| |
|---|---|
 North American cover art forPokémon Red (left),Pokémon Blue (center), andPokémon Yellow (right) | |
| Developer | Game Freak |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Director | Satoshi Tajiri |
| Producers |
|
| Designer | Satoshi Tajiri |
| Programmers |
|
| Artists | |
| Writers |
|
| Composer | Junichi Masuda |
| Series | Pokémon |
| Platform | Game Boy |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Pokémon Red Version andPokémon Blue Version are 1996role-playing video games (RPGs) developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo for theGame Boy. They are the first installments of thePokémon video game series, and were first released in Japan asPocket Monsters Red[a] andPocket Monsters Green,[b] followed by the special editionPocket Monsters Blue[c] later that year. The games were released internationally in 1998 and 1999 asPokémon Red andPokémon Blue, while an enhanced version,Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition,[d][e] was released in Japan in 1998 and in other regions in 1999 and 2000.
The player controls the protagonist from anoverhead perspective and navigates the fictional region of Kanto in a quest to masterPokémon battling. The goal is to become the champion of the Indigo League by defeating the eightGym Leaders and the top Pokémon trainers in the land, theElite Four. Another objective is to complete thePokédex, an in-game encyclopedia, by obtaining all 151 Pokémon.Red andBlue use theGame Link Cable, which connects two Game Boy systems and allows Pokémon to be traded or battled between games. Both versions feature the same plot,[1] and while they can be played separately, players must trade between both games to obtain all of the original 151 Pokémon.
Red andBlue were well-received, with critics praising the multiplayer options, especially the concept of trading. They received an aggregated score of 89% onGameRankings and are considered amongthe greatest games ever made, perennially ranked on top game lists including at least four years onIGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time". The games marked the beginning of a multibillion-dollar franchise, jointly selling over 400 million copies worldwide. TheRed andBlue versions were remade forGame Boy Advance asFireRed andLeafGreen (2004) whileYellow was remade forNintendo Switch asLet's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee! (2018). The originals were rereleased on theVirtual Console service for theNintendo 3DS in 2016 to commemorate their twentieth anniversaries.
Pokémon Red andBlue are played in athird-person view,overhead perspective and consist of three basic screens: anoverworld, in which the player navigates the main character;[2] a side-view battle screen;[3] and a menu interface, in which the player may configure their Pokémon, items, or gameplay settings.[4]
The player can use their Pokémon to battle other Pokémon. When the playerencounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer, the screen switches to aturn-based battle screen that displays the two engaged Pokémon. During a battle, the player may choose to fight using one of up to fourmoves, use an item, switch the active Pokémon, or attempt to flee; however, fleeing is not possible in trainer battles. Pokémon havehit points (HP); when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and can no longer battle until it is revived. Once an enemy Pokémon faints, the player's Pokémon that were involved in the battle receive a certain number ofexperience points (EXP). After accumulating enough EXP, a Pokémon willlevel up.[3] A Pokémon's level controls its physical properties, such as the battle statistics acquired, and themoves it has learned. Some Pokémon may alsoevolve at certain levels. These evolutions affect the statistics and the levels at which new moves are learned. Pokémon at higher stages of evolution gain more statistics each time they level up, although they may not learn new moves as early, if at all, compared with the lower stages of evolution.[6]
Catching Pokémon is another essential element. While battling with a wild Pokémon, the player may throw aPoké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is successfully caught, it will come under the player's ownership. Factors in the success rate of capture include the HP of the target Pokémon, whether it is under a status effect, and the type of Poké Ball used: the lower the target's HP, and the stronger the status effect and type of Poké Ball, the higher the success rate of capture.[7] The ultimate goal is to complete the entries in thePokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing,evolving, and trading to obtain all 151 creatures.[8]
Pokémon Red andBlue allow players to trade Pokémon between twocartridges via aGame Link Cable.[9] This method of trading must be done to fully complete the Pokédex since certain Pokémon will only evolve upon being traded and each of the two games have version-exclusive Pokémon.[1] The Link Cable also makes it possible to battle another player's Pokémon team.[9] When playingRed orBlue on aGame Boy Advance orSP, the standard GBA/SP link cable will not work; players must use the Nintendo Universal Game Link Cable instead.[10] Moreover, the English versions are incompatible with their Japanese counterparts, and such trades will corrupt the save files, as the games use different languages and therefore character sets.[11]
As well as trading with each other andPokémon Yellow,Pokémon Red andBlue can trade Pokémon with the second generation of Pokémon games:Pokémon Gold,Silver, andCrystal. However, there are limitations: the games cannot link if one player's party contains Pokémon or moves introduced in the second generation games.[12] Also, using theTransfer Pak for theNintendo 64, data such as Pokémon and items fromPokémon Red andBlue can be used in the Nintendo 64 gamesPokémon Stadium[13] andPokémon Stadium 2.[14]Red andBlue are incompatible with thePokémon games of the later "Advanced Generation" for theGame Boy Advance andGameCube.[15]
Pokémon Red andBlue are notable for a large quantity ofglitches, possibly due to their scope in comparison to Game Freak's development experience at the time.[16] One of the most popular glitches inRed andBlue involves encounteringMissingNo. (short for "Missing Number"), a glitch Pokémon with multiple forms that arise when different glitches are performed.[17] Additionally, several other Pokémon can be encountered using glitches, such as the otherwise-unobtainableMythical PokémonMew. Another glitch, dubbed the "EXP underflow glitch", allows players to manipulateunsigned integers in the game's code for Pokémon in the "medium slow" experience group in order to max out the level of any such Pokémon.[18]
The player begins in their hometown of Pallet Town in the Kanto region (inspired by, but not to be confused with the real lifeKantō region of Japan) . After venturing alone into the tall grass, the player is stopped byProfessor Samuel Oak, a famous Pokémon Researcher. Professor Oak explains to the player that wild Pokémon may be living there and encountering them alone can be very dangerous.[19] He takes the player to his laboratory where the player meets Oak's grandson, a rival aspiringPokémon Trainer. The player and the rival are both instructed to select astarter Pokémon for their travels out ofBulbasaur,Squirtle andCharmander.[20] Oak's grandson will always choose the Pokémon which is stronger against the player's starting Pokémon. He will then challenge the player to a Pokémon battle with their newly obtained Pokémon and will continue to battle the player at certain points.[21]
While visiting the region's cities, the player will encounter special establishments called Gyms. Inside these buildings are Gym Leaders, each of whom the player must defeat in a Pokémon battle to obtain a total of eight Gym Badges. Once the badges are acquired, the player is given permission to enter the Kanto League in the Indigo Plateau, which consists of the best Pokémon Trainers in the region. There the player will battle theElite Four and finally the new Kanto League Champion: the player's rival.[22] Throughout, the player battlesTeam Rocket, a criminal organization that uses the Pokémon for various crimes.[6] They devise numerous plans for stealing rare Pokémon, which the player must foil.[23][24]
Pokémon Red andBlue take place in the region of Kanto, which is based on the real-lifeKantō region in Japan. This is one distinct region, as shown in later games, with different geographical habitats for the 151 existing Pokémon species, along with human-populated towns and cities and Routes connecting locations with one another. Some areas are only accessible once the player learns a special ability or gains a special item.[25] Kanto has multiple settlements: Pallet Town, Viridian City, Pewter City, Cerulean City, Vermillion City,Lavender Town, Celadon City, Fuchsia City, Saffron City, Cinnabar Island, and the Indigo Plateau. All of these other than Pallet Town, Lavender Town, and Indigo Plateau have a gym with a leader who serves as a boss, and the battles against the Elite Four and final rival battle occur at Indigo Plateau. Areas in which the player can catch Pokémon range from caves (such as Mt. Moon, Rock Tunnel, Seafoam Islands, and Cerulean Cave) to the sea, where the kinds of Pokémon available to catch varies. For example,Tentacool can only be caught either through fishing or when the player is in a body of water, whileZubat can only be caught in a cave.[citation needed]
Thegame developer,Satoshi Tajiri, pitched the concept of Pokémon toNintendo's staff in 1990[26] and was met with skepticism. They believed his ideas were too ambitious and found it difficult to see the appeal. However,Shigeru Miyamoto saw great potential in the idea and convinced the company to go ahead with the project.[27]
The initial concept forPokémon stemmed from the hobby ofinsect collecting, a popular pastime which Tajiri enjoyed as a child.[28] While growing up, however, he observed more urbanization taking place in the town where he lived and as a result, the insect population declined. Tajiri noticed that kids now played in their homes instead of outside and he came up with the idea of a video game, containing creatures that resembled insects, called Pokémon. He thought kids could relate with the Pokémon by individually naming them, and then controlling them to represent fear or anger as a good way of relieving stress. However, Pokémon never bleed nor die in battle, only faint – this was a very touchy subject to Tajiri, as he did not want to further fill the gaming world with "pointless violence".[29]
The concept of trading Pokémon was inspired by a frustrating experience Tajiri had while playingDragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line. Tajiri was attempting to obtain an item that could only be obtained by a rare drop from an enemy, but he was not able to acquire it. Ken Sugimori was also playingDragon Quest II at the time and was able to acquire two of the rare item. Wishing to obtain Sugimori's extra copy, Tajiri attempted to figure out if it was possible to trade items between games, but realized this was not possible on the Famicom.[30] When theGame Boy was released, Tajiri thought the system was perfect for his idea, especially because of thelink cable, which he envisioned would allow players to trade Pokémon with each other. This concept of trading information was new to the video game industry because previously connection cables were only being used for competition.[31] "I imagined a chunk of information being transferred by connecting two Game Boys with special cables, and I went wow, that's really going to be something!" said Tajiri.[32] Upon hearing of thePokémon concept, Shigeru Miyamoto suggested creating multiple cartridges with different Pokémon in each, noting it would assist the trading aspect.[33] Tajiri was also influenced bySquare's Game Boy gameThe Final Fantasy Legend, which he said gave him the idea that more than just action games could be developed for Game Boy.[34]
The main characters were named after Tajiri himself asSatoshi, who is described as Tajiri in his youth, and his long-time friend, role model, mentor, and fellowNintendo developer,Shigeru Miyamoto, asShigeru.[29][35]Ken Sugimori, an artist and longtime friend of Tajiri, headed the development of drawings and designs of the Pokémon, working with a team of fewer than ten people who conceived the various designs for all 151 Pokémon.Atsuko Nishida created the designs forPikachu,Bulbasaur,Charmander,Squirtle, and many others.[36] Sugimori, in turn, finalized each design, drawing the Pokémon from various angles in order to assist Game Freak's graphics department in properly rendering the creature.[37][38]
Originally calledCapsule Monsters, the title went through several transitions due to trademark problems, becomingCapuMon andKapuMon before eventually settling uponPocket Monsters.[39][40] Tajiri always thought that Nintendo would reject his game, as the company did not really understand the concept at first. However, the games turned out to be a success, something Tajiri and Nintendo never expected, especially because of the declining popularity of the Game Boy.[29]
Tajiri said that thePoké Ball concept was inspired byUltraseven's Capsule Monsters from thetokusatsusuperhero television seriesUltraseven (1967–1968).[41] Nintendo spent $13 million marketing Pokémon Red and Blue in the United States.[42]
The game's music was composed byJunichi Masuda, who used the four sound channels of the Game Boy to create both the melodies and the sound effects and Pokémon "cries" heard upon encountering them. He composed the opening theme, with battle scenes in mind, usingwhite noise to sound like marching music and imitate asnare drum.[43] Masuda wrote the music at his home on aCommodoreAmiga computer, which only featuresPCM sample playback and converted to the Game Boy with a program he had written.[44]
In Japan,Pocket Monsters Red andGreen were the first versions released. Development was completed by October 1995 and release was originally planned for December 21, 1995,[45] but was delayed until February 27, 1996[46][47] because the derivative products were not yet ready for sale.[48] After a slow start they continued to sell well.[49] Several months later,Pocket Monsters Blue was released in Japan as a mail-order-only special edition[50] to subscribers ofCoroCoro Comic on October 15, 1996. It was later released to generalretail on October 10, 1999.[51][52] It features updated in-game artwork and new dialogue.[53] UsingBlastoise as its mascot, the code, script, and artwork forBlue were used for the international releases ofRed andGreen, which were renamed toRed andBlue.[50] The JapaneseBlue edition features all but a handful of Pokémon available inRed andGreen, making certain Pokémon exclusive to the original editions.[citation needed]
To create more interest, Tajiri revealed an extra Pokémon calledMew hidden within them, which he believed "created a lot of rumors and myths about the game" and "kept the interest alive".[29] The creature was originally added byShigeki Morimoto as an internal prank and was not intended to be exposed to consumers.[54] It was not until later that Nintendo decided to distribute Mew through a Nintendo promotional event. However, in 2003, a glitch was discovered which allowed players to obtain Mew without relying on official Nintendo events.[55]
During the North Americanlocalization ofPokémon, a small team led by Hiro Nakamura went through the individual Pokémon, renaming them for western audiences based on their appearance and characteristics after approval from Nintendo. In addition, during this process, Nintendo trademarked the 151 Pokémon names in order to ensure they would be unique to the franchise.[56] During the translation process, it became apparent that simply altering the text from Japanese to English was impossible; the games had to be entirely reprogrammed from scratch due to the fragile state of theirsource code, a side effect of the unusually lengthy development time.[38] Therefore, the games were based on the more modern Japanese version ofBlue; modeling its programming and artwork afterBlue, but keeping the same distribution of Pokémon found in the JapaneseRed andGreen cartridges.[50]
As the finishedRed andBlue versions were being prepared for release, Nintendo allegedly spent over 50 million dollars on promotion, fearing the series would not be appealing to American children.[57] The western localization team warned that the "cute monsters" may not be accepted by American audiences, and instead recommended they be redesigned and "beefed-up". Then-president of NintendoHiroshi Yamauchi refused and instead viewed the games' possible reception in America as a challenge to face.[58] Despite these setbacks, the reprogrammedRed andBlue versions with their original creature designs were eventually released in North America on September 28, 1998, over two and a half years afterRed andGreen debuted in Japan.[59][60] The games were received extremely well by the foreign audiences andPokémon went on to become a lucrative franchise in America.[58] The same versions were later released in Australia sometime later in 1998[61] and in Europe on October 5, 1999,[62][63] being the second-to-last video game released for the original Game Boy in Europe withPokemon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition being the last.[64]
In Portugal, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue were officially released on October 15, 1999, in the town of Monte Real (Leiria District). Nintendo’s local distributor at the time, Concentra, in partnership with the local parish council, represented by Isabel Damasceno, and the mayor of Leiria, Fernando Lopes Jorge, symbolically changed the town’s name to “Pokémonte Real” for the day. The launch event, organised by the Lisbon-based agency Bago, included around 50 children from the area and cost 5,000$00 contos.[65]
Ricardo Feist, Concentra’s marketing director, selected Monte Real due to the similarity between the town’s name and the game's title, and also to offer an opportunity to children living outside major urban centres. He also noted that the animated series was already being broadcast on the SIC television network on weekend mornings. He expressed hopes of replicating the success seen in other countries, aiming to sell 50,000 units of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue by the end of the year. Concentra also announced merchandising plans and allocated 35 thousand contos to the entire marketing campaign, with the explicit goal of establishing a “Pokémania” in Portugal.[65][66]
Two years afterRed andGreen, Nintendo releasedPokémon Yellow, an enhanced version ofRed andBlue, in Japan in 1998,[67][68] and in North America and Europe in 1999[69] and 2000.[70] The game was designed to resemble thePokémon anime series, with the player receiving aPikachu as their starter Pokémon and their rival starting with anEevee. Some non-player characters resemble those from the anime, includingTeam Rocket's Jessie and James.[71]
Pokémon Yellow changes and enhances several aspects of the original games. Pikachu is provided as the player's only starter Pokémon and has a voice and a personality unique from other Pokémon. It follows the player on the overworld, and the player can speak to it. Pikachu can grow to love or hate the player based on their actions; leveling up will keep Pikachu happy, while fainting frequently will make it unhappy. This feature was used again inPokémon HeartGold andSoulSilver, theremakes ofPokémon Gold andSilver, andPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! andLet's Go, Eevee!, the remakes ofPokémon Yellow.[72]Yellow includes a "Pikachu's Beach" minigame that is only accessible to players who either won a Nintendo contest or complete a challenge in another game,Pokémon Stadium, and exchange data between the games using theTransfer Pak.[73]Yellow has slightly improved graphics and can print Pokédex entries onto stickers using theGame Boy Printer.[72][74]
Pokémon Yellow was developed byGame Freak and entered development after the completion of the Japanese version ofPokémon Blue. Nintendo may have been considering a "Pokémon Pink" version ofYellow, based onsource code leakedfrom Nintendo.[75]
Pokémon Yellow's release coincided with the release ofPokémon: The First Movie and was first announced asPocket Monsters Yellow[f] in Japan.[76] Future Nintendo presidentSatoru Iwata later said that people likely feltYellow would be unnecessary due to the release ofPokémon Gold andSilver later that year.[77] It was released in Japan on September 12, 1998, in Australia on September 3, 1999,[78] in North America on October 19, 1999, and in Europe on June 16, 2000.[79] A Pikachu-themed Game Boy Color bundle was released in North America in October 1999.[80] To promote the release ofPokémon Yellow,Volkswagen and Nintendo created a yellowVolkswagen New Beetle with features inspired by Pikachu.[81]Nintendo World Report listedPokémon Yellow as one of the notable handheld releases in 1999.[82]
On the 20th anniversary of the first generationPokémon games' Japanese release, in February 2016, Nintendo re-releasedRed,Blue, andYellow for theirNintendo 3DS Virtual Console service. The games include a first for the Virtual Console: simulatedLink Cable functionality to allow trading and battling between games.[83] As was the case with its original release,Green is exclusive to Japanese consumers.[84] These versions can transfer Pokémon toPokémon Sun andMoon via thePokémon Bank application.[85]
A specialNintendo 2DS bundle was released in Japan, Europe, and Australia on February 27, 2016, with each console matching the corresponding color of the game version.[86] North America received a specialNew Nintendo 3DS bundle with cover plates styled afterRed andBlue's box art.[87] By March 31, 2016, combined sales of the re-releases reached 1.5 million copies, with more than half sold in North America.[88]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | |
| Famitsu | Red,Green: 8/10, 7/10, 7/10, 7/10[95] |
| Game Informer | Yellow: 6.5/10[91] |
| GamePro | Red,Blue: 4.5/5[97] |
| GameSpot | |
| IGN | |
| Nintendo Power | |
| GBOM | Yellow: 95%[99] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| AIAS2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards | Red,Blue:Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development[100] |
The games received mostly positive reviews, holding an aggregate score of 88% onGameRankings.[89] Special praise was given to itsmultiplayer features: the ability to trade and battle Pokémon with one another. Craig Harris ofIGN gave the games a "masterful" 10 out of 10, noting that: "Even if you finish the quest, you still might not have all the Pokémon in the game. The challenge to catch 'em all is truly the game's biggest draw." He also commented on the popularity, especially among children, describing it as a "craze".[1]GameSpot's Peter Bartholow, who gave the games a "great" 8.8 out of 10, cited the graphics and audio as somewhat primitive but stated that these were the only drawbacks. He praised the replay value due to their customization and variety and commented upon their universal appeal: "Under its cuddly exterior,Pokémon is a serious and unique RPG with lots of depth and excellent multiplayer extensions. As an RPG, the game is accessible enough for newcomers to the genre to enjoy, but it will entertain hard-core fans as well. It's easily one of the best Game Boy games to date".[6]
The success of these games has been attributed to their innovative gaming experience rather than audiovisual effects. Papers published until 1999 by theColumbia Business School indicate both American and Japanese children prefer the actual gameplay of a game over special audio or visual effects. InPokémon games, the lack of these artificial effects has actually been said to promote the child's imagination and creativity.[101] "With all the talk ofgame engines andtexture mapping and so on, there is something refreshing about this superlative gameplay which makes you ignore the cutesy 8-bit graphics" commentedThe Guardian.[102]
During theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences'2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards,Pokémon Red and Blue won the award for "Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development", along with receiving nominations for "Console Game of the Year", "Console Role-Playing Game of the Year", and "Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design".[103][100]
Pokémon Yellow has been well received by critics, holding an aggregate score of 85% fromGameRankings as their fifth highest-rated Game Boy game of all time.[91] TheSarasota Herald-Tribune recommendedYellow as a good game for children.[104] RPGFan called it "so revoltingly addictive that any player of it has no choice but to 'catch 'em all'". They also calledYellow "insulting" in how limited the additions fromRed andBlue were.[105] Giving the game a perfect score,IGN's Craig Harris praised the mechanics, commenting thatYellow was the best game of the three to start with.[74]
GameSpot's Cameron Davis called it a "stopgap" to appease players until the release ofGold andSilver, commenting that "the new challenges are enough to fill the hole – but only just".[96]GameDaily's Chris Buffa listed it as one of the bestPokémon games, commenting that while it was a rehash, there was enough that was new to warrant playing.[106]Allgame's Brad Cook commented that for those who did not playRed andBlue,Yellow was good; but otherwise, he advised that they wait untilGold andSilver.[93]The Daily Telegraph's Steve Boxer commented that while it had good gameplay mechanics, it was held back by the lack of features. He described Nintendo's actions as avaricious, commenting thatYellow "marks the point where Pokémon ceases to become a game and becomes a marketing exercise/obsession-satisfier".[107]
Pokémon Yellow received two nominations, "Game of the Year" and "Console Game of the Year", during the3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[108][109]
Pokémon Red andBlue set the precedent for what has become a blockbuster, multibillion-dollar franchise.[110] In JapanRed,Green, andBlue sold 1.04 million units combined during 1996, and another 3.65 million in 1997. The latter performance madePokémon, collectively, the country's best-selling game of the year, surpassingFinal Fantasy VII.[111] By 1997, about7 million units had been sold in Japan.[112] In 1998,Red,Green andBlue sold 1,739,391 units in Japan.[113] By 1998,10 million units had been sold in Japan.[114]Pokémon Red,Green andBlue ultimately sold 10.23 million copies in Japan,[115] and until November 2022, was the country's best-selling video games.[116] The video games were accompanied by thePokémon Trading Card Game; both the video games and card game grossed combined sales revenue of more than$4 billion in Japan, as of 2000[update].[117]
In the United States, it became the fastest-selling Game Boy game, having sold 200,000 copies within two weeks and4 million units by the end of 1998.[118] It went on to become the best-sellingvideo game of 1999 in the United States, where6.1 million copies were sold that year.[119] By 2007, it had total combined sales of 9.85 million in the United States.[120] In Europe, the games had grossed €60,388,924 or$64,362,515 (equivalent to $121,000,000 in 2024) in 1999.[121] In France, over2.5 million copies were sold within a year.[122] In Germany, they became the first video games to receive two Special Prize awards from theVerband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) for sales above2 million copies by early 2001.[123] In the United Kingdom,Red andBlue received two Platinum awards for sales above 600,000 copies.[124]
Worldwide sales reached over 31 million copies sold.[125] It was "the most successful computer game of all time" according to Joseph Tobin in 2004.[126] In 2009,IGN referred toPokémon Red andBlue as the "Best-selling RPG on the Game Boy" and "Best-selling RPG of all time",[127] while in 2017,Guinness World Records declared the games the "Best-selling videogame (excluding bundle sales)."[128]
In Japan, the game sold 1,549,000 units in 1998, making it the third-best-sellingvideo game of 1998 in Japan.[129]
Before its release in North America, Nintendo anticipated that it would make them $75 million in the 1999 holiday season.[130] ThePokémon YellowGame Boy Color bundle was predicted to be the second-most popular toy of the holiday season.[131] In North America the game received roughly 150,000pre-orders.[132] The bundle debuted at #2 in video game sales and claimed the #1 spot a week later.[133] The standard cartridge sold over 600,000 units in its first week and one million copies within ten days, becoming the fastest-selling handheld game of all time when it was released.[134]Pokémon: The First Movie, a film released around the same time asYellow, was expected to give it a sales boost.[135][136] A Nintendo spokesman attributed the high demand for theGame Boy Color during the Christmas season of 1999 toYellow.[137] For the month of December,Donkey Kong 64 ledPokémon Yellow andGran Turismo 2 on the monthly chart.[138]
Gwenn Friss of theCape Cod Times called it one of the hottest items of the 1999 Christmas season, comparing it to popular Christmas toys from previous years such asFurby andTickle me Elmo.[139] Thomas Content ofUSA Today reiterated the comparison, commenting that it was "poised to stomp" them. He added that it, along withRed andBlue, were responsible for the boost of Game Boy sales from 3.5 million in 1998 to 8 million in 1999.[140]The Idaho Statesman called it the "hottest new title for the Game Boy Color".[141]Yellow was the third best-selling video game in North America in 1999, with the other four top spots occupied by otherPokémon games.[142] The demand forYellow resulted inTarget to issue an apology for not being able to meet the "unprecedented demand".[143]CNET-surveyed stores sold out ofYellow.[144] A spokesperson forFuncoLand attributed a drop in sales to shortages of both the Game Boy Color andPokémon Yellow.[145]
For its European launch,2 million units were shipped across the continent during June 2000, including 500,000 in the United Kingdom.[146]Yellow became the fastest-sellingPokémon games in the United Kingdom,[147] where it received a Double Platinum award fromELSPA for more than 600,000 sales[148] and grossed more than£20 million or$30,000,000 (equivalent to $55,000,000 in 2024).[149] In Germany,Yellow received a Double Platinum award from theVerband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD) for sales above 400,000 copies by early 2001.[150]
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The video game website1UP.com composed a list of the "Top 5 'Late to the Party' Games" showing selected games that "prove a gaming platform's untapped potential" and were one of the last games released for their respectiveconsole.Red andBlue were ranked first and calledNintendo's "secret weapon" when they were released for the Game Boy in the late 1990s.[32] The success revitalized the Game Boy in the late 1990s.[126]Nintendo Power listed theRed andBlue versions together as the third best video game for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, stating that something kept them playing until they caught every Pokémon.[151]Game Informer's Ben Reeves called them (along withPokémon Yellow,Gold,Silver, andCrystal) the second best Game Boy games and stated that it had more depth than it appeared.[152]Official Nintendo Magazine named them one of the best Nintendo games of all time, placing 52nd on their list of the top 100 games.[153]Red andBlue made number 72 onIGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time" in 2003, in which the reviewers noted that the pair of games "started a revolution" and praised the deep game design and complex strategy, as well the option to trade between other games.[154] Two years later, it climbed to number 70 in the updated list, with the games' legacy again noted to have inspired multiple video game sequels, movies, television shows, and other merchandise, strongly rooting it inpopular culture.[155] In 2019,PC Magazine included the games on their "The 10 Best Game Boy Games".[156] In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their "Best JRPGs of All Time" list.[157] In 2007,Red andBlue were ranked at number 37 on the list, and the reviewers remarked on their longevity:
For everything that has come in the decade since, it all started right here withPokémon Red/Blue''. Its unique blend of exploration, training, battling and trading created a game that was far more in-depth than it first appeared and one that actually forced the player to socialize with others in order to truly experience all that it had to offer. The game is long, engrossing and sparkles with that intangible addictiveness that only the best titles are able to capture. Say what you will about the game, but few gaming franchises can claim to be this popular ten years after they first hit store shelves.[35]
The games are widely credited with starting and helping pave the way for the successful multi billion-dollar series.[32] Five years afterRed andBlue's initial release, Nintendo celebrated its "Pokémonniversary". George Harrison, the senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications of Nintendo of America, stated that "those precious gems [Pokémon Red andBlue] have evolved intoRuby andSapphire. The release ofPokémon Pinball kicks off a line of great new Pokémon adventures that will be introduced in the coming months".[158] The series has since sold over 300 million games, all accredited to the enormous success of the originalRed andBlue versions.[32][159]
On February 12, 2014, an anonymous Australian programmer launchedTwitch PlaysPokémon, a "social experiment" on the video streaming websiteTwitch. The project was acrowdsourced attempt to play a modified version ofPokémon Red by typing commands into the channel's chat log, with an average of 50,000 viewers participating at the same time. The result was compared to "watching acar crash in slow motion".[160] The game was completed on March 1, 2014, boasting 390 hours of multi-user controlled non-stop gameplay.[161]
In 2017,The Strong National Museum of Play inductedPokémon Red and Green to itsWorld Video Game Hall of Fame.[162] In October 2021, theJapan Sumo Association formed a partnership withThe Pokémon Company to celebrate the 25th anniversary ofPokémon Red and Blue andgyōji (professional sumo referee) were seen wearing Poké Ball-themed kimono during theJanuary 2022tournament.[163][164]
Pokémon FireRed Version[g] andPokémon LeafGreen Version[h] areenhanced remakes ofPokémon Red andBlue. The new games were developed byGame Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with theGame Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with the games. However, due to the new variables added toFireRed andLeafGreen (such as changing the single, "Special" stat into two separate "Special Attack" and "Special Defense" stats), these games are not compatible with older versions outside of thethird generation of Pokémon.FireRed andLeafGreen were first released in Japan on January 29, 2004,[165][166] and released in North America and Europe on September 9[167] and October 1, 2004[168] respectively. Nearly two years after their original release, Nintendo re-marketed them asPlayer's Choice games.[169]
The games received critical acclaim, obtaining an aggregate score of 81 percent onMetacritic.[170] Most critics praised the fact that they introduced new features while still maintaining the traditional gameplay of the series. Reception of the graphics and audio was more mixed, with some reviewers complaining that they were too simplistic and not much of an improvement over the previous games,Pokémon Ruby andSapphire.FireRed andLeafGreen were commercial successes, selling a total of around 12 million copies worldwide.[171]
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu![i] andPokémon: Let's Go, Eevee![j] are enhanced remakes ofPokémon Yellow Version, released in November 2018 for theNintendo Switch. They were aimed at newcomers to thePokémon series, and incorporate mechanics fromPokémon Go.[172] The games take place in the Kanto region and include only the original 151 Pokémon from the first generation ofPokémon. The ability for Pokémon to accompany the protagonist in the overworld returns, a feature last seen inPokémon HeartGold andSoulSilver on theNintendo DS. However, whereas only one Pokémon could be chosen to follow the protagonist previously, they will additionally be accompanied by the starter Pikachu or Eevee inLet's Go, Pikachu! orLet's Go, Eevee!, respectively.[173]
They have combined global sales of over 13 million copies.[174]
ANintendo 64 game,Pokémon Stadium, was released by Nintendo in 1999.[175] It revolves around a 3D turn-based battle system with the 151 Pokémon featured inRed, Blue, and Yellow.[citation needed]
MissingNO is a programming quirk, and not a real part of the game
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)The Game Boy titlesPokémon Red andPokémon Blue were released on September 27, 1998. They became the fastest-selling Game Boy titles ever, selling a combined 200,000 copies in the firsttwo weeks of their availability. By the end of 1998 they had sold four million units in the US alone across three versions. In Japan, across four versions the game had sold nearly 12 million copies.
As of 28 November 2017,Pokémon Red andPokémon Blue... were the best-selling videogames that have not been bundled with a console.
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