A fan of the Pokemon franchise has found a working copy of Pokemon Red, alongside a 20-year-old save file and a working Game Boy Color. With the recent release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it's often fun for Pokemon players to look back at how far the franchise has come since the release of Pokemon Red.
Pokemon Red retains an iconic place in gaming folklore as the title that began one of the most successful game franchises of all time. Ever since then, fans have paid homage to the game in many different ways. One fan even recreated Pokemon Red as a 3D game, giving players a modern perspective on a true classic. The game even got an official 2004 remake with Pokemon FireRed, which started the continuing tradition of remaking every Pokemon generation on modern hardware.
In the Reddit post, the user known as Rubmifer shows off the Game Boy Color, which is clearly showing signs of age at this point. Despite the wear and tear, the copy of the game appears to work, even with the 20-year-old save file intact. It's a rare find to have both still working, as the batteries of many cartridges from this era have now started to die, with some fans reusing these broken Pokemon cartridges to create brand-new art. The user shared that they are planning to pass on the cartridge to their own son. It speaks to the touching impact that Pokemon Red had on players, that it's something they want their children to experience in the same way they did.
Caving to the demands of other Redditors, the fan also posted an image of their team of Pokemon. As part of their roster is Charizard, now one of the most iconic Pokemon of all time. It's interesting for players to be able to see how the designs have stood the test of time, and cemented their place in gaming folklore. Players in the thread continued to share their own memories of Pokemon Red, with seemingly everyone having their own unique anecdote as to how the game impacted their childhood.
While the debate about the best Pokemon game will continue to rage on for years to come, the power of nostalgia will ensure that fans always come back to the classics. Even decades later, the modern Pokemon games are yet to stray too far from the winning formula conceived in Pokemon Red, showing why it remains such an important piece of gaming history to players around the world.