Pokémon Red (ポケットモンスター 赤, Poketto Monsutā Aka?, "Pocket Monsters Red") and Pokémon Blue (ポケットモンスター 青, Poketto Monsutā Ao?, "Pocket Monsters Blue"), released in Japan as Pocket Monster Red and Pocket Monster Green (ポケットモンスター 緑, Poketto Monsutā Midori?), are the first two installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games. They were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console, and first released in Japan in 1996. They were later released to the rest of the world in 1998 (North America) and 1999 (Europe and Australia.) Pokémon Yellow, a special edition version, was released one year later in each region. These three games (Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow,) along with Pokémon Stadium, form the first generation of the Pokémon video game series, also called the "primary generation". Pokémon Red and Blue have subsequently been remade for the Game Boy Advance into Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, released in 2004.

The games are set in the fantasy world of Kanto and follow the progress of central character, Red, in his quest to master Pokémon battling. Both games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot[1] and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary for the player to trade among the two in order to fully complete the games' Pokédexes.

Pokémon Red and Blue received strong reviews, and their releases marked the beginning of what would become a multi-billion dollar franchise,[3] jointly selling millions of copies worldwide.

Pokémon Red and Blue take place in Kanto, a fictional region named and modeled after the Kantō region of Japan. This is one distinct region of many shown in later games. It features a total of eight cities and two towns, along with different geographical locations and Routes connecting most locations to one another. Some areas are only accessible once the player learns a special ability or gains a special item.[4]

The silent protagonist of Red and Blue (called Red in Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal) is a young boy who lives in Pallet Town.[5] At the beginning of the games, the player may choose either Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle as their starter Pokémon from Professor Oak.[6] His grandson, the protagonist's rival, has also become a Pokémon Trainer and will battle the player at certain points in the games.

The basic goal of the games is to become the best trainer in all of Kanto, which is done by raising Pokémon, defeating the eight Gym Leaders for Gym Badges, and eventually challenging the Elite Four and the Champion.[7] Also throughout the game, the player will have to battle against the forces of Team Rocket, a criminal organization that abuses Pokémon, and its leader, Giovanni

Main article: Gameplay of Pokémon

A level 5 Bulbasaur involved in a battle with a level 5 CharmanderLike many console role-playing games, Pokémon Red and Blue are in third-person perspective, with players directly navigating the protagonist around the fictional universe, interacting with objects and people.[8] As the player explores this world he or she will encounter different terrains, such as grassy fields, forests, caves, and seas; in which different Pokémon species reside. As the player randomly encounters one of these creatures, the field switches to a turn-based "battle scene," where the Pokémon will fight.

There are two main goals within the games: following through the main storyline and defeating the Elite Four to become the new Champion,[7] and completing the Pokédex by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain all 151 creatures.[9] A major aspect of this is developing and raising the player's Pokémon by battling other Pokémon, which can be found in the wild or owned by other Trainers. This system of accumulating experience points and leveling up, characteristic and integral to all Pokémon video games, controls the physical properties of the Pokémon, such as the battle statistics acquired, and the moves learned.[10]

The game features various glitches including the Pokémon MissingNo., which Nintendo describes as a "programming quirk", and often causes the game to malfunction when caught, including scrambling the graphics or even corrupting the save data.[11] In addition, other bugs exist, such as the ability to duplicate items or Pokémon

Pokémon Red and Blue allow players to trade Pokémon between two cartridges via a Game Link Cable.[13] This must to be done in order to fully complete the Pokédex without cheating or using glitches, since each of the two games has version-specific Pokémon which cannot be obtained in the other version. The Link Cable also makes it possible to battle another player's Pokémon team; however, no experience points are earned for link battles. However, the English versions of the games are not compatible with their Japanese counterparts, and such trades will result in corruption of the games' save files because they are unable to translate the Pokémon that were traded automatically.[11] When playing Red or Blue on a Game Boy Advance or SP, the standard GBA/SP link cable will not work; players must use the Nintendo Universal Game Link Cable.[14]

As well as trading with each other, Pokémon Red and Blue can trade Pokémon with the second generation of Pokémon games: Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. However, there are some limitations; players cannot link to the first generation games if their party contains Pokémon introduced in the second generation games, or Pokémon with moves introduced in the second generation games.[15] Also, using the Transfer Pak for the Nintendo 64, data such as Pokémon and items from Pokémon Red and Blue can be used in the Nintendo 64 games Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2.[16][17] However, the games are not compatible with the Pokémon games of the later "Advanced Generation" for the Game Boy Advance or GameCube.[18]


[edit] Development
The concept of the Pokémon saga stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which game designer Satoshi Tajiri enjoyed as a child.[19] While growing up, 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 came up with the idea for a video game, with creatures called Pokémon that resembled insects. 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 or 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."[20]

When the Game Boy was released, Tajiri thought the system was perfect for his idea, especially because of the link cable that would allow players to trade or battle with Pokémon. This concept of trading information was new to the video gaming industry, because previously connection cables were only being used for competition.[21] "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.[22]

The main characters were named after Tajiri himself as Satoshi, whom is described as Tajiri in his youth, and his long-time friend, role model, mentor, and fellow Nintendo developer, Shigeru Miyamoto as Shigeru.[20][23] Artist Ken Sugimori headed the development of drawings and designs of the Pokémon, and the music was composed by Junichi Masuda.[24]

Tajiri always thought that Nintendo would reject his game, as the company did not really understand the concept at first. The games turned out to be a complete success, something Tajiri and Nintendo never expected, especially because of the declining popularity of the Game Boy.[20] In Japan, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green were the first versions released. Several months later, Pokémon Blue was released with improved graphics and slight differences, such as Pokémon being encountered in different areas, and layout changes. The Red and Blue versions were eventually released in the United States close to two years later. Upon release, they sold rapidly in Japan, much due to Nintendo's idea of producing the two versions of the game instead of a single title.[22]


[edit] Reception
Pokémon Red and Blue set the precedent for what has become a blockbuster, multi-billion dollar franchise. In Japan, Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green combined have sold 10.23 million copies.[28] In the United States, Pokémon Red has sold 4.83 million copies, while Pokémon Blue has sold 5.02 million copies.[29]

The games received mostly strong reviews from critics, with especial praise given to its multiplayer features; the ability to trade and battle Pokémon with one another. Craig Harris of IGN gave it 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."[26] GameSpot gave it a "great" 8.8 out of 10, praising the games' replay value due to its customization and variety, but cited the graphics and audio as somewhat primitive and the games' only drawbacks.[10]

Pokémon Red and Blue set the precedent for what has become a blockbuster, multi-billion dollar franchise. In Japan, Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green combined have sold 10.23 million copies.[28] In the United States, Pokémon Red has sold 4.83 million copies, while Pokémon Blue has sold 5.02 million copies.[29]

The games received mostly strong reviews from critics, with especial praise given to its multiplayer features; the ability to trade and battle Pokémon with one another. Craig Harris of IGN gave it 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."[26] GameSpot gave it a "great" 8.8 out of 10, praising the games' replay value due to its customization and variety, but cited the graphics and audio as somewhat primitive and the games' only drawbacks.[10]

The video gaming website 1UP.com composed a list of the Top 5 "Late to the Party" Games showing selected titles that "prove a gaming platform's untapped potential" and were one of the last games released for their respective console. Red and Blue were ranked first, and called Nintendo's "secret weapon" when the games were brought out for the Game Boy in the late 1990s.[22] Red and Blue made number 72 on IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time in 2003, in which they noted that the pair of games "started a revolution" and praised its deep game design and complex strategy, as well the option to trade between other games.[30] Two years later, it climbed the ranks 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 in popular culture.[31] In 2007 Red and Blue were ranked at number 37 in the latest revised edition of IGN's list. The reviewers remarked at the games' longevity:

For everything that has come in the decade since, it all started right here with Pokémon 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.

—IGN[23]
The games are widely credited with starting the series and helping pave the way for a successful multi-billion dollar company. Five years after Red and Blue's initial release, Nintendo celebrated its "Pokemoniversary". George Harrison, the senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications of Nintendo of America Inc. stated "Five years later, those precious gems [Pokémon Red and Blue] have evolved into Ruby and Sapphire. The release of Pokemon Pinball kicks off a line of great new Pokemon adventures that will be introduced in the coming months."[32] The company has since sold over 175 million games, all accredited to the enormous success of the original Red and Blue.[22]

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