Pokémon Red and Green first appeared on Nintendo’s Game Boy.
The choice of hardware was central to Pokémon’s design. Game Freak used the Game Boy’s portability and Game Link Cable to let players connect two systems, creating a way to trade Pokémon and battle friends. Satoshi Tajiri’s childhood interest in collecting insects helped inspire the collection concept, while the link cable suggested how creatures could move between players.
The Game Boy was already several years old when the games launched in 1996, and Nintendo initially had modest expectations. Its large installed user base and relatively low cost nevertheless gave Pokémon a broad audience. The games’ success helped extend interest in the handheld system.
Pokémon is often associated with the Game Boy Color because the international launch coincided with that system’s release in North America. However, the original Red and Green games were Game Boy titles, and they could also run on later compatible hardware.