On what date did the original Pokémon video games first release in Japan?

The original Pokémon video games first released in Japan on February 27, 1996.

The games were released as Pocket Monsters Red and Green for Nintendo's Game Boy. They were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, introducing the central ideas of catching, training, battling, and trading creatures.

The Japanese versions came before the internationally released Pokémon Red and Blue. Japan later received Pokémon Blue as an enhanced version, while the international releases were based on that updated code rather than directly on the original Green version.

The release date is celebrated as Pokémon Day because it marks the beginning of the franchise's commercial history. The first generation introduced 151 species, from Bulbasaur through Mew, and helped turn the Game Boy into a platform for a major role-playing game phenomenon.