Pokémon Red and Blue

Pokémon Red and BlueGB

1998

System
Game Boy
Publisher
Nintendo
Developer
Game Freak

8.4

Game Rating

User Ratings: 977

Our Review: 9/10

Overview

Number of Players
1 (Single Player)
Genre
Release Date

Game Boy

  • US 30th Sep 1998
  • EU 10th May 1999
  • JP 27th Feb 1996

3DS eShop

  • US 27th Feb 2016, $9.99
  • EU 27th Feb 2016, £8.99
Series
Tags
Official Site
pokemon.com

Reviews

  • Pokémon Red and Blue (3DS / GB)

    84

    Review Pokémon Red and Blue (3DS / GB)

    Twenty years ahead of their time

    When these games were released back in the late nineties, the air around younger Game Boy owners was one of excitement and rivalry. Nintendo is clearly trying to capitalise on the nostalgia factor for all of us who were within the target age group (and some who weren't) when these titles were originally released,...

  • Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)

    61

    Review Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)

    Catching them all never felt as good as it did back in 1998.

    To say that Pokémon has made its mark on the video game industry would be something of an understatement. While many claimed the franchise to be a fad when it first made its debut in each of the world’s four major video game regions, over time those people have been proven wrong. Even...

Screenshots 6

Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot
Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot
Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot
Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot
Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot
Pokémon Red and Blue Screenshot

Pokémon Red and Blue Guides

  • Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games Of All Time

    48

    Guide Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games Of All Time

    Ranked by you

    If there's any franchise that's no stranger to a spin-off or two, it's Pokémon. The inherent appeal of the little Pocket Monsters makes the series ripe for all kinds of genres and video games. Name a genre, and Pokémon has most likely done it. But, dear readers, what's the very best Pokémon spin-off? That's where you come in. We...

  • Best Pokémon Games Of All Time

    481

    Guide Best Pokémon Games Of All Time

    Where does Pokémon Scarlet & Violet rank?

    Ranking the best Pokémon games is no easy feat given that many of them are considered among the best games of their particular hardware generation. Then you have to consider just how many spin-off Pokémon video games have hit the gaming world over the last 30 years or so! To make things a little simpler...

Pokémon Red and Blue News

About The Game

It's the game that started a revolution, but it's not just the fad that convinced gamers to "catch 'em all."

This deceptively simple and child-friendly roleplaying game design is a far deeper game design than it looks. Pokemon features way more strategy and gameplay than it leads on, offering gamers almost infinite gaming possibilities even after the main adventure ends. Pocket Monsters Red was released in Japan in 1996 by mail-order only (the two launch titles were Green and Blue). The franchise arrived in the west in 1998 as Pokemon Blue and Red (Roald Dahl holds the copyright for "Pocket Monsters" in the west, so the title was changed to the Japanese colloquial name). The games could be linked up with each other and with the N64's Pokemon Stadium titles for creature trading.

Comments 9

cheeseman

I have a broken copy of red version, blue version, a copy of gold version that won't save (but I still have the instruction booklet), crystal version, diamond version and about a zillion pokemon cards. I am such a fanatic. 1st Comment!

StarDust4Ever

I was born in 1981, so by the time that Pokemon came out, I was in high school, too old to appreciate the game - and I still don't - but still, good article; bring back the good ole game boy/ game boy color days!!!

The_Ink_Pit_Ox

Ah the days of exploiting the glitches and when Pokemon was new. Missingno., a million master balls, and Glitch City. The remakes are nice also.

ForteAnly

Good Review. My only problem is that you refer to the main character as Ash. The anime and game are two separate series. The anime is based on the games not the other way around. R/B protagonist is called Red not Ash. Other than that great review. I do think the new Pokemon games no matter how much better the sprites are cannot compare these classics.

Fandabidozi

Started with Red and Blue and been playing almost continuously since.
Best game series ever.

Pokefan_Ashley

@StarDust4Ever I see your point. But the majority of Pokemon fans are actually a lot older then you expect. I personally love the games, and I am looking coward to getting Blue on my 3ds.

andybunn

why all the fuss

how can nintendo charge people for this?

Seacliff

@andybunn The same way they feel like they have the right to charge you for any other VC port.
Your acting like this is something new.

Wizardling

Holds up surprisingly well after all these years, and is even pleasingly simpler and less 'OMG let me consult Bulbapedia to know what's effective' every match.

I enjoy the later gens a lot, but gen 1 and 2 were more rock/paper/scissors than gen 3+ and their chess level of complexity.

I will say it is a shame Game Freak didn't fix at least the most major of bugs. Some stuff such as the Mew exploit are charming. Broken game mechanics are far less so.

But it is what it is, and I bought Blue for the 3DS on the day of release

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