On what date did the Pokémon franchise begin in Japan with the original Game Boy games?

The Pokémon franchise began in Japan on February 27, 1996, with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy.

Those role-playing games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. Players explored the fictional world, captured Pokémon, trained them, battled other Trainers, and traded species between game versions using the Game Boy Link Cable.

The Japanese releases were followed by an enhanced Blue version. For international markets, Nintendo used Pokémon Red and Blue, while the original Japanese Green version was not released overseas in its original form. Pokémon Yellow later added features inspired by the animated series.

February 27 is now celebrated annually as Pokémon Day. The date is especially significant for the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026, marking three decades since the first games launched in Japan.