The original Pokémon Red and Green games were released for the Game Boy.
Nintendo launched the handheld Game Boy in 1989, and Pokémon arrived on the system in Japan in 1996. The games used the Game Boy’s monochrome display and cartridge format, while trading and battling between players relied on the Game Link Cable.
International versions were later released as Pokémon Red and Blue. Although many players experienced Pokémon on the Game Boy Color, the original Japanese games were Game Boy titles and were compatible with the older hardware.
Pokémon Yellow followed later as a revised Game Boy edition inspired by the animated series. It placed Pikachu alongside the player from the beginning and adjusted several characters and story elements, but it remained part of the first generation of Game Boy Pokémon games.