, however, following the instructions of Generation I will earn the player a Lava Cookie.
- A number of references to the plot and characters of the Generation II games, Pokémon Gold and Silver, appear in these games. These were correctly interpreted by fans as hints at an eventual remake of the pair in Generation IV.
- A piece of text in the game's code reads, "By the way, if you like this game, buy it or die." This text is actually an anti-piracy measure that can be activated by using a Seagallop Ferry when playing a dumped ROM of the game. Several ROM dumpers have verified that this was not inserted by a third party.
- FireRed and LeafGreen, as well as their namesakes, are the only main series Pokémon games to be released in the first two thirds of the year in Japan. All of the others to date have been released between September and December.
- FireRed and LeafGreen are the only main series games to have their Japanese and international releases in the same year.
- The species names present in FireRed and LeafGreen are cut off in early English releases of the games, most specifically those species names made up of more than one word with a space in between. This causes Pokémon like Pidgey to be listed as "Tiny Pokémon" rather than "Tiny Bird Pokémon." Internal game data lists the species name the same as it appears in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald and other games, indicating a glitch in the Pokédex where a blank space is confused for the terminating byte for the name. This was addressed in later releases of the game. This is the easiest way to tell whether the game in question is a v1.0 or v1.1 release.
- FireRed and LeafGreen, as well as the original Generation I games, are the only main series games that do not involve a legendary Pokémon in their main plot.
- According to Junichi Masuda, the reason why LeafGreen did not become WaterBlue outside of Japan was for the following reasons: A leaf is a symbol of peace, while fire and water are opposing concepts and thus would seem more like a conflict. A leaf is also a more easy concept to grasp for kids, and in this world of conflicts, the creators wanted to give a name suggestive of a peaceful world. Game Freak also wanted a colorful drawing of a Bulbasaur family member on the boxart. He explains that, as with legendary Pokémon, creating a title for each Pokémon game that can be used and easily understood in all countries is not an easy task.
In other languages
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References
- ↑ IGN: Pokemania (retrieved December 21, 2009)
- ↑ IGN: Pokemon FireRed Version Review (retrieved December 21, 2009)
- ↑ Nintendo Power magazine. Issue 184; page 123. October 2004.
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This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |
