Sometimes games companies make decisions that leave me scratching my head and asking "why?" Today, Nintendo is that company after taking the decision to release boxed copies of Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver next month across Europe. The twist? Neither box includes a game cartridge.

Nintendo already announced that Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver, originally released back in 2001 for the Game Boy Color, would be getting a re-release on the Virtual Console on September 22. 3DS owners can then buy, download, and play both games in their original, unmodified form. However, Nintendo of Europe just announced that they will be releasing "packaged versions" of the games.

On 22/09, shiny packaged versions of #Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver containing a download code will be released in shops. pic.twitter.com/PpfYtZFzp2 — Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) August 18, 2017

Physical copies of these classics would make many gamers, myself included, very happy. But Nintendo decided the box is all that's required to count as a physical "packaged" release. If you purchase and open one of these boxes, all you'll find inside is a code to download the game.

That may be enough for some people, but I must protest. Please Nintendo, don't start classing boxed copies of your games as simply meaning I am buying a box. I want my games, old or new, on actual cartridges so they are not tied to having access to a server for download. Because eventually, those servers will get turned off where as the cartridges I do own (from Game Boy right through to 3DS) all still continue to work.

For now, these boxed copies have only been announced for Europe. However, there's every chance the same deal will be offered in the US.