The original Pokémon Red and Green were designed for Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld system.
Game Freak built the role-playing games around the monochrome, cartridge-based Game Boy, which had launched in 1989. The hardware’s link-cable feature was crucial because it allowed players to trade Pokémon and battle friends using separate consoles.
The original games were not initially designed for the Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance. Later releases became compatible with newer hardware, and Pokémon Yellow was also playable on Game Boy systems with improved color support when used on the Game Boy Color.
The Game Boy’s link cable helped turn trading into a defining Pokémon feature. Because no single version contained every species, players needed another game or another player to complete the Pokédex, making the handheld’s connectivity part of the franchise’s original design.