Pokémon Red and Green were first released in Japan on the Game Boy. Nintendo’s monochrome handheld provided the hardware for the franchise’s original role-playing adventure.
The Game Boy was especially important because its Link Cable allowed players to connect two systems. Pokémon used that feature for trading creatures and battling friends, making communication between players part of the game’s design rather than a minor extra.
The original Japanese releases were Red and Green, while most international markets later received Red and Blue. A revised Japanese version called Blue followed after the first pair. The games’ success helped extend the Game Boy’s commercial life and established the basic formula of collecting, training, battling, and trading.