Which handheld console originally played Pokémon Red and Green?

Pokémon Red and Green originally played on the Game Boy.

Nintendo's Game Boy provided the hardware for Pokémon's debut in Japan in 1996. The system's link cable was especially important because it let players trade Pokémon and battle one another using two connected handhelds.

That trading feature helped distinguish Pokémon from many other role-playing games of its era. Players could not obtain every original species in a single version, so exchanging creatures with another player became part of completing the Pokédex.

The games were later adapted for international release and eventually reissued on newer Nintendo hardware. Pokémon Yellow also began on the Game Boy, although its color-focused presentation was designed to resemble the animated series more closely. The Game Boy Color could display the games with color, but it was not their original platform.