On what date was Pokémon Yellow released in Japan?

Pokémon Yellow was released in Japan on September 12, 1998.

Its full Japanese title was Pocket Monsters Pikachu. The game is an enhanced version of the first-generation Pokémon games, designed to reflect elements of the Pokémon anime more closely than Red and Blue.

Unlike the earlier games, the player receives Pikachu as the only starter Pokémon, and Pikachu follows the player in the overworld. The rival begins with Eevee, while characters inspired by anime figures also appear in the adventure.

Pokémon Yellow reached North America on October 19, 1999, and Europe on June 16, 2000. Those later dates are often confused with the original Japanese launch. The game was released for the Game Boy and was compatible with Game Boy Color hardware.