Some Old Pokémon Games Have Been Added to Nintendo Switch Online

During the Nintendo Direct on Feb. 8, a surprising announcement debuting Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service turned heads.

Beloved games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, looked crisper than ever on the handheld device and ignited discussions concerning future games that could come to the service.

Despite the steps taken by Nintendo to forge new life into their past titles, many fans after the Direct noted the absence of old-school Pokémon games ported to the Switch.

Getting access to older titles has become a challenge and will be even more so with the 3DS eShop shutting down in March. Touched-up versions of the earlier generations would fit like a glove on Nintendo Switch Online, but news about them coming to the Switch has been nonexistent.

Even so, will old-school Pokémon games ever come to the Nintendo Switch? Well, some fans speculate we could hear more about them very soon.

In a recent Japanese trailer for Nintendo Switch Online, Famiboards user Orbit noticed the removal of a disclaimer for the Pokémon Stadium games. From a previous Direct, the aforementioned disclaimer read: "Pokémon cannot be transferred to these games."

In the past, Pokémon Stadium allowed players to transfer their team from the old Game Boy Pokémon games and use them in the N64 title. With the disclaimer removed, it's clear why this is creating some buzz since it hints at an older generation package of Pokémon games with possible team transferability for Pokémon Stadium.

Though it's taken some time, some of the older games have finally made their way to Nintendo Switch Online. During the Pokémon Presents on Aug. 8, The Pokémon Company unveiled that Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Stadium 2 are both officially available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The first is available via the Game Boy port, while the second is available in the N64 port. Unfortunately, the Pokémon Company did not announce Switch release dates for classic Pokémon games.

Whether those classic Pokémon games will come to Nintendo Switch Online or just as a jampacked bundle on the storefront is up in the air, but speculations are sky high.

If the theorized games were to arrive on Nintendo Switch Online, YouTuber Kevdog has shown the old titles play buttery smooth on the Switch.

Kevdog's video reveals Pokémon Crystal, FireRed, and Sapphire running great in docked and handheld modes on the Switch. Seeing the colorful sprites pop on the screen and animations working as intended was surprising and made fans in the comments even more hopeful of an announcement for Pokémon Day.

If you'd like to see what happens during it, tune in to the official Pokémon YouTube channel on Feb. 27 at 6:00 a.m. PST.