When did Pokémon Red and Blue release in North America?

Pokémon Red and Blue were released in North America on September 28, 1998.

These games introduced the Pokémon role-playing series to North American players on the original Game Boy. They combined the original creature-collecting adventure with version-exclusive Pokémon, encouraging players to trade through the Game Boy Link Cable.

The North American release followed the Japanese launch of Red and Green by more than two years. The international versions used Blue as the companion game rather than Japan's Green, reflecting an enhanced version that had been released domestically.

The anime had already begun airing in Japan in 1997, but the North American games arrived before the English television premiere. This staggered rollout helped build the franchise's early international momentum.