Nintendo re-released Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on February 27, 2016.
The release marked the 20th anniversary of the original Japanese launch of Pokémon Red and Green. It allowed a new generation to play the early games on modern hardware while preserving their original Game Boy design and gameplay structure.
The Virtual Console versions included simulated Link Cable functionality, allowing players to trade and battle between compatible games. This was especially significant because trading is required to obtain every original Pokémon across the paired versions.
Japan’s original Green version remained exclusive to Japanese consumers, while international markets received Red, Blue, and Yellow. The anniversary re-release therefore preserved some of the regional history of the first-generation games rather than presenting every version identically worldwide.