Pokémon Red and Blue Versions

Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version are the international versions of Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions and their follow-up, Pocket Monsters Blue Version. They are the first two Pokémon games, and by extension the first of the main series and Generation I, that released in North America, Europe, and Australia. Pokémon Red and Blue Versions were released for the Game Boy in 1998 in North America and Australia and in 1999 in Europe. In 1999, the games received a follow-up title, Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition.

Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version are very similar to one another, but like their Japanese counterparts and later paired games in the Pokémon franchise, the biggest difference is the Pokémon encounters. Both games are mainly based on Pocket Monsters Blue due to have the same graphics and engine. The exclusive Pokémon encounters in Pokémon Red and Blue Versions were reused from Pocket Monsters Red Version and Pocket Monsters Green Version respectively. Pokémon Red and Blue Versions have Charizard and Blastoise as their mascot respectively. The same mascots are used for the unpaired Japanese games, Pocket Monsters Red Version and Pocket Monsters Blue Version respectively.

The games involve the player character traveling through Kanto on a journey to become the Pokémon Champion. In order to achieve this rank, they must defeat the eight Gym Leaders and then the Elite Four in their respective Pokémon battle. The games' Pokémon professor, Professor Oak, also tasks the player character with filling in the entire Pokédex, which is done by obtaining all 151 Pokémon. Pokémon Red and Blue Versions utilize the Game Link Cable, which connects two Game Boy systems together and allows Pokémon to be traded or battled between both games. Both titles are independent of each other but feature the same plot. Trading between the games is necessary for players to obtain all of the original 151 Pokémon. There are even four Pokémon that only evolve via trading.

In 2004, both games received a Game Boy Advance remake, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions. To be consistent with the original paired Japanese releases, the games were named after Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions. This means that the latter game, Pokémon LeafGreen Version, is not named after Pokémon Blue Version, and it has Venusaur as its mascot rather than Blastoise.

On February 27, 2016, Pokémon Red and Blue Versions were ported to the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console along with Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition in celebration of the Pokémon 20th Anniversary. In Japan, Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions, Pocket Monsters Blue Version, and Pocket Monsters Pikachu were released for the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console on the same day.