The original Pokémon games debuted in Japan on February 27, 1996, launching the franchise later celebrated for its 30th anniversary.
The games were Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green for the Nintendo Game Boy. They were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. Their central ideas—capturing, training, battling, and trading creatures—formed the foundation of the wider franchise.
The Japanese versions came before the international releases. Outside Japan, the games were adapted as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, because the original Japanese Green version was not released internationally. This difference is a common source of confusion when people discuss the franchise’s first games.
The anniversary date refers to the Japanese launch, not the later North American or European releases. The Game Boy’s link cable was especially important to the original design because it allowed players to trade Pokémon between systems.