Game Freak developed the original Pokémon video games for Nintendo’s Game Boy.
The studio was founded by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori and began as a self-published video-game magazine before becoming a development company. Game Freak created Pocket Monsters Red and Green, which launched the franchise in Japan in 1996.
Nintendo published the games and helped finance and support the project, but it was not the original developer. Creatures later became closely involved with Pokémon, particularly through trading-card production, character modeling, and ownership arrangements.
A common mix-up is treating Nintendo as Pokémon’s sole creator. Nintendo is the best-known corporate partner and publisher, but the original game development came from Game Freak. The Pokémon Company later coordinated licensing, marketing, and much of the wider franchise business.