How long did Game Freak spend developing the first Pokémon games?

Game Freak spent six years developing the first Pokémon games.

The project began after Satoshi Tajiri pitched the idea of Pocket Monsters to Nintendo around 1990. Tajiri wanted to combine his childhood interest in insect collecting with the Game Boy's Link Cable, creating a game where players could collect creatures and trade them with one another.

Development was unusually demanding for a small studio. The project changed significantly during production, required extensive creature design and programming, and pushed Game Freak close to financial difficulty. Shigeru Miyamoto assisted as a mentor, while Ken Sugimori led the visual design work for the original Pokémon.

Development was completed by October 1995. The games were initially planned for December 21, 1995, but the release was delayed because related products were not ready. Pocket Monsters Red and Green finally launched in Japan on February 27, 1996, beginning the franchise's public history.