Pokémon Red and Green took six years to produce.
Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the Pokémon idea around 1990, drawing on the Game Boy's link cable and his childhood interest in collecting insects. Game Freak then developed the project for Nintendo's handheld system.
The long development period reflected the ambition of building a world centered on collecting, training, battling, and trading creatures. Game Freak faced serious financial pressure during production; the project nearly bankrupted the company, and Tajiri reportedly did not take a salary while working on it.
The completed games finally launched in Japan on February 27, 1996. Their lengthy development is sometimes shortened in retellings because Pokémon became famous quickly after release, but the franchise's origin predates that success by several years.