Who created the original Pokémon concept that became the 1996 video games?

Satoshi Tajiri created the original Pokémon concept that became the 1996 video games.

Tajiri grew up in Machida, Japan, where he enjoyed collecting insects and exploring small natural habitats. As urban development changed his surroundings, he imagined a video game that could let children discover and collect creatures through a machine rather than outdoors. The Game Boy’s ability to connect two systems helped him develop the idea of exchanging creatures between players.

Tajiri founded Game Freak, first as a self-published video-game magazine and later as a development company. He presented the Pocket Monsters idea to Nintendo, where the project eventually received approval and entered development. Ken Sugimori became the principal artist, while other collaborators handled programming, music, production and creature design.

Tajiri is sometimes confused with Sugimori because Sugimori shaped the visual identity of the early Pokémon games and created much of their artwork. Shigeru Miyamoto was also important as a Nintendo mentor who supported the two-version trading structure, but he was not the franchise’s original creator.