FireRed/LeafGreen

Changes from Pokémon Red and Green

The battle screen

• Players can now play as a female character as an alternative to the male character, which was the only option in Generation I.
• As in all Generation III games, Pokémon now have natures, Abilities, and genders, and can hold items.
• 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. Once the Elite Four has been defeated, the resume feature displays the last four notable things the player has done recently instead of showing a specific event.
• A game introduction feature, which explains the controls of the game, was added. This feature continued to appear in further games, except in Emerald.
• A help feature was added that can be activated by pressing the L or R buttons on the console. There is also another help feature in the form of the Teachy TV, which is given by an old man in Viridian City.
• When entering certain locations such as Viridian Forest or Diglett's Cave, an image of the location appears.
• Magnemite and Magneton now are Electric/Steel, as they have been since Generation II. In the original Red and Green games, they were pureElectric-type. Bite is now a Dark-type move.
• Pokémon retain their Generation II and III evolutionary lines (e.g. Golbat can evolve into Crobat), but cannot evolve into these new stages until after the player has obtained the National Pokédex. Eevee is the only exception to this, since Espeon and Umbreon cannot be obtained due to the lack of a clock system in the game, and trading between the other Generation III games is required to obtain them.
• A new southern region, the Sevii Islands, is accessible, where Generation II Pokémon can be caught. Notably, most of these Pokémon cannot be found in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
• Team Rocket has an expanded role in the game's post-Elite Four storyline, with a new base in the Sevii Islands.
• Battles with the 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. Cerulean Cave, where Mewtwo resides, now requires Rock Smash for navigation, and it cannot be entered until after the post-game mission in the Sevii Islands has been completed.
• One of Johto's legendary beasts (Raikou, Entei, or Suicune) will roam around Kanto after defeating the Elite Four and obtaining the National Pokédex. The beast that appears is the one that has a type advantage over the player's starter Pokémon.
• Version-exclusive Pokémon and wild Pokémon distribution have been altered from the original games to account for new evolutions released inGeneration II.
• Pokémon can breed in the Pokémon Day Care in Four Island. The daycare on Route 5 remains, but it is still limited to only caring for one Pokémon at a time.
• The Ability Pickup has been modified from Ruby and Sapphire, which also includes that some of the Berries from those versions can be picked up in FireRed and LeafGreen. This is due to the inability to grow Berries in Kanto. The other Berries can only be collected by trading Pokémon from those versions as well as Emerald.
• A man is present in a house in Cerulean City and will help create Berry Powder via Berry Crush. This powder can then be exchanged for rare and valuable items.
• Trainers outdoors can be rebattled using the Vs. Seeker.
• Information on major characters, such as Gym Leaders, is recorded in the Fame Checker.
• Three additional aides for Professor Oak have been added to reward the player with items that were introduced in Generations II and III, while a returning aide now gives out the Exp. Share, the upgraded version of the Generation I item Exp. All.
• Pokémon movelists are updated to include moves introduced in Generation II and Generation III.
• The TM list is shared with other Generation III games. In addition, Move Tutors become available to teach moves formerly contained inGeneration I TMs.
• The Elite Four can be rebattled, and acquire Generation II Pokémon on their teams after the Sevii Islands quest has been completed.
• Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, and Hydro Cannon are available as Move Tutor moves at Cape Brink on Two Island. They can only be taught to the final evolved form of the player's starter Pokémon, or other members of that same species.
• There is a new minigame corner, the Joyful Game Corner, on Two Island, where players can connect together, along with Emerald, and can play multiplayer minigames (Pokémon Jump and Dodrio Berry Picking) over the wireless communication system. This feature becomes usable after the events at Kin Island.
• In non-Japanese versions, dialogue is colored blue or red depending on whether the speaker is male or female, respectively. Text from other sources, such as signs, remains black.
• The music has been remixed to take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's power; however, the themes themselves remain the same (including a few Gold/Silver/Crystal themes being utilized in Islands Four to Seven of the Sevii Islands.
  • However, the Power Plant background music has been changed. In the original games, it played the Rocket Hideout theme, while in FireRed and LeafGreen, it plays the Pokémon Mansion theme.
  • In the original games, while battling the Elite Four, only the battle with Lance used the Gym Leader background music; the standard Trainer background music was used for the other three Elite Four members. However, in FireRed and LeafGreen, the Gym Leader background music is used for all four Elite Four members.
  • In the original games, when Professor Oak congratulates the player after becoming the Pokémon League Champion, a slower version of the Viridian/Pewter/Saffron City background music plays. However, in FireRed and LeafGreen, a happier-toned version of the Pallet Town background music plays when Professor Oak appears to congratulate the player.
• Ponyta and Magmar (LeafGreen only) have been moved to new locations. Ponyta is now located on One Island's Kindle Road, and Magmar is now at Mt. Ember. In Generation I, they were both found in the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island.
• Deoxys debuts two new forms: Attack Forme (FireRed) and Defense Forme (LeafGreen), which appear exclusively in the respective games.
• Cerulean Cave in these games is very similar to the one in the original Pokémon Red and Green, which was never released outside of Japan. The only difference is the Generation III addition of Rock Smash boulders.

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, Mew, severalGeneration II Pokémon and a majority of Generation III Pokémon must be traded from a Hoenn-based game; only three Generation III Pokémon —Azurill, Wynaut, and Deoxys — can be obtained in FireRed and LeafGreen.

FireRed 023 Ekans Poison 024 Arbok Poison 043 Oddish Grass Poison 044 Gloom Grass Poison 045 Vileplume Grass Poison 182 Bellossom Grass 054 Psyduck Water 055 Golduck Water 058 Growlithe Fire 059 Arcanine Fire 090 Shellder Water 091 Cloyster Water Ice 123 Scyther Bug Flying 212 Scizor Bug Steel 239 Elekid Electric 125 Electabuzz Electric 194 Wooper Water Ground 195 Quagsire Water Ground 198 Murkrow Dark Flying 211 Qwilfish Water Poison 225 Delibird Ice Flying 227 Skarmory Steel Flying 386 Deoxys Attack Forme Psychic

LeafGreen 027 Sandshrew Ground 028 Sandslash Ground 037 Vulpix Fire 038 Ninetales Fire 069 Bellsprout Grass Poison 070 Weepinbell Grass Poison 071 Victreebel Grass Poison 079 Slowpoke Water Psychic 080 Slowbro Water Psychic 199 Slowking Water Psychic 120 Staryu Water 121 Starmie Water Psychic 240 Magby Fire 126 Magmar Fire 127 Pinsir Bug 298 Azurill Normal 183 Marill Water 184 Azumarill Water 200 Misdreavus Ghost 215 Sneasel Dark Ice 223 Remoraid Water 224 Octillery Water 226 Mantine Water Flying 386 Deoxys Defense Forme Psychic