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

The original Pokémon games launched in Japan as Pokémon Red and Green. They were released for the Game Boy on February 27, 1996, and introduced the first generation of Pokémon, the Kanto region, and the basic collecting-and-battling formula.

International versions used a different pairing: Pokémon Red and Blue. The Blue version was not the original Japanese counterpart at launch; in Japan, Pokémon Blue was later released as a revised version with updated graphics, encounter tables, and other changes. The international Blue edition was based on that later Japanese version.

Red and Green were designed as companion games. Each version contained exclusive Pokémon, encouraging players to trade through the Game Boy Link Cable. Completing the Pokédex therefore required cooperation or access to both versions.

The naming difference is a frequent source of confusion because Red and Blue became the familiar pair in North America and Europe. Japan's original Red-and-Green pairing remains an important part of the franchise's launch history and explains why anniversary retrospectives sometimes show green packaging alongside red.