win.gg
Win.gg Pokemon Recent Pokémon sales prove nostalgia is still king

Recent Pokémon sales prove nostalgia is still king

Zachary Roberts
Zachary Roberts Published 12/05/2026
Google Preferred Source
pokemon firered leafgreen art

To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were brought to the Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2) library. This came a little over a week before Pokémon Pokopia dropped. The former is a decades-old game, and the latter is a brand-new title unlike anything in the franchise. Additionally, it’s a real Game of the Year contender.

Yet, early sales reports indicate that the two are selling very similarly. FireRed and LeafGreen do have a few days of extra sales, but the comparison is still notable. Nostalgia is king, and the fact that Pokopia isn’t blowing those ports out of the water is proof.

Why did Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen match Pokopia?

Even though gaming is arguably at its peak, nostalgia is a powerful force. Everyone’s excited whenever a remake of an old but popular game is announced. That was the case with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, despite some unhappiness that they were still costing $20 individually.

The Pokémon Company didn’t add anything to the games. They are simply ports, making them the exact same game you played on the Game Boy Advance, but on the Nintendo Switch now. Yet, they’ve sold about as well as Pokopia.

Pokémon

Image credit: Stealth40k on X

Pokopia is this year’s biggest surprise hit. It’s sitting at an 89 on Metacritic, which is the highest for the series, edging out Pokémon Y. Pokopia’s user score is a strong 8.7, too. It’s a hit by all metrics, but it is struggling to truly outpace games from 2004.

FireRed and LeafGreen have been out for one week more, but it is still impressive (or disappointing) that they have the same sales mark of over four million as Pokopia. That game is as new and unique as it gets, but people clearly crave old, familiar titles.

There is a perception that people just don’t have the Switch 2, which Pokopia is exclusive to. However, as of April 1, the console had sold almost 20 million units in less than one year. It’s not exactly a niche platform, so people do have it and have access to Pokopia. They just also really want to play the FireRed and LeafGreen ports.

Feature image credit: The Pokémon Company

Zachary Roberts Zachary Roberts
About Zachary Roberts

Zachary Roberts is an avid gamer and writer that loves to merge those things. He’s been featured on VideoGamer, ComicBook, New Leaf, Esports.net, and Sportskeeda as well as the On SI network of Sports Illustrated and Sporting News.

View full profile
Read Also
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? League of Legends
How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? Hannan Mundia League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode League of Legends
Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode Hannan Mundia League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...
Kalshi had it right: Victor Wembanyama confirmed as NBA 2K27 cover star News
Kalshi had it right: Victor Wembanyama confirmed as NBA 2K27 cover star Zachary Roberts Victor Wembanyama is the latest NBA superstar to grace the cover of a video game, with the San Antonio Spurs star landing on NBA 2K27. This comes as little surprise, as Wembanyama cemented himself as one of the sport's best players last season. He really came on in the playoffs, carrying the Spurs from a lottery team to the NBA Finals. It also shouldn't be that surprising because for months, ...
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it Valorant
OBS Game Capture isn’t working on Valorant and League of Legends? Here’s why and how to fix it Khizar Mundia Several reports suggest that OBS Game Capture is broken, with Valorant and League of Legends streamers only being able to broadcast a black screen. OBS has responded to the issue, confirming that it exists and also provided a way to fix it. Valorant and League of Legends are two of Riot Games’ most popular titles, and they are being streamed on streaming platforms by creators regularly. On July 21, 2026, ...
Kalshi gives election forecasts a tradable market, launches US midterm 2026 prediction hub News
Kalshi gives election forecasts a tradable market, launches US midterm 2026 prediction hub Khizar Mundia Election predictions have always been a numbers game, as metrics are used to forecast which party or candidate has a higher chance of winning, but Kalshi is giving it a trading angle with a new midterm prediction hub. Prediction markets are consistently gaining traction among traders. They have particularly become popular in jurisdictions where traditional gambling is banned or heavily restricted. An NBC News analysis reveals that Kalshi and Polymarket ...
Fortnite is finally giving Sidekicks a purpose with a new game mode Fortnite
Fortnite is finally giving Sidekicks a purpose with a new game mode Zachary Roberts Sidekicks have been one of the most fun, if largely meaningless, additions to Fortnite. Officially launching in November 2025, this update gave gamers a chance to have a little partner in their Battle Royale. They don't do anything, but some players quite enjoy having SpongeBob, Groot, Bonesy, Pink Pony, Ace the Bat-Hound, and others by their side. Finally, though, there is going to be a reason to have sidekicks. Epic ...
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Dota 2
Oddin.gg’s head of risk helps explain how alleged match fixing during Dota 2 at EWC was flagged Michael Hassall The Dota 2 competition at The Esports World Cup 2026 was shaken to its core during the Survival Stage earlier in the week when Southeast Asian-backed, South American team PTime (better known as PlayTime) were removed from the event citing “integrity concerns.” While the case is still ongoing, and none of the accused confirmed to be guilty, one of the biggest questions behind the incident was just how these concerns ...