The Nintendo Direct was one of the most notable announcements during the event. Game Boy Advance titles were also included in the Expansion Pack, and there were certain games that I wanted to see more than any other on the service: the Pokémon series.
All Shiny locked Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are included.
Pokémon are required in Nintendo Switch game libraries.
The Nintendo Switch Online subscription list for the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance apps is currently small, with just a few standout titles. These are just a few highlights, especially for original Game Boy titles.
Tetris was one of the finest launch titles of all time, and it aided in the sale of Game Boy systems in its early days, but it was the Pokémon franchise that breathed a second life into the handheld, making it one of Nintendo's best-selling consoles. Today, Pokémon Red & Blue are still the best-selling entries in the series, giving birth to Pokémania and forming a generation of lifelong fans.
If Pokémon Red and Blue had been released for the Nintendo Switch Online service, it would have been one of the biggest announcements of this week's Nintendo Direct. Fans still love these games, and they would have gone to their Switch to see more of the Kanto region. But the Direct did not even provide a hint for additional mainline Pokémon games, which might have encouraged customers to return later in the game.
How would Pokémon make the most of Nintendo Switch Online?
As much as I wish to see Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch Online, I understand the challenges in bringing them to a new platform. The Pokémon games relied on the Link Cable more than any other game on the system, as they were required for completing the Pokédex.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company need to develop additional online features for the classic Pokémon games, which is Pokémon Home. If there were a way to move Pokémon from the Nintendo Switch Online apps to Pokémon Home, people would want to include Gen 1 to 3 Pokémon into the current games, so there is a precedent for this concept to work on modern systems.
The Nintendo Switch Online fantasy Pokémon games would include online trading and battle over Link Cable emulation, but would also be able to connect with the upcoming Pokémon Stadium on the Nintendo 64. This would allow old-school gamers to have the entire Pokémania experience they might have missed as kids, as I did.
This year's Pokémon Day, please keep your fingers crossed.
It's possible that an announcement regarding retro Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch will be postponed until February 27. This is The Pokémon Company's equivalent to the Nintendo Direct, which traditionally features announcements of games on both mobile and Nintendo platforms.
The last Pokémon Day event was an important event because it was where Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were announced — but there may not be as many big announcements this year because 2022 was packed for Pokémon content, with Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launching within the span of a year. This will force The Pokémon Company to rely on spin-off titles, DLC content, and even retro games for its presentation.
A retro Pokémon announcement for Nintendo Switch would be a major draw for existing customers, because the chance to revisit the familiar Pokémon installments in the series is something that fans would pay good money for, especially following the polarizing reaction to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Unfortunately, the only Pokémon game currently licensed on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance is the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
The Pokémon Company may be reluctant to include the mainline retro games to the service because to monetary reasons or a desire to deny easy access for the fans. As it stands, the Nintendo Switch Online game Boy and Game Boy Advance apps only need the Pokémon games to be compelling, so the current line-up feels like an afterthought. The only thing that would truly excite me about these apps — other than Mother 3 — would be the addition of the Pokémon games.