The Pokémon video game series first appeared on Nintendo’s Game Boy.
The original Pokémon Red and Green were designed for the monochrome Game Boy, Nintendo’s influential handheld system. Their concept depended heavily on the Game Link Cable, which allowed two players to connect separate Game Boys to trade Pokémon or battle. Trading helped make it possible for players to collect creatures unavailable in their own version.
The games later received international releases as Pokémon Red and Blue, still for the original Game Boy. Pokémon Yellow followed on the Game Boy and used Pikachu as its central companion, while later entries moved to the Game Boy Color and newer Nintendo systems.
The Game Boy’s hardware imposed strict limits on graphics, memory, and color, but those limitations helped shape the compact, menu-driven design. The system’s portability also suited the idea of carrying a collection and meeting other players to exchange Pokémon. This combination of role-playing, collecting, and communication became a defining feature of the franchise.