What was the Japanese release date of Pokémon Red and Green, the first core-series games?

Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan on February 27, 1996.

The two Game Boy games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. They introduced the main Pokémon formula: players explore a region, catch creatures, train them, battle other trainers, and trade Pokémon with another Game Boy through the Link Cable. Red and Green contained version-exclusive Pokémon, encouraging players to connect and exchange creatures.

The games take place in the Kanto region and originally featured 151 Pokémon. The player character travels from Pallet Town through towns, routes, caves, and the Pokémon League. Professor Oak provides the Pokédex and gives the player a choice among Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

International releases used Pokémon Red and Blue rather than Red and Green. Blue was a revised Japanese version that became the basis for the overseas releases, while Pokémon Yellow later added features inspired by the anime. The February 27 date is now celebrated annually as Pokémon Day.