The first main Pokémon role-playing games were released for the Game Boy.
Pokémon Red and Green were designed around Nintendo’s monochrome handheld system, whose Link Cable made trading and battling between players possible. That communication feature became one of the series’ defining ideas.
The games were not originally created for the Game Boy Color, although later Pokémon releases used color hardware. Pokémon Blue and the international Red and Blue editions also remained Game Boy titles.
The Game Boy’s portability helped Pokémon become a social game. Players could bring their systems together, exchange version-exclusive creatures, and build collections that were different from those of their friends.