When did Pocket Monsters Red and Green first release in Japan?

Pocket Monsters Red and Green first released in Japan on February 27, 1996.

The games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They introduced the basic Pokémon formula: capturing creatures, training them, battling other Trainers, trading with another player, and working toward completing a Pokédex.

The release date is sometimes confused with December 21, 1995, the originally planned date. Development had been completed by October 1995, but the launch was delayed because related products were not ready. The February 1996 release became the date commemorated as Pokémon Day and the franchise’s anniversary.

The international editions followed later. Pokémon Red and Blue reached North America on September 28, 1998, and Europe on October 5, 1999. Although the names and release schedules differed by region, the Japanese debut established the starting point for the Pokémon video-game series.