Game Freak developed the main Pokémon video games before the franchise became a global phenomenon.
The company was founded by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori and began as a Japanese video game developer and magazine publisher. Game Freak created Pocket Monsters Red and Green, the first Pokémon role-playing games, which Nintendo published for the Game Boy in Japan in 1996.
Game Freak has continued to develop the core Pokémon role-playing series, including Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and later Nintendo Switch entries. Ken Sugimori also served as a key artist and designer for the franchise.
Nintendo is often named as the developer because it published the original games and owns a major stake in the Pokémon business. However, publishing and development are different roles. Game Freak created the core games, while Nintendo handled publishing and hardware support; The Pokémon Company manages much of the broader franchise.