Game Freak spent six years developing the original Pokémon Red and Green games.
Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the Pokémon idea around 1990, inspired by the Game Boy’s link cable and his childhood interest in collecting insects. The project grew far beyond its initial concept and required years of programming, artwork, music, testing, and design changes.
Development was difficult for the relatively small studio. Game Freak worked on other projects during the process, and the Pokémon game was at times effectively paused before development resumed in earnest. The long production period also contributed to uncertainty about whether the aging Game Boy could still support a major new hit.
The finished games were eventually released in Japan on February 27, 1996. Their slow start made the result even more surprising: Pokémon became a major success after launch, helping establish Game Freak as one of the most important developers in Nintendo’s handheld history.