Pokémon Red and Blue
Released 27 February 1996 Developer Game Freak Publisher Nintendo
You play a young trainer from Pallet Town who travels across the Kanto region catching, training and battling 151 kinds of Pokémon on the way to the Pokémon League. Red and Blue are two versions of the same adventure; each has a few Pokémon the other lacks, so friends trade by cable to complete the collection. It suits children who can read comfortably.
Money health
WatchFine if you understand it
Addictive design
Low1 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
—no price listed yet
Spending ceiling
Has a ceilingYou can buy it all
How it makes money
Watch: fine if you understand it
Red and Blue were sold as separate Game Boy cartridges, one purchase each. Each version has Pokémon the other lacks, and some evolve only through trading, so completing the 151-creature Pokédex means owning both games (or trading with a friend who has the other) plus a Game Link Cable. Nintendo no longer sells these two games: the 3DS Virtual Console versions (2016) left sale when the 3DS eShop stopped sales on 27 March 2023, and they are not in Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo's later remakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, came to Switch in February 2026 at A$30 each, so the same two-version split still costs two purchases.
How you pay
- Editions
The same adventure has been sold again several times: a third version, Pokémon Yellow; the 3DS Virtual Console (2016); and the Game Boy Advance remakes FireRed and LeafGreen (2004), re-released on Switch in February 2026 at A$30 each.
minor part of the game - Pay once
Originally one Game Boy cartridge per version (Japan 1996, Australia October 1998). Neither version is sold new today: the 3DS Virtual Console release (February 2016) ended with the 3DS eShop on 27 March 2023.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Collect all
The Pokédex has 151 entries, but Red and Blue each lack some Pokémon found only in the other, and certain evolutions need a trade, so finishing it means owning (or trading with someone who owns) both versions and a link cable.
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Price: —
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon FireRed Version (2004 remake of Red, re-released 2026; not the original) The original Red and Blue are not on sale new; this is the closest current official version. |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch | A$30 | Oct 2026 |
| Pokémon LeafGreen Version (2004 remake of Green/Blue, re-released 2026; not the original) Sold separately from FireRed, as with the originals. |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch | A$30 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
9/ 10
Nintendo Life
Called the two games a superb 3DS Virtual Console addition that, despite some wrinkles at twenty years old, are still engaging and surprisingly deep.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Classification
No classification recorded yet.
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- No chat
- No contact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
The original games have no online features: trading and battling need two Game Boys joined by a Game Link Cable, so they only happen with someone physically present. One in-game area, the Game Corner in Celadon City, has slot machines that use in-game coins (no real money); the Australian classification for the later FireRed and LeafGreen remakes is PG with "mild gambling references". I could not find the original games' Australian classification.
Who makes it
The companies behind it, and their track record
No track-record badges yet.
Latest on the record
- Privacy
Game Freak disclosed a server breach that exposed staff data
Game Freak
- Labour dispute
Labour dispute
US National Labor Relations Board, 2022: unfair-labour-practice charge by a fired contract tester settled for $25,910 plus union-rights notices. - Shut down paid games
Shut down games people paid for
Nintendo, March 2023 and April 2024: closed the Wii U and 3DS eShops, then ended online play for 3DS and Wii U software. - Competition law
Competition-law action
European Commission, October 2002: fined Nintendo €149 million for colluding with distributors to block cheaper cross-border sales (1991 to 1998); reduced to €119.2 million by the EU Court of First Instance in April 2009. - Publishes odds
Publishes drop odds
Nintendo, August 2019: said it would require drop-rate disclosure for paid random items in Switch games.
Latest on the record
- Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$5 million in loot-box damages, subject to appeal
Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Technical Note 55/2026) - Game preservation
Nintendo replaced Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp with a paid offline version
Eurogamer - Game preservation
Nintendo closed the Wii U and 3DS eShops and later ended their online play
Nintendo
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console re-release for the 20th anniversary; no longer on sale since the 3DS eShop closed to purchases on 27 March 2023. |
27 February 2016 | — |
| Game Boy Japan: Red and Green 27 February 1996, Blue October 1996. Red and Blue: North America 28 September 1998, Australia 23 October 1998, Europe 5 October 1999. |
27 February 1996 | — |
Further reading
- Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow on Wikipedia
- Pokémon Red and Green in the World Video Game Hall of Fame (inducted 2017)
- Pokémon FireRed (2026 Switch re-release of the remake), Nintendo AU
- Pokémon LeafGreen (2026 Switch re-release of the remake), Nintendo AU
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, www.nintendo.com, www.nintendo.com, api.ec.nintendo.com, www.nintendolife.com, www.nintendolife.com, www.museumofplay.org. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.