Which Pokémon games introduced the series to North America in 1998?

Pokémon Red and Blue introduced the Pokémon video-game series to North America in 1998. Nintendo released the pair there on 28 September 1998, after the Japanese Red and Green versions had become a major success.

For localization, Nintendo replaced Japan’s Green version with Blue as the partner game. Red and Blue retained the Kanto setting and the original 151-species Pokédex, while changing some available Pokémon between versions to encourage trading. The games arrived alongside a growing merchandising campaign and the English-language animated series.

The North American launch transformed Pokémon from a successful Japanese release into a global brand. Europe received Red and Blue in 1999, followed by later generations and spin-offs. The games were eventually remade as Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for Game Boy Advance, while the original versions were rereleased on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2016.