Pokemon FireRed vs LeafGreen: Every Version Difference Explained

When FireRed and LeafGreen dropped in 2004, a lot of people figured they were basically the same game with different box art. I mean, we'd been through this before with Red and Blue, then Gold and Silver, then Ruby and Sapphire. But if you've actually sat down and played both, you know there's a bit more going on than that.

I still remember being a kid in GameStop, trying to figure out which one to buy. My buddy grabbed FireRed first, so I went with LeafGreen just to be different. Honestly thought it didn't matter much. Turns out I was half right.

The Obvious Stuff: Version-Exclusive Pokémon

Let's start with the most obvious difference. Like every dual-release before them, FR/LG each have their own exclusive creatures. If you go with FireRed, you get:

• Ekans
• Arbok
• Oddish
• Gloom
• Vileplume
• Psyduck
• Golduck
• Growlithe
• Arcanine
• Shellder
• Cloyster
• Scyther
• Scizor
• Elekid
• Electabuzz
• Bellossom
• Wooper
• Quagsire
• Murkrow
• Qwilfish
• Delibird
• Skarmory
• Deoxys (Attack Form)

On the other hand in LeafGreen version you get:

• Sandshrew
• Sandslash
• Vulpix
• Ninetales
• Bellsprout
• Weepinbell
• Victreebel
• Slowpoke
• Slowbro
• Slowking
• Staryu
• Starmie
• Magby
• Magmar
• Pinsir
• Azurill
• Marill
• Azumarill
• Misdreavus
• Sneasel
• Remoraid
• Octillery
• Mantine
• Deoxys (Defense Form)

This stuff actually mattered more than you'd think. Arcanine was everywhere in competitive battles back then, while Ninetales had its Flash Fire ability going for it. Choosing between Electabuzz and Magmar was basically just picking which punchy fire or electric type you liked better, since they're pretty much the same stats-wise.

The exclusives don't stop at Kanto either. Once you get to the Sevii Islands, you'll find some Johto creatures are locked to specific versions too. Which legendary beast shows up actually depends on your starter, but there are other Johto species spread around the islands that change based on your version.

Minor Changes You Might Not Noticed

Beyond the different creatures, there are some small changes in NPCs and what items they have. Some trainers on the Sevii Islands have different teams depending on which version you're playing. Nothing major, but enough that playing the other version later doesn't feel completely identical.

The Sevii Islands are worth mentioning too. These seven islands (actually nine if you count the postgame stuff) were brand new for these remakes. The layout and most of the content is the same between versions, but the species you run into can be different. Game Freak was trying to make these feel like more than just straight remakes of the old games.

The Wireless Adapter Changes Everything

Both games were the first in the series to use the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter. No more link cable - you could actually trade and battle wirelessly. This was the same in both versions, but it changed how we played with friends. You didn't have to sit right next to each other anymore, connected by that annoying short cable.

The Union Room became the spot to hang out. It felt way more social than anything before. Both versions had this feature, and honestly, it was kind of revolutionary for the time.

Catching Them All Needs Both Games

Here's where things get annoying if you're a completionist. To actually catch everything, you need to trade between FireRed and LeafGreen. But it doesn't even stop there - you also need Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald to get the Hoenn creatures that don't show up in either Kanto remake.

Game Freak knew exactly what they were doing. They made it so serious players needed multiple games and systems (or friends with the other versions) to complete the collection. Frustrating? Yeah. But also kind of clever, since it turned completing the Dex into more of a group project.

Which One Should You Pick?

If you're trying to decide between the two, here's my take: it really just comes down to which exclusive creatures you like better. Want Arcanine's speed and power, or Ninetales with its Flash Fire ability? Team Electabuzz or team Magmar?

I lean toward LeafGreen because Vulpix is cute and I've always liked Slowbro. But FireRed has Growlithe, and that's hard to beat. Even now, it's tough to choose.

Both games are basically the same experience though. You're getting a remake of the original Red and Green games with better graphics, updated mechanics from Ruby and Sapphire, and those new Sevii Islands. The story's identical, same gym leaders, same number of rival battles - doesn't matter which version you get for any of that.