Upon confirming thatPokemon GoldandSilverwould be arriving on the Nintendo 3DS’s Virtual Console, many fans immediately began to wonder whyPokemon Crystalwas left without a release as well. Since the definitive version ofPokemon RedandBlue,Pokemon Yellow, arrived alongside both of those games on 3DS, many thought that the title donning the legendary dog Suicune would do the same. Evidently this was not the case, but a recent datamine of the re-released games indicates that the software may not be all that far behind.
The samedataminer responsible for outing the remake ofMario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, SciresM, has resurfaced with new code indicating thatPokemon Crystalis en route to the Nintendo 3DS. The data in question is said to have been found within a patch in the ROM fileworks for the recent versions ofPokemon GoldandSilveron the handheld, indicating an inevitable Virtual Console release for the Game Boy Color classic.
If that weren’t convincing enough, SciresM previously drew attention to theGold/SilverVirtual Console release title IDs earlier this month, pointing out evidence of a very suggestive “Gap” left by developers for a future release.
The business sense behind holding back onPokemon Crystalappears to be clear, provided that the game is indeed en route to 3DS owners. It’s likely that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company saw the opportunity to sell two versions ofPokemonrather than one, as is likely a result ofPokemon Yellow’s qualityand corresponding sales advantage on the platform. Staggering the release ofPokemon Crystal, in turn, allowsGoldandSilverversions time to sell before the consumer-preferred amalgamation arrives on the eShop.
It’s a smart play by all parties involved, and it should result in higher sales across the board for the originalPocket Monstersequels – provided that the Nintendo Switch hasn’t cut into the 3DS user base too aggressively by the timePokemon Crystalarrives.
Pokemon GoldandPokemon Silverarrive for the Nintendo 3DS’s Virtual Console on Jul 23, 2025.
