Pokémon Red redirects here. For the Japanese game with the same name, seePokémon Red and Green Versions.

Pokémon Blue redirects here. For the Japanese game with the same name, seePokémon Blue Version (Japanese).

Red & Blue redirects here. For the TCG card with that name, seeRed & Blue (Cosmic Eclipse 202).

Pokémon Red Version
American box art of Pokémon Red Version,featuringCharizard
Pokémon Blue Version
American box art of Pokémon Blue Version,featuringBlastoise
Basic info
Platform:	Game Boy(enhanced for theSuper Game Boy) Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console)
Category:	RPG
Players:	2 players simultaneous
Connectivity:	Game Link Cable(Game Boy) 3DS Wireless(3DS VC)
Developer:	Game Freak
Publisher:	Nintendo
Part of:	Generation Icore series
Ratings
CERO:	N/A
ESRB:	E
ACB:	G(Game Boy) PG(3DS VC)
OFLC:	G8+
PEGI:	12
GRAC:	N/A
GSRR:	N/A
Release dates
Japan:	N/A
North America:	September 28, 1998[1](Game Boy) February 27, 2016(3DS VC)
Australia:	October 23, 1998 February 27, 2016(3DS VC)
Europe:	October 5, 1999(Game Boy)[2][3] February 27, 2016(3DS VC)[2][3]
South Korea:	N/A
Hong Kong:	N/A
Taiwan:	N/A
Websites
Japanese:	N/A
English:	The Pokémon Company International(Game Boy & Virtual Console) Nintendo(GB, Red; needsFlash Player) Nintendo(GB, Blue; needs Flash Player) Nintendo(VC, Red) Nintendo(VC, Blue)

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Pokémon Red and Blue

Pokémon Red Version andPokémon Blue Version were the firstPokémon games to be released outside of Japan, becoming available in North America on September 28, 1998,^[1] in Australia and New Zealand on October 23, 1998 and in Europe on October 5, 1999.^[2][3] In North America, the pair closely followed the debut of theanimated series's Englishdub, which began airing on September 8, 1998,^[4] and within a year, Pokémon was well known as a popularNintendo franchise.

The games were available on theNintendo 3DSVirtual Console between thePokémon 20th Anniversary onFebruary 27, 2016 and the discontinuation of the 3DS Nintendo eShop on March 27, 2023.

Unlike latergenerations, Red and Blue were not the same as their corresponding Japanese releasesPokémon Red and Green. Besides Pokémon distribution, the aspects of Red and Blue such as graphics, script, and sprite designs are instead based on the JapanesePokémon Blue.

Despite being released towards the end ofGame Boy's lifespan, they quickly became the best-selling non-bundled games released for the Game Boy as well as being the best-sellingrole-playing games of all time when also including sales of Pokémon Green and the Japanese versions of Pokémon Red and Blue. Sales exceed 31 million units for all versions combined, which made them the best selling Pokémon games and the only games in the series to exceed 30 million units.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Illustrating the originalPokémon gameplay concepts, theplayer (canonically known asRed) begins his game inPallet Town, a small town in theKanto region, on the same day as his former best friend and nowrival. After meeting up withProfessor Oak while trying to leave forRoute 1, both the player and theirrival are asked by Oak to choose afirst partner Pokémon—Bulbasaur,Charmander, orSquirtle—from the desk near him. Oak allows the player to choose first and therival quickly gets jealous, chooses the first partner Pokémon whosetype is super effective against the player's first partner Pokémon, then challenges the player to abattle.

After the battle, Oak allows the two newTrainers to leave for theirjourney acrossKanto. Stopping inViridian City'sPoké Mart, the player will find that apackage has come in for the professor, and the clerk asks that it be delivered to him. After this has been done, the professor gives onePokédex to the player and one to the rival, and sends them on their way. Viridian City has a Gym; however, it is locked.

From here, the player has his first encounter with other Trainers, onRoute 2 and inViridian Forest, and his first encounter with aGym Leader:Brock theRock-type Gym Leader ofPewter City. After his defeat, journeying alongRoute 3 and throughMt. Moon brings the player face to face with the regionalvillainous team,Team Rocket, who are attempting to extract rareFossils from the cave. Their defeat allows the player to continue through the cave, obtain theDome Fossil orHelix Fossil which can be regenerated intoKabuto andOmanyte, and continue ontoRoute 4, which leads directly intoCerulean City, where anotherGym is. This one, however, is run byMisty, and specializes inWater-type Pokémon. To the north, as well, there are tworoutes leading up toBill's cottage. On the way, the player is confronted with a Trainer who tries to persuade him to joinTeam Rocket. When the player reachesBill's cottage and frees him of his transformation into a Pokémon, he will give the player a ticket for theS.S. Anne, a luxury ship moored inVermilion Harbor and filled with Trainers. Taking a shortcut through a house burglarized by Team Rocket, the player finally arrives atRoute 5.

After traveling down Routes 5 and6, using theUnderground Path to bypassSaffron City, the player finally arrives inVermilion. This city is home to another Pokémon Gym; however, the way to it is blocked by a small tree. The only thing to do is to show the ticket to theSailor guarding the harbor, allowing entry into the S.S. Anne. It is here, after assisting the captain with his seasickness, that the player will obtain the first of the fiveHidden Machines available in the game, containingCut. With this, and theCascade Badge, the tree blocking the way to Vermilion Gym can be easily cut through, andLt. Surge, a Gym Leader specializing inElectric-types, can be challenged. From here,Route 11 beckons, as doesDiglett's Cave, through which is the only way to get back toRoute 2, and a second HM, containingFlash held by one ofProfessor Oak's aides onRoute 2. The player takes a brief detour to Pewter City's museum's back entrance which was previously blocked due to a Cut-able tree, which can now easily be bypassed. The player obtains theOld Amber in the museum. Heading back to Diglett's Cave, and to Vermilion, the player must go to Cerulean and to the east, ontoRoute 9 and towards theRock Tunnel.

Rock Tunnel, a still undeveloped natural tunnel between the sections ofRoute 10, is pitch black inside; for this reason,Flash is recommended, but not required, for navigation of it. Finally reachingLavender Town, the only town in Kanto without a Pokémon Gym besides Pallet, there is not much to do; the localPokémon Tower is haunted. From here,Route 8 leads to Saffron City, but it again must be bypassed by way of anotherUnderground Path, which has its other entrance onRoute 7, on the west side of Saffron.Celadon City, the home of the fourth Gym which specializes inGrass-type Pokémon, is just a short walk further. Like the Vermilion Gym, the Celadon Gym also has a small tree blocking the way to its entrance, and an old man outside.

TheRocket Game Corner in Celadon is not what it appears to be. In fact, the Game Corner itself is merely the above-ground portion of a sprawling underground complex: theRocket Hideout. The Team Rocket boss, Giovanni, appears for the first time here, and after his defeat, flees, leaving behind a Silph Scope. A Silph Scope is required to fully navigate the Pokémon Tower inside of Lavender Town that the player encountered earlier.

After this, the Pokémon Tower can be navigated, and the ghosts haunting it are revealed to beGastly andHaunter. In front of the stairs to the final floor, blocking the way, is also a final spirit, that of a deceasedMarowak that was killed by Team Rocket when they captured her child. Making it all the way to the top revealsMr. Fuji held hostage by Team Rocket grunts, who will leave when they are defeated. Fuji gives away thePoké Flute, and with that, theSnorlax blockingRoute 11 andRoute 16 can finally be moved away. Another HM, containingFly, can be obtained easily by cutting away a tree blocking the northern section of Route 16.

Now the player is presented with a choice of how to get toFuchsia City. Traveling down either way the Snorlax are blocking, a faster way via Routes 16,17, and18 onCycling Road, or down theSilence Bridge of Routes12,13,14, and15, inevitably brings one to the southernmost city in continental Kanto,Fuchsia City, home ofKoga of thePoisonous Fuchsia Gym and theKanto Safari Zone. The Safari Zone is currently running a contest: the person to reach a specific rest house first will win yet another HM, containingSurf. Finding theSafari Zone Warden'sGold Teeth also will have him reward the player with the final of Kanto's HMs, containingStrength.

The player then goes back to eitherCeladon City orLavender Town, encountering the otherSnorlax on the way back. After stopping off at theCeladon Department Store and buying a drink at avending machine, Saffron City can finally be entered. However, Team Rocket is guarding almost every door in the city, including that of the local Pokémon Gym. One of the open buildings, however, is the unofficial Fighting-type Pokémon Gym, known as theFighting Dojo. After defeating the Fighting Dojo, the player is entitled to either aHitmonchan or aHitmonlee. The city's centerpiece building,Silph Co.'s headquarters, has also been infiltrated by the organization, and at the top, waiting in the boardroom, is the Team Rocket Boss,Giovanni, appearing for a second time, demanding that the president give him theMaster Ball that the company had developed. After his defeat, he flees.

After Team Rocket clears out ofSaffron City, all buildings previously blocked are now open, as well as the Gym. The Gym Leader,Sabrina, specializes inPsychic-types. The floor, as well, is covered in warp tiles that make it difficult to navigate. After Sabrina's defeat, the player makes his way back to Fuchsia City again and heads out to obtain the rest of the Badges.

With six Badges in hand, and five HMs in the bag, finally the player can adventure onto the open sea of Routes19 and20. A short way across them, of course, is a minor obstacle: theSeafoam Islands. After they have been navigated through, the player can continue on Route 20 toCinnabar Island, home ofBlaine'sFire-type Gym. There are also several more facilities on the island, including one that actually revives PokémonFossils. After Blaine's defeat, only the final Gym, that of Viridian City, remains.

Finally unlocked, the Gym, whose leader specializes inGround-types, is revealed to be none other than the boss of Team Rocket himself,Giovanni! After his defeat, he vows to disband Team Rocket and disappears. Now with eight Badges, all that lies ahead is thePokémon League atIndigo Plateau, conveniently at the end ofRoute 23.

TheElite Four await challengers, those who have proven themselves worthy by getting all eight Badges and making it throughVictory Road will face them, in order.Lorelei, whotrainsIce-type Pokémon is first, followed byBruno, whose specialty isFighting,Agatha, whose specialty isGhost, and finallyLance, who specializes inDragon-types. After defeating these four, the reigningPokémon Champion challenges the player to a final battle, and the Champion is none other than the player's own rival! After his defeat, Oak arrives and tells the player that he won because he cares better for his Pokémon, and the player's currentparty are added to theHall of Fame.

After the credits roll, the player is back in Pallet Town. The previously closedCerulean Cave is now open, and the powerfulMewtwo can be found inside.

Blurb

You've finally been granted yourPokémon Trainer's license. Now, it's time to head out to become the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer. It's going to take all you've got to collect150 Pokémon in this enormous world. Catch and train monsters like the shockingly-cutePikachu. Face off againstBlastoise's torrential water cannons. Stand strong when facingPidgeot's stormyGust.Trade with friends and watch your Pokémon evolve. Important—no single Pokémon can win at all. Can you develop the ultimate Pokémon strategy to defeat the eightGym Leaders and become the greatestPokémon Master of all time?

Features

Gyms

Players are introduced to the first eight Pokémon Gyms of the series, each with their own type affiliation, led byBrock (Rock),Misty (Water),Lt. Surge (Electric),Erika (Grass),Koga (Poison),Sabrina (Psychic),Blaine (Fire) andGiovanni (Ground).

Elite Four

TheElite Four of Kanto are a step above the rest, all located atIndigo Plateau and ready to take on all challengers. In order, they areLorelei (Ice),Bruno (Fighting),Agatha (Ghost) andLance (Dragon). The final battle is against thePokémon Champion,the rival, who does not have a type specialization.

Pokémon

Each game contains pre-recorded data on 151 different species of Pokémon, includingMew, a Pokémon unavailable to players of either game under normal conditions. Despite this, not all Pokémon are available to the player, regardless of version; trades must occur between players in order to complete their Pokédex without the use of cheats orglitches. Mew is the only Pokémon in these games thatmust be acquired through attending either a Nintendo sponsored event,a glitch, orcheating.

Version-exclusive Pokémon

The following Pokémon are only obtainable in one game of this pair. In order to obtain Pokémon exclusive to the other game of this pair, they must be traded either from that game or from another compatible game ofGeneration I orGeneration II which has that Pokémon available.

Red 0023 Ekans Poison 0024 Arbok Poison 0043 Oddish Grass Poison 0044 Gloom Grass Poison 0045 Vileplume Grass Poison 0056 Mankey Fighting 0057 Primeape Fighting 0058 Growlithe Fire 0059 Arcanine Fire 0123 Scyther Bug Flying 0125 Electabuzz Electric

Blue 0027 Sandshrew Ground 0028 Sandslash Ground 0037 Vulpix Fire 0038 Ninetales Fire 0052 Meowth Normal 0053 Persian Normal 0069 Bellsprout Grass Poison 0070 Weepinbell Grass Poison 0071 Victreebel Grass Poison 0126 Magmar Fire 0127 Pinsir Bug

Connectivity

Players maytrade Pokémon between two cartridges or battle with another cartridge using aGame BoyGame Link Cable. To take full advantage of this feature, several Pokémon are exclusive to each game of the pair and others require trading to evolve, making trading necessary to complete thePokédex. The games can trade and battle with Western versions of Red, Blue, andPokémon Yellow. They can also trade with Western versions ofPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal via theTime Capsule. Red and Blue are completely incompatible with games fromGeneration III onward.

Trades between Pokémon games in different languages are possible; however, a Japanese game cannot connect with a non-Japanese game without causing corruption. This is due to the fact that the games cannot automatically translate the Pokémon data from Japanese to a different language or vice versa, since neither game fullyencodes bothkana and theLatin alphabet (only encoding one fully and the other partially). If a battle between a Japanese game and a non-Japanese game is attempted, the battle simply does not work, with the save files left unharmed.

Red and Blue are compatible withPokémon Stadium andStadium 2. While link battles are not possible directly between Pokémon Red and Blue and the Generation II games, a player may challenge a Generation II game using Pokémon Stadium 2.

Virtual Console

TheNintendo 3DSVirtual Console releases use 3DS wireless communication as a substitute for the Game Link Cable. Japanese and non-Japanese Generation I core series games do not recognize each other when attempting to link them via 3DS wireless communication.

UsingPoké Transporter, the entirety of Box 1 can be sent from the Generation I core series games toPokémon Bank (regardless of language), from where they can be withdrawn in theGeneration VII core series games.

Localization changes

• The first pair of games in Japan wasPokémon Red and Green, followed byBlue as the thirdcore series game, which included graphical upgrades, as well as the removal of several known glitches that had been found in the original pair. In the localizations, the first pair of games was Red and Blue, which had the sameversion-exclusive Pokémon available as Pokémon Red and Green, and also kept the improvements from the Japanese Pokémon Blue.
• Because Pokémon Red and Blue's script is based on a translation of the script ofPokémon Blue but use thein-game trades fromPokémon Red and Green, two translation errors related to these trades occur.
  • The man who trades theplayer anElectrode onCinnabar Island claims that theRaichu he received "went andevolved". As Raichu does not have an evolved form, this is not possible. In the context of Japanese Pokémon Blue, it makes sense as the player trades away aKadabra, which evolves through trade, for aGraveler.
  • The old man who trades the player aJynx inCerulean City claims that thePoliwhirl he received "went and evolved". As Poliwhirl cannot evolve viatrade inGeneration I, this is not possible. In the context of Japanese Pokémon Blue, the old man trades away aHaunter for aMachoke, which does evolve through trade.
• In the localized versions of Pokémon Red and Blue, the Pokédex entries were translated from the Japanese Pokémon Blue. The earlier Pokédex entries shared by Japanese Red and Green were left untranslated until they were laterreused inPokémon FireRed.
  • In Japanese Pokémon Blue, two Pokédex entries use the term "Mythical Pokémon" (Japanese: まぼろしの ポケモンMirage Pokémon), stating thatMew is currently considered one andDratini used to be considered one as well. In the English version, the word "mythical" is used referring to Dratini but "mirage" instead referring to Mew.
  • In Japanese Pokémon Blue, Mew's entry has no mention of "many experts". This wording was added in the translation, as seen in: "still said to be a mirage by many experts".
  • In Japanese Pokémon Blue, Mew's entry mentions that few people have seen it in the entire country (全国(ぜんこく)). In the English version, this was changed to mention the world instead of a country: "few people have seen it worldwide".
  • In the localized versions of Pokémon Red and Blue,Nidoqueen'sweight (132.3 lbs; 60.0 kg) andGeodude's weight (44.1 lbs; 20.0 kg) are correctly taken from Japanese Blue, instead of using the lower incorrect values from Japanese Red and Green (6.0 kg for Nidoqueen and 2.0 kg for Geodude).
• In theplayer's bedroom, the video game console is a Famicom in the Japanese Red, Green, and Blue. This video game is aSNES in the localizations of all Generation I games.
• In the international Red and Blue, it is possible to buyHP Up in theCeladon Department Store, which was also true in the Japanese Blue but not in Japanese Red and Green.
• In the international Red and Blue, theCerulean Cave uses the layout from Japanese Blue instead of the layout from Japanese Red and Green.

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow

• In the player's story as seen in the Japanese game manuals, the player and rival have a different name in each game. This story is present in the English manuals as well, except their names are absent, the player character being referred to "you" and the rival character as "your rival".
  • In Japanese, the player is named according to the current game:レッド^R,グリーン^G,ブルー^B, orイエロー^Y (Red,Green,Blue, orYellow).
  • In Japanese, the rival is named according to another game:グリーン^R,レッド^GB, orブルー^Y (Green,Red orBlue).
• In all languages of the Generation I games except French, the TV in the player's house is showing a movie involving four boys walking on railroad tracks, a reference toStand by Me.^[5]
  • The TV in the French version shows an animated cartoon featuring a boy with a monkey tail (French: "Un dessin animé! Un petit garçon avec une queue de singe."), possibly a reference to young Son Goku fromDragon Ball, or alternatively, young Son Gohan from the sequelDragon Ball Z.
• In the localized versions of Generation I games, aBird Keeper inRoute 14 states: "The 3legendary Pokémon are allbirds of prey." However, in the Japanese dialogue, he simply says that they are three birds.
• In the Japanese version of theTrainer Card, the names of allGym Leaders are written above their faces (each Japanese name consisting of exactly three katakana characters), except Giovanni's name is written as "---". In the international versions, the Gym Leader names are not written on the Trainer Card, possibly owing to the longer English names.
• In the Japanese version, the Pokémon'slevel is repeated in the first and secondstats screens. In other language versions, the level is only shown in the first screen.
• Localization changes concerning theTown Map:
  • In the Japanese version, there is a border around the map, and the place name is displayed on a short blank space at the top-left corner outside that border. In the international versions, that border was removed, and the place name is displayed on a blank line above the map, leaving more space for longer place names.
  • In the Japanese version, the Town Map has a limit of 9 characters for the displayed place name. This would be enough to display the full Japanese name of all the places available on the map other thanSilph Co.. However, some words are not used on the Town Map: シティ (City), タウン (Town), しま (Island, as seen inCinnabar Island), こうげん (Plateau, as seen inIndigo Plateau), and カンパニー (Company, as seen inSilph Co.). For instance, while the Town Map displays the full name "Cerulean City" in English, this place is displayed as ハナダ (Hanada) instead of ハナダシティ (Hanada City) in Japanese.Silph Co. is displayed on the Town Map as シルフほんしゃビル (Sylph Main Office Building), which may be a shortening of シルフ カンパニー ほんしゃ ビル (Sylph Company Main Office Building).
  • In the Japanese version, the only in-game mention of theKanto region appears if the player interacts with theTown Map inDaisy's house prior to obtaining it. However, the name "Kanto" was removed from this game quote in the international versions, rendering the region unnamed in-game.
• When encountering a Pokémon using a fishing rod, the game says"The hooked <POKÉMON> attacked!" In the Spanish localization, this was erroneously translated to"¡El malvado <POKéMON> atacó!". The word"malvado" translates roughly to "wicked" or "evil."
• In the Japanese versions of all Generation I games, the girl who gives theplayerTM48 (Rock Slide) in exchange for aSoda Pop states that this move can sometimes cause the enemy tofaint (Japanese: たまに あいてを きぜつ させる).
  • In the English version of Pokémon Red and Blue, she makes no reference to fainting, but instead says Rock Slide can "spook the target sometimes". This may be a reference toflinching, even though the move could not cause flinching untilGeneration II.
  • In the English version of Pokémon Yellow, this quote is absent.
• The acronym for TM in the French localization of the games is CT. It is used incorrectly in one area of the game. When the player exchangedLemonade forCT49, the text reads"TM49... TRIPLATTAQUE!".
• In the Spanish and Italian localizations of the games, both versions erroneously refer to Squirtle's shell as"concha" and"conchiglia" which translates to "seashell" in Spanish and Italian respectively.
• In the Japanese versions of Generation I games (as well as in all versions of Generation II games andPokémon Stadium series games), the movesAbsorb,Mega Drain,Leech Life, andDream Eater always fail if the target is behind asubstitute. In the localized versions of Generation I games, these moves always hit if the target is behind a substitute (except Dream Eater, which will fail if the target is not sleeping).^[6][7]
  • Both the original effect (always miss when behind a substitute) and the localized Generation I effect (always hit behind a substitute) were likely unintended. The change in effect for localized games likely is a side-effect from a fix that was meant to preventSwift to always hit a target behind a substitute (even if the target is in thesemi-invulnerable turn ofFly orDig).
• In the Japanese version, there arebutsudan (Buddhist shrines) in some Celadon City buildings, but they were changed to sculptures ofDiglett in the English version. They return the text "ぶつだん だ……" (It's a butsudan...) in Japanese, but "It's a sculpture of DIGLETT." in English.
• In the Japanese version, thePC storage system has 8 boxes with 30 Pokémon each instead of 12 boxes with 20 Pokémon each.
• In the Japanese version, the name of thenon-player character always precedes the quote said when they are defeated inbattle. After the character's name, there is a corner bracket character (『) and then the quote starts. The names of Trainer classes are abbreviated, such as ミニスカ (Miniski) instead of ミニスカート (Miniskirt) forLass.
  • In the international versions of Generation I games, the opponent's name is not automatically added in the end battle quotes like this.
• In the Japanese versions of the handheld games,Blizzard has 30% chance to freeze. The chance was lowered to 10% forPokémon Yellow'sColosseum 2, theStadium games, and all international Generation I games.
• In the Japanese versions of the Generation I handheld games,Swift functions as a 100% accuracy move due toa glitch, unless the opponent is behind asubstitute. In all international games, Swift bypassesaccuracy checks to always hit.
• The American staff in charge of localizing the games tried to change thePokémon designs, butTsunekazu Ishihara turned down the proposal.^[8]

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen

• In the Japanese version, theold man passed out drunk at the start of the game, hence why he blocks the way out ofViridian City at the start of the game. In the English version, he is grumpy due to not having had his coffee yet.
  • InPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, theTeam Rocket trio replaces the old man.
• InCopycat's bedroom, there is Super Famicom in the Japanese version or aSuper Nintendo Entertainment System in other languages.
  • In most language versions, the game being played featuresMario with a bucket on his head. This is a reference to the Japan-exclusive gameMario & Wario, also developed byGame Freak. In the German version, Mario is mentioned but not his bucket. In the French version, a plumber is mentioned but is not named.
• In the Japanese version, aPicnicker (known as Picnicker Susie in later games) onRoute 13 says this before battle: おんなのこに　しては すじが　いいって　ほめられるの！ ("I'm praised for being pretty good, for a girl!"). The reference to her gender was removed in the English version:"I'm told I'm good for a kid."
  • In the Japanese version ofPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, she does not mention her gender either: 子供に　しては　筋が　いいって　褒められるの！ ("I'm praised for being pretty good, for a kid!")
• In the English version, aCue Ball (named Cue Ball Luke inGeneration III) on theRoute 17 area of the Cycling Road calls the player a "little mouse" before the battle and a "little rat" when defeated. Those references toreal-life animals were added in the localization.
  • This dialogue is not present in theGeneration VII remakes.

Localization changes shared by Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Let's Go, Eevee!

• Poké Center and Poké Mart signs were altered between regional releases
• Lt. Surge uses gratuitous amounts of English words in his Japanese dialogue, which is additionally written in a way that implies he is speaking with a heavy English accent. This is not addressed in the English game dialogue.
• In the Japanese version, at theCeladon Department Store 3F, the boy who receives Haunter in a trade calls himself Haunter Maniac (Japanese: ゴーストマニアGhost Maniac). This name is not mentioned in the English versions.
  • In Generation I only, the two boys trade aHaunter for aKangaskhan, and it is implied that Haunterevolves by trade intoGengar. In the localized versions, they tradeGraveler for Kangaskhan instead.
• In the Japanese version, aJr. Trainer♀ onRoute 20 states that theSeafoam Islands used to be two islands, implying that they are currently considered a single island. However, in the English versions, the Jr. Trainer♀ instead states that the Seafoam Islands used to be a single island.
• In the Japanese version, the charactersErik and Sara (Japanese: コージKōji and アツコAtsuko) may be cameos ofKōji Nishino andAtsuko Nishida.
  • Their Japanese dialogue involves some wordplay using the word 「とり」 ("tori"). They failed to meet each other due to a misunderstanding: Erik used a bird Pokémon to arrive at Fuchsia City (とりポケモン "tori Pokémon" meansbird Pokémon), while Sara is waiting for him inside the Safari Zone or GO Park where they would be able to obtain Pokémon (ポケモンとり "Pokémon tori" meansobtain Pokémon). This wordplay is not mentioned in the English version.
• The Japanese version of thePokémon Mansion journals use a singular "わたし" (watashi, "I" pronoun), implying that only one person was involved in discoveringMew and creatingMewtwo. The English localization changed this pronoun to "we"; this happens to be consistent with the events ofPokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back, in which a group of scientists created Mewtwo.

Differences in the Virtual Console release

The Nintendo 3DSVirtual Console releases canlink with other Virtual Console Generation I and II core series games via Nintendo 3DS wireless communication, simulating theGame Link Cable. When initiating a link, the Virtual Console menu on the touch screen replaces the Cable Club attendant's dialogue.

UsingPoké Transporter, Pokémon can be sent from the Generation I core series games toPokémon Bank, from which they can be withdrawn in theGeneration VII core series games.

The movesBlizzard,BubbleBeam,Confusion,Dream Eater,Explosion,Guillotine,Hyper Beam,Mega Kick,Mega Punch,Psychic,Reflect,Rock Slide,Selfdestruct,Spore, andThunderbolt had their animations changed slightly to tone down the flashing.

Development

This section is about general development info. For development leftovers and unused content, seePokémon Red and Green beta.

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Wikipedia has nifty info from official sources. Post it and cite it here

As Red, Green, and Blue

Release date

The games were originally scheduled for a December 21, 1995 release, according to an old Nintendo of Japan flyer.^[9] This could explain the copyright year of 1995 that appears in the games' introductory sequence, and all subsequent games and official merchandise.

No Mew present

In an interview bySatoru Iwata withTsunekazu Ishihara andShigeki Morimoto about the release ofPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, localized asIwata Asks, Morimoto claimed that after thedebugging tools were removed, they addedMew in the remaining 300 bytes of space on the cartridge, even after they were told not to tamper with the games post-debugging.^[10] However, contradicting this, Pokémon Red and Green are 373 kilobytes in size and are housed in 512 kilobyte cartridges.^[11][12]

Altering the internal data after completing the testing period meant that any newbugs and/orglitches created by adding data without referring to debugging tools would have been much harder to fix. Standardprogramming practices usually discourage altering thesource code and not testing it just before releasing thesoftware to the customer.

Poké Balls

Main article:Poké Ball

Some concept art depictsPoké Balls on the ground, in two pieces. This is most likely just a carryover from when Pokémon was still the concept ofCapsule Monsters. Strangely, the original Poké Ball sprites fromPokémon Red and Green lack the button in the center of the Poké Ball.

Rebattling Trainers

In an interview withShōko Nakagawa in her bookShōko Nakagawa: Pokémon Taught Me The Meaning of Life,Tsunekazu Ishihara revealed that originally, the game was programmed to trigger a battle with each Trainer any time the player walked by them, even if the player had already defeated them in battle previously. Thewild Pokémon encounter rate was also significantly higher originally. The Trainer rebattling was omitted from the final release and the wild Pokémon encounter rate was significantly reduced.^[13]

Prerelease border

On page 153 of the December 1995 bookNew Game Design byGame Freak is a summary ofRed and Green's final plot. Two screenshots of the game are shown which use an unseen border resembling aSuper Game Boy border. In it, "POCKET MONSTERS!" is written in a different size. The border has more Pokémon on it than the Super Game Boy borders from the final game.Clefairy andPidgey are included, suggesting the screenshot may be from Japanese Red.Kangaskhan does not appear in the border.

• 
  Title screen screenshot from New Game Design.
• 
  Battle screen screenshot from New Game Design.
• 
  Final game's Super Game Boy border for comparison.

Concept art

During a gaming exhibition calledGame On, early concept art ofCapsule Monsters byKen Sugimori was featured, along withpre-release material fromPokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The concept art depicts rough versions of various concepts that made it into the final releases of theGeneration I games. They seem to include variousbattles, theSafari Zone,Red riding on aLapras, aBlastoise,Celadon City,Silph Co., and a town with a fountain which could have been reworked intoCeladon City. Some otherPokémon are identifiable in a raw or semi-normal form, such asGastly, and others are prototypical of an entire class of Pokémon, such as a basicDragon-type.

GameCenter CX

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Expand based on the information provided by Satoshi Tajiri, if applicable

A Japan-exclusive special Pokémon episode ofGameCenter CX, known asRetro Game Master outside of Japan, included an interview withSatoshi Tajiri, where he revealed earlyPokémon character profiles ofNidoking,Slowbro andKadabra. Notably, they are given aNational Pokédex number which matches theirinternal index number, rather than their finalKanto Pokédex number. Nidoking, for instance, is noted as being #007, rather than #034, either suggesting that there was another method of ordering the Pokémon proposed, or that they reflect their ordering in the internal data. The latter is supported by interviews withKen Sugimori, which verify thatRhydon, which has an index number of 001, was the first Pokémon ever created, and early sketches fromCapsule Monsters featuring Rhydon. Nidoking is also referred to asマイコー♂Maikō♂, indicating that there were either placeholders or alternate names for Pokémon before the development ofPokémon Red and Green had finished.

Sprites

Different front sprites ofPokémon were planned forPokémon Blue, notably the ones forRaticate,Rhydon,Ditto,Dragonair andMewtwo. These were featured in the November 1996 issue ofCoroCoro, which published general information about the game.^[14]

As Red and Blue

Pokémon names

During the promotional period that preceded the English release of both theanimated series and Pokémon Red and Blue, a large amount ofPokémon were shown with different names from those they had in the final releases. Some of these names were similar to their final names, but some were quite close to their Japanese names, and others were completely different from any current Pokémon name.

In addition to promotional materials distributed before the games' English releases, the bookPokémon Trainer's Survival Guide, one of the earliest player's guides available in North America, erroneously refers to Haunter as Spectre, its pre-release name.

#		Final name	Early name	Japanese name
006		Charizard	Charizr	Lizardon
010		Caterpie	Catterp	Caterpie
014		Kakuna	Kokoon	Cocoon
015		Beedrill	Beedril	Spear
016		Pidgey	Pidge	Poppo
018		Pidgeot	Pidgeott	Pigeot
019		Rattata	Rattatak	Koratta
023		Ekans	Nagahis/Arbo	Arbo
024		Arbok	Nagaasp	Arbok
028		Sandslash	Sandstorm	Sandpan
035		Clefairy	Aria	Pippi
036		Clefable	Ariala	Pixy
037		Vulpix	Foxfire	Rokon
038		Ninetales	Ninetai/Nine Tales	Kyukon
039		Jigglypuff	Pudding	Purin
040		Wigglytuff	Custard	Pukurin
043		Oddish	Ladish	Nazonokusa
046		Paras	Parasyte	Paras
050		Diglett	Digda	Digda
058		Growlithe	Flamie	Gardie
059		Arcanine	Blaze	Windie
060		Poliwag	Aqua	Nyoromo
061		Poliwhirl	Aquanau/Polihirl	Nyorozo
062		Poliwrath	Aquamar	Nyorobon
063		Abra	Hocus	Casey
064		Kadabra	Pocus	Yungerer
066		Machop	Karate/Kara-tee	Wanriky
067		Machoke	Kungfo/Kung-foo	Goriky
068		Machamp	Judoh/Ju-doh	Kairiky
072		Tentacool	Jilly	Menokurage
073		Tentacruel	Manowar/Man O War	Dokukurage
078		Rapidash	Gallop	Gallop
079		Slowpoke	Slowmo	Yadon
081		Magnemite	Coil	Coil
082		Magneton	Recoil	Rarecoil
083		Farfetch'd	Fowler	Kamonegi
084		Doduo	Dodo	Dodo
087		Dewgong	Manaty	Jugon
092		Gastly	Spirit	Ghos
093		Haunter	Spectre	Ghost
094		Gengar	Phantom	Gangar
096		Drowzee	Sleeper	Sleepe
099		Kingler	Kingle	Kingler
102		Exeggcute	Eggstre	Tamatama
103		Exeggutor	Eggscut	Nassy
104		Cubone	Orphon	Karakara
105		Marowak	Guardia	Garagara
106		Hitmonlee	Lee	Sawamular
107		Hitmonchan	Chan	Ebiwalar
108		Lickitung	Tonguetyd	Beroringa
109		Koffing	Ny	Dogars
110		Weezing	La	Matadogas
113		Chansey	Lucky	Lucky
114		Tangela	Medusa/Meduza	Monjara
118		Goldeen	Goldy	Tosakinto
119		Seaking	Neptune	Azumao
122		Mr. Mime	Mrmime	Barrierd
123		Scyther	Stryke	Strike
130		Gyarados	Skulkraken	Gyarados
131		Lapras	Ness	Laplace
132		Ditto	Morpho	Metamon
133		Eevee	Eon	Eievui
137		Porygon	Poregon	Porygon
138		Omanyte	Ess	Omnite
139		Omastar	Kargo	Omstar
140		Kabuto	Att	Kabuto
141		Kabutops	Lantis	Kabutops
142		Aerodactyl	Ptera	Ptera
147		Dratini	Dragoon	Miniryu
148		Dragonair	Dragyn	Hakuryu

Text

Before the English releases ofPokémon Red and Blue, screenshots were released of abattle with therival where the text string "TheBlue wants to fight!" was used. While this text would work with a typicalTrainer, such as "TheLass wants to fight!" or "TheHiker wants to fight!", as they were not given personal names untilGeneration II, it would cause problems withGym Leader,Elite Four,rival, and link battles, causing them to read "TheMisty wants to fight!" or "TheLance wants to fight!", as these Trainers did not at the time have titles, only their names. Because of this, thedefinite articleThe was dropped in the final releases, leading to the somewhat odd sentence style inGeneration I of:

• "{Trainer's class or name} wants to fight!"

A screenshot in the instruction manual and player's guide of English Red and Blue still contains the text "TheBrock wants to fight!", possibly suggesting a late removal. The instruction manual also mentionsPokémon Leaders instead of Gym Leaders.

A slightly different grammar was also going to be used for other text strings.

• "{Player} sent {Pokémon} out!" instead of "{Player} sent out {Pokémon}!"
• "A wild {Pokémon} appeared!" became just "Wild {Pokémon} appeared!" (this change would be reverted inPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, where it has been kept since then)
  • Similarly, "The enemy {Pokémon} fainted!" became simply "Enemy {Pokémon} fainted!" (also reverted in XD as thedefinite articleThe was reinstated)

Reception

The games received positive reviews from the press, receiving a perfect 10/10 "Masterful" rating from IGN.^[15] The games received an average score of about 89% on GameRankings,^[16] the second highest on the site for acore series Pokémon game, and the 3rd and 4th best score for aGame Boy title.^[17] Video Game Canon ranks Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow,FireRed, and LeafGreen as five of the best games of all time.^[18]

Criticism

Though they brought Pokémon to international fame following the success of the Japanese Red and Green, Pokémon Red and Blue have retrospectively been met with criticism, especially compared to later releases in the series. Many Pokémon look very little like their appearance in theanimated series, which premiered nearly simultaneous with the games' North American release, or later games, which improved on several other aspects as well as the graphics. Some have also accused the Kanto region itself and the Pokémon in it of being blander or less detailed than later regions and regional Pokédexes.

The two games are also notorious for having several drasticglitches, among themMissingNo.,Glitch City, and theMew glitch. The battle system also features numerous glitches and oversights, such as the Badge boost glitch, the 1/256 miss glitch, and Psychic's unintended immunity to Ghost (which was corrected to be a weakness from Generation II onwards). On the other hand, many players have found that these oddities make Red and Blue unique from other games in the series, and have praised such errors either as opportunities for exploration or exploitation (e.g., as a way to get Mew), or as interesting alternative battle mechanics (e.g., among challenge runners who exploit Badge boosts).

Soundtrack

Main article:Game Boy: Entire Pokémon Sounds Collection CD

The soundtrack release forPokémon Red, Green, andBlue also applies to Pokémon Red and Blue.

Staff

Main article:Staff of Pokémon Red and Blue

Gallery

Title screens

When played on theSuper Game Boy,Super Game Boy 2,Game Boy Tower,Game Boy Color,Game Boy Advance, orGame Boy Player, the games usepredefined color palettes based on the game version instead of displaying in monochrome.

• 
  Red title screen (Game Boy)
• 
  Blue title screen (Game Boy)
• 
  Red title screen (Super Game Boy,Super Game Boy 2,Game Boy Tower)
• 
  Blue title screen (Super Game Boy, Super Game Boy 2, Game Boy Tower)
• 
  Red title screen (Game Boy Color,Game Boy Advance,Game Boy Player)
• 
  Blue title screen (Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Player)

• 
  Red title screen (Virtual Console)
• 
  Red Secret title screen (Virtual Console)

Virtual Console icons

• 
  Red Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console icon
• 
  Blue Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console icon

Trivia

• The names Red and Blue were selected because it was believed that these colors would better appeal to Americans due to theUnited States flag being red, white, and blue.^[19]
• The blurb on the back of the boxes states that 139 differentPokémon can be obtained in each game without trading. This, however, includes all Pokémon that theplayer must choose between (i.e., both theOmanyte andKabuto families are counted). Therefore, the true total of different Pokémon obtainable in one adventure without trading is 124, which excludes the two unchosen first partner Pokémon families, one Fossil family, two Eeveelutions, Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan, and the four Pokémon that only evolve when traded.
  • This obtainable is based on theCaught status in the Pokédex. However, if one of each Pokémon is counted to be on yourBox, this will further go down to 120. This excludes the first two stages of the chosen first partner Pokémon, the first stage of the Fossil chosen, and Eevee.
• According to thePokémon Pokédex Collector's Edition (Prima's Official Pokémon Guide), Red and Blue were developed by a team of nine members.
• Prior to the Virtual Console release announcement,Pokémon.com listed Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow with a PEGI rating of 3.^[20] When PEGI rated the game for its Virtual Console release, it received a rating of 12, due to gambling.
• An error made during development causes thePokémon depicted duringProfessor Oak's introductory lecture to be aNidorino but with thecry of aNidorina. This error was inherited from the Japanese Red, Green, and Blue games.
• The box arts for Pokémon Red,Yellow, andSilver are the only three instances where the EnglishPokémon logo is shown partially covered by some element (in this case, Charizard's head).
• In the Canadian French manual for Pokémon Blue, Pokémon is often misspelled as "Pokémons".
• Several official sources, such asPokémon.com^[21] and Iwata Asks interview,^[22] incorrectly state that these games were released in Europe on June 10, 1999. This error appears to have come from the confusion of American and European date formats (the game was released in different parts of Europe on different days from October 5 to 8).
• Theopening of Pokémon Red features aGengar battling aNidorino, like in the original Japanese Red and Green versions, while the opening of Pokémon Blue features Gengar battling aJigglypuff instead as in the Japanese Blue.
  • Due toan oversight, Jigglypuff appears purple (instead of pink) in this battle against Gengar. This is a leftover from the earlier battle between two purple Pokémon (Gengar vs. Nidorino).
• Thetitle screen of international Pokémon Red and Blue features the same 16 Pokémon appearing one-on-one together withthe player as in Japanese Red and Blue, respectively. This starts with Charmander in Red and Squirtle in Blue. However, since there is no international game named Pokémon Green, the list of 16 Pokémon from Japanese Green is not seen in the international games.

In other languages

External links

• Miiverse - Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow Version Community

References

Related articles

• Pokémon Red and Blue walkthrough

This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.

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• Articles needing more information
• Game Boy games
• Pokémon Red and Blue
• Virtual Console games
• Nintendo 3DS games