Playing Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on the Switch delivers an experience that closely mirrors how the games were originally played on the Game Boy Advance decades ago.
Unlike playing on emulators, you’re basically bound to all the in-game limitations of FireRed and LeafGreen, such as not being able to speed up your way to grinding levels and beating dozens of Trainers.
The lack of a fast-forward feature may disappoint many players, as it forces them to spend more time in Pokemon battles, which can feel repetitive. This is especially noticeable in the third generation of the mainline Pokemon games.
With the fast-paced and streamlined mechanics found in modern Pokemon titles, playing Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen at their original speed can sometimes feel slow or even tedious.
Fortunately, there are a few tips you can follow to minimize some of the games’ more time-consuming aspects. While they cannot fully replace a dedicated fast-forward feature, they can still help make your overall playthrough much smoother.
Key highlights:
- There is no built-in speed up or fast-forward option in the Switch ports of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.
- You can still make the game appear a bit quicker by changing the TEXT SPEED, BATTLE SCENE, and BATTLE STYLE settings.
How to Speed Up Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen on Switch 1 and 2
Changing the TEXT SPEED and BATTLE SCENE Settings
Without the fast-forward option on Switch, the only way to make things run a bit quicker in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen is by changing some settings in the options menu.
The first setting that you can tweak is the TEXT SPEED, which you can set to FAST by pressing the right directional button. This makes the text animation appear faster whenever you’re talking to other people or interacting with objects.
The second setting that you can change, which brings a more significant effect to the game’s overall speed, is the BATTLE SCENE settings. Under this feature, you can just turn it off, and all the move animations done by you and your opponent’s Pokemon will be disabled.
With the BATTLE SCENE feature turned off, Pokemon battles may feel less visually engaging, but they will finish much faster.
This is especially helpful since some move animations can take several seconds to play.
Keep Reading:
- Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen How To Get “Cut” HM
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- Pokemon FireRed Safari Zone Guide
Turning the BATTLE STYLE Setting to SET (Optional)
You can also get rid of the battle feature that happens every time you defeat a Trainers Pokemon, and the game will ask if you want to use a different Pokemon for the next battle.
To do this, you can go to the Options menu again and change the BATTLE STYLE setting from SHIFT to SET.
This setting will, however, make battles much more challenging, since you won’t have the luxury of countering the next Pokemon the other Trainer will throw at you. Still, like the other methods in this guide, it will make battles much faster as long as you can one-hit KO most Pokemon in the game.
Using Bicycle and Running Shoes (Optional)
This might sound like a no-brainer, but after all, we can’t be choosers. Make it a habit of using your Running Shoes or Bicycle when moving around Kanto, and you’ll be surprised at how fast it could take you around the region.
Pair those items with some Repels, and you can go from city to city with only the Trainers getting in your way.
Here are the methods to get the Running Shoes and Bicycle in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen:
| Item | How to Obtain |
|---|---|
| Running Shoes | Go to Route 3 after defeating Brock, Pewter City’s gym leader. You’ll meet one of Professor Oak’s aides there, and he will help you unlock the running option by pressing B as you move. |
| Bicycle | Go to Vermillion City first and obtain the Bicycle Voucher from the old guy you’ll meet at the city’s Pokemon Fan Club. Use the voucher to claim a Bicycle at the Shop in Cerulean City. |
Conclusion
We understand the disappointment of learning that the Switch ports of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen do not include a fast-forward option. Still, this is the classic way the games were originally played back in the day.
If you were too young to experience gaming during the Game Boy Advance era, this gives you a glimpse of the patience players needed at the time.
Feel free to try any of the methods we shared in this guide, and you should be able to complete either game in just a few days, depending on how many hours you can dedicate to playing each day.
You can also make use of items like Exp. Share and Lucky Egg to level up your team more efficiently, since having an overleveled party in the Kanto League can make the games feel faster than they normally would.
Also read: How to Solve Vermilion City Gym Puzzle in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen
We hope this guide helps you become a stronger Trainer. For more tips, tricks, and guides for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, keep following our posts here at Pokecoders.
