Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver on Switch 2 Seems Like a Matter of When, Not If

Up until a few months ago, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to actually get older Pokemon games on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 due to how often this came up in recent years among fans, but nothing was ever added to NSO. Enter Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Pokemon Day, which finally achieved what many fans, myself included, had been hoping for. While it’s great to have the Gen 3 Kanto remakes on Switch and Switch 2, these titles have seemingly opened the floodgates, as dataminers found after their release that data for Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald on Switch was available. Now, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver should be next.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving my time with Pokopia, the Gen 3 Kanto remakes, and Pokemon Champions, and to know that Gen 3 games will also be released on Switch at some point makes me happy. However, I also think that if there ever was a good time to re-release Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver for modern systems, that would be now. Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are very iconic games, after a whopping 16 years, and I think it’s past due time for them to come to the Switch and Switch 2.

Why Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver Are Prime Candidates for Switch Ports

There are a few reasons why I think Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver should be next in line for Switch and Switch 2 ports after Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. These are:

• Pokemon FireRed outsold LeafGreen on Switch and Switch 2, and both were constantly in the top three spots of the Best Sellers section within the Nintendo eShop for weeks after their release. Their low pricetag surely helped, but there is no reason not to do the same with other games.
• Recent leaks suggest that all Pokemon games in production right now are new releases, with no remakes. Among them is a new Pokemon Legends game set in Galar, if leaks are to be believed. Many fans wanted a new Johto game even before Pokemon Legends: Z-A came out, let alone now.
• There were theories that Pokemon Johto remakes would release sometime in Gen 9’s era, but this never happened. As of now, the latest Johto games in the series are Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which came out all the way back in 2010.

If there are no Pokemon remakes in Gen 10 and the next Pokemon Legends game is indeed set in Galar, it may be another five years or more before the next game allows fans to return to Johto. As such, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver being ported to Switch and Switch 2 could be a win-win: fans would finally be able to go back to Johto, and there would be even more Pokemon games on modern Nintendo consoles to make catching them all easier.

It would be a good deal for The Pokemon Company as well, considering the sales of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. Not only that, but re-releasing Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver on the Switch would have another rather big bright side. Pokemon Winds and Waves will release in late 2027, according to recent leaks, which could mean no major releases for a long time.

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver Could Be Good for Gen 10 Plans

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver could fill that gap for The Pokemon Company and fans alike. To be honest, I’d rather have new mainline games with longer development times if older titles are re-released in the meantime, and I think it would be healthier overall for everyone.

The only scenario where not releasing Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver for modern consoles could be preferable for The Pokemon Company is if the leaked multi-region Pokemon MMO that allows players to explore all Japanese-inspired regions is coming out sooner than one might think. In that case, this game, provided it is actually being made, would revisit Johto, and it would most likely generate a lot of hype when revealed. However, since this is leaked to be in pre-production at the moment, it may be a release for well after 2030, and at that point, it may still be beneficial to re-release Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver in the meantime as a hype catalyst.