Pokémon Red and Green originally appeared on the Game Boy.
Nintendo released the games in Japan in 1996 for its widely owned handheld system. The monochrome Game Boy’s limitations encouraged the developers to focus on exploration, turn-based battles, trading, and collecting rather than advanced graphics.
Trading through the Game Boy Link Cable was a crucial part of the design. Because different versions contained exclusive Pokémon, players could exchange creatures between cartridges to complete their Pokédex. This made the hardware connection a central social feature rather than an optional extra.
Pokémon Yellow later appeared as another Game Boy release, while the international Red and Blue versions also launched on the original Game Boy. Enhanced versions and remakes eventually reached newer Nintendo systems, but the franchise began on the first Game Boy.