when did the first pokemon game come out

The first Pokémon games came out on 27 February 1996 in Japan, on the Nintendo Game Boy, as Pocket Monsters: Red and Green.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

• Japan (very first release) :
  • Pocket Monsters: Red & Green – 27 February 1996 (Game Boy).

• Enhanced Japanese version :
  • Pocket Monsters: Blue – released later in Japan after Red & Green’s success.

• First Western releases (US/International) :
  • Pokémon Red & Blue – 28 September 1998 in North America.

So if you’re asking “when did the first Pokémon game come out,” the core answer is 27 February 1996 (Japan, Game Boy, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green), and for many fans outside Japan, the milestone was 28 September 1998 with Pokémon Red & Blue.

In forum-style discussions, you’ll often see people clarify whether they mean the original Japanese launch (1996) or the first time they personally saw Pokémon, usually with Red/Blue in 1998.

TL;DR:

• First-ever release: Pocket Monsters Red & Green – 27 Feb 1996 (Japan).

• First big international launch: Pokémon Red & Blue – 28 Sep 1998 (North America).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.