Pokémon Red Version

Development

The man behind Pocket Monsters, Satoshi Tajiri, had been working on the game a full five years (from 1991 to 1996) before he finally decided to release it after he was satisfied enough with it. No one at Nintendo expected the game to be a hit, but it was.

Inspiration

Satoshi Tajiri got the concept for Pokémon when he was growing up as a kid. It's said that as a boy he used to catch bugs of all types and watch them grow and develop, like a caterpillar evolving into a butterfly! It's crazy to know that this childhood hobby would turn into a, now normal, popular enterprise.

Virtual Console Alterations

Pokémon Red and its counterpart versions were rereleased for the 3DS Virtual Console to celebrate the Pokémon franchise's 20th anniversary in 2016. Since the Nintendo 3DS isn't compatible with the long-obsolete Game Link Cable, these releases use the system's local wireless features for link trades and battles. Additionally, several attack animations have been toned down for the safety of players with photosensitive epilepsy or other sensory conditions.

Awards

• Game Informer
  • August 2001 (Issue #100) - #39 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
• Retro Gamer
  • October 2004 (Issue #9) – #9 Best Game Boy Game (together with Pokémon Yellow Version and Pokémon Blue Version)
• The Strong National Museum of Play
  • 2017 – Introduced into the World Video Game Hall of Fame
• Total! (Germany)
  • Issue 01/2000 – Best Game Boy RPG in 1999

Information also contributed by PCGamer77, Powerbracelet and Robbb