Which games began the Pokémon video game series in Japan in 1996?

Pocket Monsters Red and Green began the Pokémon video game series in Japan in 1996.

The two Game Boy role-playing games were released on February 27, 1996. They were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, following several years of development led by Satoshi Tajiri and his team. The games introduced players to the Kanto region, Pokémon battles, trading, evolution, and the original 151 species.

Red and Green were paired versions rather than identical releases. Each contained Pokémon that could not be found in the other, encouraging players to connect two Game Boy systems with a Game Link Cable and trade. This version-exclusive design became a defining feature of the franchise.

International releases used Pokémon Red and Blue instead. Japan later received Pokémon Blue as an updated special edition, and the international Red and Blue versions were based largely on that revision. Because of this, fans sometimes mistakenly name Red and Blue as the original Japanese pair.