On what date was Pokémon Blue first released in Japan as a mail-order edition?

Pokémon Blue was first released in Japan as a mail-order edition on October 15, 1996.

The Japanese launch was a special edition available to subscribers of CoroCoro Comic. It followed the February 1996 release of Pokémon Red and Green and featured revised artwork, updated programming, and altered dialogue.

Pokémon Blue later became available to the general Japanese retail market on October 10, 1999. Its updated code and artwork were also used as the foundation for the international releases of Pokémon Red and Blue, which differed from the original Japanese Red and Green versions.

This history can be confusing because “Blue” did not initially have the same release pattern in Japan as it did overseas. In Japan, Red and Green were the original paired games, while international audiences received Red and Blue.

The mail-order release demonstrates how Pokémon used magazines, special distributions, and revised editions to build interest during its first year.