On what date did Pokémon's original Japanese games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, debut?

Pokémon's original Japanese games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, debuted on February 27, 1996.

Game Freak developed the role-playing games for Nintendo's Game Boy. They introduced the central Pokémon formula: catching creatures, training them, battling with them, and trading them with other players through the Game Link Cable.

The release was delayed from December 21, 1995, because related merchandise was not ready. That delay is why February 27 is celebrated as Pokémon Day and is the key date behind the franchise's 30th anniversary in 2026.

Outside Japan, the original Green version was not released in its original form. The international games used the updated Japanese Blue version as their base and were released as Pokémon Red and Blue. This often causes confusion when people refer to the franchise's first games as “Red and Blue”; historically, the Japanese debut was Red and Green.