The Pokémon Presents showcase announcement may hint at one of the big reveals that will take place during the event, as it includes references to the Gen 1 Pokémon games, suggesting they may come to Nintendo Switch Online. This would mark the first re-releases of the Gen 1 games since 2016 when they appeared on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.
Related: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet themed Nintendo Switch OLED announced, set to launch before the games
The official Pokémon Twitter account has announced that a Pokémon Presents will take place on February 27, which marks the annual Pokémon Day celebration. What’s notable about the announcement is that it features the intro music to the Gen 1 games, while all the balloons in the video are red, blue, and yellow. This is notable because The Pokémon Company is referencing the earlier games in the series rather than Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.
These hints may be pointing toward a return for the Gen 1 Pokémon games, as Nintendo Switch Online has Game Boy and Game Boy Advance apps, which means they could be announced on Pokémon Day as an incentive to subscribe to the service. It has already been proven that the current games on the service can emulate the Link Cable, which means that fans could even play and trade with the people on their Friend List, allowing them to truly catch ’em all.
Notably, Nintendo Switch Online lacks any Game Boy Pokémon games, with only the Pokémon Trading Card Game announced for a future release. There’s a strong possibility that the announcement for these games is being saved for Pokémon Day, as they could become the killer apps for Nintendo Switch Online, with fans flocking to subscribe to the service so that they can go on another journey through the Kanto region. If The Pokémon Presents also announces Pokémon Home compatibility for the Gen 1 titles, as well as the ability to connect with the upcoming Pokémon Stadium release on Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack, then these old games might steal the show.
