On what date were the original Pokémon games released in Japan, marking the franchise's beginning?

The original Pokémon games were released in Japan on February 27, 1996, marking the franchise’s beginning.

The games were released as Pocket Monsters Red and Green for Nintendo’s Game Boy. Their launch followed six years of development by Game Freak and director Satoshi Tajiri.

The release was originally planned for December 21, 1995, but it was delayed because related merchandise was not ready. The extra development time helped the games launch with a broader commercial strategy.

International players often remember Pokémon Red and Blue as the first games, but Japan received Red and Green first. Japan’s Blue version followed later, while the international Red and Blue versions were based partly on that updated Japanese release.