What was the original Japanese title of the first Pokémon games released in 1996?

The original Japanese title was Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

These two Game Boy role-playing games launched the Pokémon series in Japan on February 27, 1996. The franchise was known domestically as Pocket Monsters, a name commonly shortened to Pokémon. The paired releases contained version-exclusive Pokémon, making trading necessary for players who wanted to complete the collection.

International releases used different names. The games became Pokémon Red and Blue outside Japan because the Japanese Green version was revised into the international Blue version. This is why many international players know the first pair as Red and Blue, even though Red and Green were the original Japanese releases.

The games introduced the Kanto region, the original 151 Pokémon, eight Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Pokédex. Their structure established the template for later main-series Pokémon games, while the two-version format became a continuing series tradition.