What was the Japanese release date of the first Pokémon games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green?

The first Pokémon games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, were released in Japan on February 27, 1996.

The games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the original Game Boy. Their release began the Pokémon video game series and is the date commonly used for Pokémon Day and the franchise’s anniversary.

The launch was delayed from a planned December 21, 1995 release because related merchandise was not ready. Japan later received Pocket Monsters Blue as an enhanced version, while international markets received Pokémon Red and Blue.

The original games introduced capturing, training, battling, trading, Gym challenges, and the Kanto region. They also contained the first 151 Pokémon, although players needed to trade between versions to obtain them all.