How many years did development of the original Pokémon games take?

Development of the original Pokémon games took six years.

Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the idea around 1990, inspired by the Game Boy’s ability to connect two systems with a link cable. Game Freak then worked toward creating a role-playing game built around collecting, battling, and trading creatures.

The project became unusually long and difficult. Game Freak worked with limited resources, development was suspended for periods, and the company faced serious financial pressure. Tajiri reportedly did not take a salary during the process, while outside support helped the team continue toward completion.

Pocket Monsters Red and Green finally launched in Japan on February 27, 1996. The lengthy development period helps explain why the finished games were designed around a relatively simple handheld platform but contained an unusually ambitious social feature: exchanging Pokémon between players. That trading concept became one of the franchise’s most enduring foundations.