On what date were the first Pokémon games released in Japan for the Game Boy?

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

The games were titled Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan and were developed by Game Freak for Nintendo’s Game Boy. Their release marked the beginning of the Pokémon franchise, which later expanded into animation, films, trading cards, manga, toys, and mobile games.

Development took about six years. The project began with Satoshi Tajiri’s idea of using the Game Boy Link Cable to let players exchange collectible creatures. The games were delayed from a planned 1995 release while related products were being prepared.

A common mix-up is the international release date. Pokémon Red and Blue reached North America in 1998 and Europe in 1999, so the franchise’s Japanese debut came substantially earlier. February 27 is now celebrated annually as Pokémon Day.