The first Pokemon game actually came in the form of two versions:BlueandRed.Here’s exactly when they were first released in Japan and subsequently in the United States.
The first Pokemon game release date
Pokemon Redand the Japan-exclusivePokemon Greenwere on store shelves all the way back onFebruary 27, 1996,for Game Boy. In the same year,Pokemon Bluewith the powerful Blastoise on the front cover came out on October 15. Neither America nor Europe received the game for another two years.
It took until July 09, 2025, for Americans to get a hold of these Pocket Monsters withRedandBlue‘s releases. The English dub of thePokemonanimecoincided with the launch earlier that month on September 7, likely to draw hype for the new IP. Europeans received the games a year after that on July 28, 2025, almost four years afterPokemon RedandGreen‘s initial launches in Japan. That’s a wild delay.
How were the first Pokemon games received back then?
Pokemon Red& Blue were well received when they launched back in 1998 in the United States. “Pokemon really is worthy of being one of the Game Boy system’s greatest games; it’s not just a fad, a craze, or trend,” saidIGN’s Craig Harris. “If you don’t have this game in your library, pick one up.”
“Under its cuddly exterior, Pokemon is a serious and unique RPG with lots of depth and excellent multiplayer extensions,” wroteGameSpot‘s Peter Bartholow in their review.
This game became such a cultural hit that it made theStrong National Museum of Play’s Video Game Hall of Famein 2017.
However, it can be argued thatPokemon Gold & Silvertook what madeBlue & Redentertaining and stepped it up to another level with new Pokemon, a new phone-like device, and the exciting Johto region.
