What was the Japanese title of the first Pokémon games?

The Japanese title of the first Pokémon games was Pocket Monsters Red and Green. Game Freak released the pair for the Game Boy in Japan on February 27, 1996.

The games were later followed by an enhanced Japanese Blue version. For international markets, Nintendo used Pokémon Red and Blue rather than releasing the original Japanese Green version in its original form.

The paired-release structure encouraged players to trade because each version contained Pokémon unavailable in the other. That design became one of the defining features of the franchise and made the Game Boy link cable especially important.

The shortened name Pokémon became the standard international branding. “Pocket Monsters” remains the original Japanese title and explains why the franchise’s Japanese name is commonly romanized as Poketto Monsutā.