The first Pokémon games, Red and Green, were released for the Game Boy.
Nintendo’s monochrome handheld was central to Pokémon’s original design. Its link cable allowed players to trade Pokémon and battle one another, making the games unusually social for a single-player role-playing series. Completing the Pokédex was deliberately difficult without connecting with another player, because some Pokémon were exclusive to one version.
The games used Game Boy cartridges and launched in Japan in 1996. The international Red and Blue versions also appeared on the original Game Boy, although they could be played on later compatible hardware. Pokémon Yellow followed as an enhanced Game Boy release.
A common mix-up is confusing the original Game Boy with the Game Boy Color. Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow were Game Boy titles, while later games such as Gold and Silver supported the Game Boy Color.