Recent Pokémon sales prove nostalgia is still king

Zachary Roberts Published 12/05/2026

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.

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

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

League of Legends

Fnatic founder denies rumors of organization being sold Hannan Mundia Fnatic founder and CEO Sam Mathews denied that the organization is set to be sold in the coming weeks. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Fnatic has seen much better days. The team’s League of Legends and CS2 rosters have been seeing multiple recent changes, and the VALORANT team’s performance has been mixed this year. Considering the team’s performance, it didn’t surprise many when reports that the organization was ...

League of Legends

Hanwha Life Esports defeats T1 to qualify for MSI Hannan Mundia After a surprisingly one-sided match, Hanwha Life Esports defeated the reigning champions T1 to qualify for MSI at the 2026 LCK Road to MSI. The LCK is by far considered the strongest League of Legends region. While T1 and Gen.G’s rivalry is iconic, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that recent roster changes put HLE on the same playing field as the two giants. The addition of Zeus and ...

Esports Betting

Bilibili Gaming vs Team WE: Best betting odds and picks for the LPL Split 2 2026 Wasif Ahmed Bilibili Gaming faces Team WE in the LPL Split 2 playoffs, with neither team expected to be in the lower final. Everyone thought that BLG would go through the upper bracket and that WE would lose in the first round. Yet Team WE were the ones who knocked BLG down to the lower bracket. Now, the two teams rematch for the LPL’s final spot at Mid-Season Invitational. Tournament: LPL Split ...

Esports Betting

Gen.G vs KT Rolster 2026: Best betting odds and picks for LCK Road to MSI 2026 Hannan Mundia The 2026 LCK Road to MSI split is in full swing, with Gen.G and KT Rolster about to face off in round four to determine which team competes for a chance to qualify for MSI. Gen.G may be one of the strongest professional teams in the region, but KT Rolster has taken down the fan-favorite last year at Worlds when the stakes were higher than ever. The looming question here ...

Fortnite

How to find TheBurntPeanut in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 Zachary Roberts Wondering how to find TheBurntPeanut in Fortnite? You're not alone. The streamer is the latest high-profile collaboration in the game, but it's a little different this time. Instead of being a skin or an NPC, the streamer is a Sprite. These are relatively new to the game, so if you're wondering about that or where TheBurntPeanut is, we've got you covered. TheBurntPeanut is one of the most unique crossovers in ...

Esports Betting

Fnatic is set to be sold within weeks, football clubs reportedly in talks Wasif Ahmed British esports organization Fnatic reportedly been looking to sell since the end of 2025. Now, the company could reach a deal within a few weeks, per a report. The deal could be anywhere between a minority investment to a complete acquisition. In December 2025, the British press reported that Fnatic was exploring a sale at a valuation of $100 million. However, while the potential deals are approaching finalization, that value ...

Esports Betting

Hanwha Life Esports vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for the LCK Road to MSI 2026 match Hannan Mundia After a long rest, Hanwha Life Esports and T1 will compete in the 2026 LCK Road to MSI’s third round to determine which team gets an instant pass to MSI. Both teams performed the best in the recent LCK split, resulting in them getting the best possible seeds for the Road to MSI. The winner of this match qualifies for MSI, while the loser get one more chance in the ...