What were the original Japanese Pokémon games called when they launched in 1996?

The original Japanese Pokémon games were called Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

They launched for the Game Boy on February 27, 1996. The two versions shared the same main adventure but included version-exclusive Pokémon, encouraging players to connect their systems and trade.

Japan later received Pocket Monsters Blue as an enhanced version. For international markets, Nintendo used Pokémon Red and Blue instead. The Japanese Green version was not released internationally in its original form, which is why many players outside Japan know the first pair only as Red and Blue.

The version names are an important anniversary-era distinction. Red and Green describe the Japanese debut, while Red and Blue describe the familiar Western release. Both pairs belong to the same first generation and introduced the original 151 Pokémon.