Which magazine’s subscribers first received the Japanese Pokémon Blue game in 1996?

CoroCoro Comic subscribers first received the Japanese Pokémon Blue game in 1996.

After Pokémon Red and Green launched on February 27, 1996, Pokémon Blue was released in Japan as a special mail-order edition for subscribers to CoroCoro Comic on October 15, 1996. It was later released to general retail in Japan on October 10, 1999.

The Blue version included updated in-game artwork and dialogue. Its code, script and artwork were then used as the foundation for the international Pokémon Red and Blue releases, although the distribution of Pokémon remained based on the Japanese Red and Green versions.

This history creates a common naming confusion. International players often assume that Pokémon Blue was simply the global counterpart to Japan’s Green, but the situation was more complicated. Japan’s original pair was Red and Green, while overseas releases were named Red and Blue. The Japanese Blue revision became especially important because it supplied the polished presentation used for localization. CoroCoro Comic also played a broader role in Pokémon promotion, making the magazine’s subscriber offer an important part of the franchise’s early history.