What name was used for the original Japanese Pokémon games released in 1996?

The original Japanese Pokémon games released in 1996 were called Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

They were the first entries in the core Pokémon video-game series and appeared on the Nintendo Game Boy. The Japanese titles used Pocket Monsters, the franchise’s original Japanese name, rather than the internationally familiar Pokémon branding.

Nintendo later released a revised Blue version in Japan. For overseas markets, the games were localized as Pokémon Red and Blue, which is why many international players never encountered the original Green release. Pokémon Yellow followed as an enhanced version featuring Pikachu more prominently.

The distinction matters when discussing the franchise’s first release. Red and Green are the original Japanese pair; Red and Blue are the standard international pair. Both versions share the same foundational Kanto adventure and the original 151-Pokémon roster.