Overview
A bug-collecting hobby became a worldwide obsession. Satoshi Tajiri’s vision of trading creatures between Game Boys created something unprecedented: a game that required social interaction to complete. Version exclusives meant trading wasn’t optional—it was the point. The 151 original Pokémon launched a franchise that would outlast the hardware it debuted on.
Fast facts
- Developer: Game Freak.
- Publisher: Nintendo.
- Year: 1996 (Japan), 1998 (West).
- Platform: Game Boy.
Core mechanics
| System |
Function |
| Capture |
Weaken and catch |
| Training |
Level progression |
| Evolution |
Form changes |
| Trading |
Social completion |
Version differences
| Exclusive |
Red |
Blue |
| Legendary |
— |
— |
| Pokémon |
Unique sets |
Unique sets |
| Purpose |
Trading incentive |
Trading incentive |
Link cable innovation
| Feature |
Impact |
| Trading |
Collection completion |
| Battling |
Competitive play |
| Social requirement |
Community building |
| Hardware sales |
Link cable demand |
Cultural impact
| Scale |
Reach |
| Sales |
31 million copies |
| Merchandise |
Billion-dollar industry |
| Anime |
Global broadcast |
| Cards |
Trading card phenomenon |
See also