Which Pokémon games launched the core series in Japan in 1996?

Pokémon Red and Green launched the core Pokémon series in Japan in 1996. Developed by Game Freak for Nintendo’s Game Boy, the paired role-playing games introduced the central ideas of catching, training, battling, evolving, and trading Pokémon.

The Japanese releases used the titles Pocket Monsters Red and Green. The games were not identical: each version contained Pokémon that could not normally be found in the other, encouraging players to trade through the Game Boy Link Cable. A revised Blue version followed in Japan and became the basis for the international releases.

Outside Japan, the original Green version was replaced by Blue. North American and European players therefore first encountered the paired games as Pokémon Red and Blue, a distinction that often causes confusion when discussing the franchise’s true beginning. The 1996 Japanese launch is the milestone behind the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2026.