The first Pokémon video games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, were released for the Game Boy.
Nintendo's monochrome handheld provided the technical foundation for the original role-playing games. Players explored an overhead world, fought turn-based battles, collected Pokémon, and used the Game Link Cable to trade creatures between two Game Boy systems.
The link feature was central to Satoshi Tajiri's original idea. Instead of requiring players to find every Pokémon in one cartridge, the games encouraged communication and exchanging versions. Some Pokémon were exclusive to Red, while others were exclusive to Green, making trading an important part of completing the Pokédex.
The Game Boy Color later hosted Pokémon Gold and Silver, but the first generation began on the original Game Boy. The international Red and Blue versions also appeared on Game Boy, while Pokémon Yellow was likewise designed for that platform.