Which Pokémon game versions were first released internationally outside Japan?

Pokémon Red and Blue were the first Pokémon game versions released internationally outside Japan.

Japan originally received Pocket Monsters Red and Green on February 27, 1996. For overseas markets, Nintendo used a revised version based largely on the Japanese Blue release and paired it as Pokémon Red and Blue. The international games launched in North America on September 28, 1998, followed by other regions in 1999.

The names were not simply a direct translation of the Japanese pair. Pokémon Green was not released internationally in its original form, while Blue’s updated artwork, code, and script formed the foundation for the overseas versions. Version-exclusive Pokémon still encouraged trading between players.

Pokémon Yellow arrived later as an enhanced version inspired partly by the anime, with Pikachu following the player outside its Poké Ball. That later release is why some players remember Yellow as an early international title, but Red and Blue were the first overseas pair.