Game Freak developed Pokémon Red and Green, the first Pokémon games released in Japan.
The company began as a video-game magazine created by Satoshi Tajiri and later became a development studio. Game Freak worked with Nintendo to turn Tajiri’s collecting-and-trading concept into a Game Boy role-playing game. The resulting titles were released in Japan on February 27, 1996.
Nintendo published the games and provided the Game Boy platform, but Game Freak was the development studio responsible for building the games. Creatures, another important company in Pokémon history, later became involved in areas such as character management, trading cards, and franchise production.
International versions used different names. Japan received Pokémon Red and Green, while overseas markets generally received Pokémon Red and Blue. The games share the same foundational region, Kanto, and the original 151 Pokémon. Their success established the game structure that later Pokémon generations continued to adapt.