How long did development of Pokémon Red and Green take?

Development of Pokémon Red and Green took six years.

Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the Pokémon idea around 1990 after considering the Game Boy’s communication capabilities. He imagined players exchanging collectible creatures through the Link Cable, combining his interest in technology with childhood insect collecting.

The project became much more demanding than initially expected. Game Freak worked on the games for years, and development nearly bankrupted the company. There were periods when the studio struggled to pay employees, while Tajiri reportedly did not take a salary and relied on financial support from his father. Investment from Creatures helped the project reach completion.

The games were eventually released in Japan on February 27, 1996. The long development period explains why Pokémon arrived late in the Game Boy’s life cycle, yet it also allowed the team to build a distinctive system around collecting, training, battling, and trading. The six-year figure refers to the development of the first games, not the entire franchise’s later expansion.