Who directed Pokémon Red and Blue?

Satoshi Tajiri directed Pokémon Red and Blue.

Tajiri was the creator of the Pokémon concept and served as director, designer, and writer on the original games. His early interest in insect collecting helped inspire Pokémon’s central idea: finding, collecting, raising, and trading creatures. The Game Boy’s Link Cable suggested a way for players to exchange Pokémon with one another.

The original games were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. Other major contributors included producer Shigeru Miyamoto, artist Ken Sugimori, composer Junichi Masuda, and programmers who built the game’s systems. Their roles are sometimes mistakenly attributed to Tajiri because he is the most recognizable name associated with Pokémon’s creation.

Pokémon Red and Blue were the international versions of the Japanese Red and Green games, with Blue-based artwork and programming changes. Their international release began in North America in September 1998. Tajiri’s direction therefore belongs to the foundational game project behind the worldwide Pokémon phenomenon.