Which handheld console launched Pokémon Red and Green in Japan?

Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan for the Game Boy.

Nintendo’s monochrome handheld provided the technical setting for the franchise’s first games. Its Link Cable was especially important because Pokémon was designed around exchanging creatures between two players, not merely playing alone.

The Game Boy was already several years old when the games arrived, but its large installed audience and relatively affordable hardware helped Pokémon reach children and families. The games’ success gave the aging console a major new hit.

Pokémon later expanded to the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch. The original Red and Green, however, were built for the standard Game Boy. Their simple graphics and turn-based battles became the template for the main series.