Pokémon Red and Green were originally released on the Game Boy.
The games were role-playing titles developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for Nintendo’s handheld system. Their monochrome graphics and compact cartridges supported a large adventure while allowing players to carry their Pokémon journeys with them.
The Game Boy Link Cable was central to the original concept. Players could connect two systems to trade Pokémon or battle, making it impossible to complete the full original Pokédex using one version alone. Red and Green contained different Pokémon, so trading became part of the game’s design rather than merely an optional feature.
Pokémon Yellow also began on the original Game Boy, although it was later compatible with Game Boy Color hardware. This distinction matters because the first Pokémon games are sometimes described as Game Boy Color titles due to their popularity on that later system. The original Japanese releases were Game Boy games, and their link-based trading helped demonstrate the handheld’s social potential.