The Pokémon video-game series debuted in Japan in 1996 with Pocket Monsters Red and Green.
Game Freak developed the titles for Nintendo's Game Boy, introducing players to collecting, training, battling, and trading fictional creatures. The games were released in Japan on February 27, 1996, establishing the franchise that celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026.
An often-missed detail is that the original Japanese pair was Red and Green, not Red and Blue. An enhanced Blue version followed in Japan, while the international releases were reworked as Pokémon Red and Blue. The first generation introduced 151 Pokémon, from Bulbasaur through Mew.
The 1996 launch began a multimedia franchise spanning video games, an animated television series, films, trading cards, merchandise, and mobile games. The Game Boy originals remain the starting point for the main Pokémon game series.