Pokemon Winds and Waves Gen 10 Games Have a 10/10 Full Circle Moment with Gen 1

Pokemon‘s 30th anniversary is both a celebration of the old and a celebration of the new. Perhaps nothing embodies this more than the release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen alongside the reveal of Pokemon Winds and Waves, and in those nuggets of information is a stronger connection than most would expect.

Of course, there’s a lot left to be revealed about Pokemon Winds and Waves. Fans have seen the title/logos; the starters in Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua; and an array of environmental moments to highlight its various improvements. While titles and logos are obviously important in video games, it’s not something fans are going to think a lot about, but the logos have a subtle yet strong connection to Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green (and, as such, the remakes of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen). Given the importance of Gen 1 and Gen 10 as numbers/anniversaries, it’s something cool to see.

Pokemon Winds and Waves’ Logos Have a Clear Connection to Gen 1

Fans got their first real confirmation of the names at the end of the Pokemon Presents, where Pokemon Winds and Waves also revealed its 2027 release window and Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity. It’s a simple shot over an ocean, which is likely to play a huge role in these games. Pokemon Winds’ logo is a touch more fluid and sweepy than Pokemon Waves, which has more push and pull to fit their themes, but the colors are important too. Pokemon Winds is a seafoam green, while Pokemon Waves is a solid blue.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Pokemon Winds has a slight reference to Pokemon Green (or Pokemon LeafGreen), and Pokemon Waves has a slight reference to Pokemon Blue. Given that colors have mattered in every generation and are likely carefully selected by Game Freak, there’s no way this is a coincidence. Again, the release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen brings Green specifically back to mind at the same time as the reveal of the Gen 10 games.

Colors by the Generation

Gen 1: Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow
Gen 2: Silver, Gold, and Crystal Blue
Gen 3: Red, Blue, and Green
Gen 4: Diamond Blue, Pearl Pink, and Platinum Silver/white
Gen 5: Black and White
Gen 6: Blue and Red
Gen 7: Orange and Blue
Gen 8: Pinkish Red and Blue
Gen 9: Scarlet and Violet
Gen 10: Seafoam Green and Blue

While shades of blue and red constantly reappear throughout the games, it’s worth highlighting how there has been no combination of Green and Blue since Gen 1 and Gen 3, with Gen 3 being more akin to the gems (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald) than the colors and was not the primary association. Pokemon Gen 1 saw Red and Green release in Japan, before the later version of Blue came along. In North America, youngsters got Pokemon Red and Blue before Yellow as the special third edition. FireRed and LeafGreen were the remake titles across the world, meaning everyone has been exposed to Green and Blue before and are now again after years, so it’s a little unifying to know the color association is going worldwide.

Perhaps this even deals with why Pokemon LeafGreen is the name instead of Pokemon WaterBlue, as Game Freak wanted peaceful colors and imagery as opposed to the conflict inherent to FireRed and WaterBlue. The waters of Pokemon Winds and Waves certainly seem calming, and that’s communicated through this color association, too.

Either way, Pokemon Gen 1 started it all and Pokemon Gen 10 is a huge milestone for the franchise. To see that the latter has not entirely forgotten the former, especially while there are plenty of new features rumored for Pokemon Winds and Waves, is heart-warming. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until 2027 to play them.