Pokémon ( video game series ) - Wikipedia Pokémon ( video game series ) Pokémon Genres Adventure Augmented reality Fighting Puzzle Role - playing Strategy Developer ( s ) Ambrella Bandai Namco Entertainment Chunsoft Creatures Inc. Game Freak Genius Sonority HAL Laboratory Hudson Soft Intelligent Systems Niantic Labs Nintendo Tecmo Koei Publisher ( s ) Nintendo Creator ( s ) Satoshi Tajiri Platforms Android Arcade Game Boy Game Boy Advance Game Boy Color GameCube iOS Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 64 Nintendo DS Nintendo Switch Wii Wii U Platform of origin Game Boy Year of inception First release Pokémon Red and Blue February 27, 1996 Latest release Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon November 17, 2017 Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon media franchise. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the main series of role - playing video games ( RPGs ) has continued on each generation of Nintendo 's handhelds. The games are commonly released in pairs -- each with slight variations -- with an enhanced remake of the games usually released a few years after the original versions. While the main series consists of role - playing games, spinoffs encompass other genres, such as action role - playing, puzzle, and digital pet games. As November 24, 2017, more than 300 million Pokémon games have been sold worldwide, across 76 titles. This makes Pokémon the second best - selling video game franchise, behind Nintendo 's own Mario franchise. The franchise 's mascot is Pikachu. Contents 1 Generations 1.1 First generation ( 1996 -- 1999 ) 1.2 Second generation ( 1999 -- 2002 ) 1.3 Third generation ( 2002 -- 2006 ) 1.4 Fourth generation ( 2006 -- 2010 ) 1.5 Fifth generation ( 2010 -- 2013 ) 1.6 Sixth generation ( 2013 -- 2016 ) 1.7 Seventh generation ( 2016 -- present ) 1.8 Future 1.9 Summary of core series titles 2 Gameplay 3 List of main Pokémon games 3.1 Handheld games 3.2 Console games 3.3 Arcade games 3.4 Mobile games 4 Appearances in other games 4.1 Super Smash Bros. series 5 Reception and legacy 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Generations Timeline of release years Red and Green Blue Yellow Red and Blue 1999 Gold and Silver 2000 Crystal Ruby and Sapphire 2003 FireRed and LeafGreen Emerald 2005 2006 Diamond and Pearl 2007 2008 Platinum 2009 HeartGold and SoulSilver Black and White 2011 2012 Black 2 and White 2 2013 X and Y 2014 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire 2015 2016 Sun and Moon 2017 Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release ; when an official sequel in the main role - playing game series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and possibly new gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin - offs, the anime, manga and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began its seventh generation with Pokémon Sun and Moon, which were released worldwide on November 18, 2016. First generation ( 1996 -- 1999 ) The original Pokémon games are Japanese role - playing video games ( RPGs ) with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy. These role - playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the `` main '' ' Pokémon ' games, and the games with which most fans of the series are familiar. The Pokémon series began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Blue version was released sometime after, and the Blue version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue for international release. The original Green version was never released outside Japan. Afterwards, a second enhanced remake, Pokémon Yellow, was released to use the color palette of the Game Boy Color and more of a stylistic resemblance to the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon ( in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Mew ), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region, though the name `` Kanto '' was not used until the second generation. Spin - off first - generation titles include Pokémon Pinball ; an adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game for Game Boy Color ; an on - rails photography simulator for Nintendo 64 titled Pokémon Snap ; a Nintendo 64 Pokémon - themed adaptation of Tetris Attack, Pokémon Puzzle League. A 3D Nintendo 64 incarnation of the handheld RPGs ' battle system, Pokémon Stadium ; and a co-starring role for several species in the Nintendo 64 fighting game Super Smash Bros... At the Nintendo Space World in 2000, a game was revealed briefly with Meowth and Team Rocket singing a song. This was one of the earliest introductions of the Pokémon Togepi and Bellossom. This game was called Meowth 's Party, but was never turned into a playable game. Instead, the song / video was played at the end of one Pokémon episode, and a CD was made for retail in Japan for a limited time. Second generation ( 1999 -- 2002 ) The second generation of Pokémon video games began in 1999 with the Japanese release of Pokémon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color, with Australia and North America getting the game in October 2000 and European release date of April 2001. Like the previous generation, an enhanced version titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. This generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon ( starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi ), for a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. New gameplay features include a day - and - night system ( reflecting the time of the day in the real world ) which influences events in the game ; full use of the Game Boy Color 's color palette ; an improved interface and upgraded inventory system ; better balance in the collection of Pokémon and their moves, statistics and equippable items ( a new addition ) ; the addition of two new Pokémon types ( Dark and Steel ) to better balance the strengths and weaknesses of each Pokémon ; Pokémon breeding ; and a new region named Johto. After exploring Johto, the player can travel east to explore the adjacent Kanto region. Spin - off games in the second - generation include Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, the adaptation of Pokémon Puzzle League -- a puzzle game created by Zoppf industries -- made specifically for the Game Boy Color ; the Nintendo 64 pet simulator Hey You, Pikachu ! ; the Pokémon Stadium sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2, for Nintendo 64 ; several Pokémon mini-games for the e-Reader ; and a co-starring role for several Pokémon species in the Super Smash Bros. sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube. The Pokémon mini was a handheld game console released in December 2001 in Japan and 2002 in Europe and North America. This generation started an unofficial tradition among even numbered generations, giving the Pokémon Eevee new type evolutions beyond the original three of the first generation. Third generation ( 2002 -- 2006 ) A screenshot of Pokémon Emerald featuring an enemy Pupitar and Solrock fighting in a double battle against a player 's Aggron and Smeargle Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2002 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes of Pokémon Red and Green, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ( Red and Green representing the original Japanese first generation games ; territories outside Japan instead saw releases of Red and Blue ). An enhanced remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald followed after. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon ( starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys ) for a total of 386 species. It also features a more visually detailed environment compared to previous games, `` natures '' which affect Pokémon stats, a new 2 - on - 2 Pokémon battling mechanic, a special ability system applying to each Pokémon in battle, the Pokémon Contest sub-game, the new region of Hoenn, the ability to select the protagonist 's gender and Secret Bases : customizable `` rooms '' where the player can display items they have collected in game and battle against real friends. Secret Bases can be found in bushes, trees or small cave openings in landscapes by using the Pokémon move, Secret Power, which can be taught to virtually all pokémon. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day - and - night system introduced in the previous generation ( which was removed due to internal - battery save problems ), and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species ( 202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions ). Third - generation spin - off titles include Pokémon Pinball : Ruby & Sapphire for Game Boy Advance ; Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS ; Pokémon Dash, Pokémon Trozei ! and Pokémon Ranger for Nintendo DS ; Pokémon Channel and Pokémon Box : Ruby & Sapphire for GameCube ; and two RPGs for the GameCube, consisting of the games Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD : Gale of Darkness. Fourth generation ( 2006 -- 2010 ) In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The games were subsequently released in North America on April 22, 2007 and in Australia on June 21, 2007. The game was then later released in the UK and Europe on July 27, 2007. Other main series games in the fourth generation include Pokémon Platinum, a director 's cut version of Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald. It was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on September 13, 2008, in North America on March 22, 2009, and in Australia and Europe on May 14, 2009 and May 22, 2009 respectively. It was also announced that the Generation II games Pokémon Gold and Silver would be remade for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. First released in Japan on September 12, 2009, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe during March 2010. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon ( starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus ), bringing the number of Pokémon species to 493. This generation is the first to have 3D graphics in a main series game, although it is still a mixture of both 3D graphics and sprites. New gameplay concepts include a restructured move - classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi - Fi Connection, the return ( and expansion ) of the second generation 's day - and - night system, the expansion of the third generation 's Pokémon Contests into `` Super Contests '', and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld. Secret Bases also appear in Sinnoh but can only be created and housed in Sinnoh 's underground. HeartGold and SoulSilver also introduced the Pokéathlon to the Johto region, which consists of many Pokémon based sporting events making use of the stylus. Spin - off games in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow - up Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii ( which has Wi - Fi connectivity as well ), Pokémon Ranger : Shadows of Almia and Pokémon Ranger : Guardian Signs for Nintendo DS, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and their sister game, Explorers of Sky all for the Nintendo DS, and a co-starring role for Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Lucario, and a Pokémon Trainer ( who uses Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard for fighting ) in the 2008 Wii fighter Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Fifth generation ( 2010 -- 2013 ) The fifth generation of Pokémon began on September 18, 2010 with the release of Pokémon Black and White in Japan. They were then released in North America, Europe, and Australia in March 2011. They were released on the Nintendo DS, the same console as its predecessing generation. The games take place in the Unova region. New features include the C - Gear, a feature where players can use Wi - Fi options and customizations ; two new battle methods ( `` Triple Battles '', where three Pokémon are sent out at once, and Rotation Battles, where three Pokémon are also sent out at the same time, but the trainer can switch one Pokémon out of the three that are present ) ; `` Battle Tests '', where trainers battle each other to see who has stronger Pokémon ; the Pokémon Musicals ( similar to Pokémon Contests ), which have trainers use their Pokémon to dance in a theater with other Pokémon ; and the ability to never waste Technical Machines ( TMs ), even when found the first time. This generation introduced a total of 156 new Pokémon ( beginning with Victini and ending with Genesect ), the most of any generation so far. It was also the first generation where the first new Pokémon in National Pokédex order ( Victini ) is not a starter. It also introduced another new feature, the seasons, from which two Pokémon ( Deerling and Sawsbuck ) represent them. Unlike previous generations, which would introduce some species of Pokémon that were evolutionary relatives of older - generation Pokémon, the fifth generation 's selection was all - original, in an attempt to make the primary versions feel like a brand - new game. The other core series games, and the additions to Black and White, titled Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, are direct sequels. They take place in the Unova region two years later, and were released in Japan on June 23, 2012 and in North America, Australia, and Europe in October of that year for Nintendo DS. They are somewhat different of their predecessors ; there are different protagonist trainers, and many of the other important characters have changed as well. The games also introduced a new feature, the `` Pokémon World Tournament '', where trainers can battle gym leaders and champions from older regions, including Unova. The games also broke the tradition of releasing a third version as the addition to the primary versions. Spin - off fifth generation games include sequels Pokémon Rumble Blast and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Gates to Infinity for Nintendo 3DS, PokéPark 2 : Wonders Beyond for Wii, and Pokémon Rumble U for Wii U, a downloadable game. Others include Learn with Pokémon : Typing Adventure ( a typing game ) and Pokémon Conquest ( a crossover game ) for Nintendo DS, and downloadable reference applications Pokédex 3D, Pokédex 3D Pro ( for Nintendo 3DS ), and Pokédex for iOS ( for iOS devices ), which allows players to view information of Pokémon species while they have 3D models. Sixth generation ( 2013 -- 2016 ) On December 24, 2012, Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream posted a greetings card sent out by Game Freak. In the card, Junichi Masuda exclaimed that during 2013, they intend to further evolve the world of Pokémon. On December 29, 2012, a new Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 commercial aired in Japan, and ending with a message, informing Pokémon fans that the latest news would be announced on January 8, 2013. On January 4, 2013, both the Japanese and English official Pokémon website confirmed that an announcement would be made on January 8. On January 7, 2013, the official Japanese website explained that the Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata would hold a 10 - minute `` Pokémon Direct '' video conference to announce the big Pokémon news. On January 8, 2013, Satoru Iwata announced the sixth generation of Pokémon, with the new paired games, Pokémon X and Y, which were released on the Nintendo 3DS on October 12, 2013 worldwide. The X and Y games are rendered in full 3D ; however, only select parts of the game can be displayed in stereoscopic 3D. The video introduced the player characters, the starter Pokémon ; Grass - type Chespin ( Japanese : Harimaron ( ハリマロン ) ), the Fire - type Fennekin ( Japanese : Fokko ( フォッコ ) ), and the Water - type Froakie ( Japanese : Keromatsu ( ケロマツ ) ), and two other Pokémon, not named until later ; a bird - like Pokémon called Yveltal ( イベルタル, Iberutaru ) having a shape similar to the letter Y and a deer - like Pokémon called Xerneas ( ゼルネアス, Zeruneasu ) with X-shapes in its eyes. A month later, Sylveon ( Japanese : Nymphia ( ニンフィア, Ninfia ) ), a new evolved form of Eevee belonging to the games ' new Fairy Type was revealed. This generation introduced a total of 72 new Pokémon, the new Fairy type, Mega Evolution, the Kalos region, Trainer customization, Super Training, and three new battle modes : Sky Battles, Horde Encounters, and Inverse Battle. This generation is also the first to be compatible with Pokémon Bank. Greninja, the final evolved form of Froakie, would later go on to represent the sixth generation of Pokémon in the hit fighting game, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. On May 7, 2014, Nintendo revealed the games Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in a teaser trailer, remakes of the third generation games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. They were released worldwide in November 2014. On August 26, 2014, Pokkén Tournament was announced and was released on July 16, 2015 in Japanese arcades and was released on March 18, 2016 worldwide for Wii U. It was developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment. In July 2016, Niantic and Nintendo released a free - to - play AR game titled Pokémon Go which was released for Android and iOS devices. Seventh generation ( 2016 -- present ) During a Nintendo Direct presentation on February 26, 2016, two new Pokémon titles were announced, titled Pokémon Sun and Moon. The games were released on November 18, 2016 in Japan, North America and Australia, and in Europe on November 23, 2016. The games were the first since the second generation to be backwards - compatible with other titles, including Pokémon X and Y ; Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire ; and the Virtual Console re-releases of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow. On June 6, 2017, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were announced. The two games offer new additions to the story of Pokémon Sun and Moon, including new features, and was released worldwide on November 17, 2017. In total, this generation introduced 84 new Pokémon, Alolan forms, trials, Z - moves, Poké Pelago and Festival Plaza. It was also the first one to introduce Pokémon mid-generation, with three new Pokémon making their debut in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Future During E3 2017, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced that Game Freak was developing a new core Pokémon game set for release on the Nintendo Switch, though it may not be available before mid-2018 at the earliest. Summary of core series titles Summary of core series titles System Generation Main titles Derivative titles Upper versions Remake titles Game Boy First Red & Green ( 1996 ) Blue ( 1996 ) Yellow ( 1998 ) Game Boy Color Second Gold & Silver ( 1999 ) Crystal ( 2000 ) Game Boy Advance Third Ruby & Sapphire ( 2002 ) Emerald ( 2004 ) FireRed & LeafGreen ( 2004 ) Fourth Diamond & Pearl ( 2006 ) Platinum ( 2008 ) HeartGold & SoulSilver ( 2009 ) Nintendo DS Fifth Black & White ( 2010 ) Black 2 & White 2 ( 2012 ) Sixth X & Y ( 2013 ) Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire ( 2014 ) Nintendo 3DS Seventh Sun & Moon ( 2016 ) Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon ( 2017 ) Gameplay Main article : Gameplay of Pokémon One of the consistent aspects of most `` Pokémon '' games -- spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue on the Game Boy to the Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon Sun and Moon -- is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player 's adventures ; these three are often labeled `` starter Pokémon ''. Players can choose a Grass - type, a Fire - type, or a Water - type, Pokémon indigenous to that particular region. For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue, the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. The exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric - type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise ; unique to Pokémon Yellow, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player. Another consistent aspect is that the player 's rival will always choose the type that has a type advantage over the player 's chosen Pokémon as his or her starter Pokémon ( excluding Sun and Moon ). For instance, if the player picks the Fire - type Charmander, the rival will always pick the Water - type Squirtle. This does not affect the first battle between the rivals, as they can only use Normal - type attacks at this point, meaning that they can not exploit weaknesses. The exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks Eevee, a Normal - type Pokémon with multiple evolutions. Sun and Moon also is an exception is this rule, as the rival picks the starter weak toward the player 's starter, with the Pokémon that has the type advantage going to a trainer in the Champion battle. However, in Pokémon Black and White, there are two rivals ; one picks the Pokémon with a type advantage over the player 's chosen Pokémon, while the other chooses the Pokémon with the type disadvantage. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, another Trainer chooses the Pokémon with a type disadvantage to the player 's chosen Pokémon, but never battles the player ; instead, this character battles alongside the player as a tag partner in certain situations. The situation is similar in Pokémon X and Y, but there are four rivals. Two of them receive the starter Pokémon in an arrangement similar to Pokémon Black and White, but the other two have completely different Pokémon. List of main Pokémon games Main article : List of Pokémon video games Handheld games Generation I ( Game Boy ) Pocket Monsters : Red and Green ( February 27, 1996 ) Pocket Monsters : Blue ( October 15, 1996 ) Pokémon Red and Blue ( September 28, 1998, October 23, 1998, October 5, 1999 ) Pokémon Yellow ( September 12, 1998, October 19, 1999, June 16, 2000, September 3, 1999 ) Pokémon Trading Card Game ( December 18, 1998, April 4, 2000, December 8, 2000 ) Generation II ( Game Boy Color ) Pokémon Gold and Silver ( November 21, 1999, October 13, 2000, October 14, 2000, April 6, 2001, April 23, 2002 ) Pokémon Puzzle Challenge ( September 21, 2000, December 4, 2000, June 8, 2001, June 15, 2001 ) Pokémon Crystal ( December 14, 2000, July 29, 2001, September 30, 2001, November 2, 2001 ) Generation III ( Game Boy Advance ) Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire ( November 21, 2002, March 18, 2003, April 3, 2003, July 25, 2003 ) Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ( January 29, 2004, September 7, 2004, September 23, 2004, October 1, 2004 ) Pokémon Emerald ( September 16, 2004, April 30, 2005, June 9, 2005, October 21, 2005 ) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Red Rescue Team ( November 17, 2005, September 18, 2006, September 28, 2006, November 10, 2006 ) ( Nintendo DS ) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Blue Rescue Team ( November 17, 2005, September 18, 2006, September 28, 2006, November 10, 2006, August 30, 2007 ) Pokémon Dash ( December 2, 2004, March 11, 2005, March 14, 2005, April 7, 2005, March 22, 2007 ) Pokémon Trozei ! ( October 20, 2005, March 6, 2006, May 5, 2006, June 3, 2006, May 17, 2007 ) Pokémon Ranger ( March 23, 2006, October 30, 2006, December 6, 2006, April 13, 2007 ) Generation IV ( Nintendo DS ) Pokémon Diamond and Pearl ( September 28, 2006, April 22, 2007, June 21, 2007, July 27, 2007, February 14, 2008 ) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness ( September 13, 2007, April 20, 2008, June 19, 2008, July 4, 2008 ) Pokémon Ranger : Shadows of Almia ( March 20, 2008, November 10, 2008, November 13, 2008, November 21, 2008 ) Pokémon Platinum ( September 13, 2008, March 22, 2009, May 14, 2009, May 22, 2009, July 2, 2009 ) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Explorers of Sky ( April 18, 2009, October 12, 2009, November 12, 2009, November 20, 2009 ) Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver ( September 12, 2009, February 4, 2010, March 14, 2010, March 25, 2010, March 26, 2010 ) Pokémon Ranger : Guardian Signs ( March 6, 2010 October 4, 2010, November 5, 2010, November 25, 2010 ) Generation V ( Nintendo DS ) Pokémon Black and White ( September 18, 2010, March 4, 2011, March 6, 2011, March 10, 2011, April 21, 2011 ) Learn with Pokémon : Typing Adventure ( April 21, 2011, September 21, 2012 ) Pokémon Conquest ( March 17, 2012, June 18, 2012, June 21, 2012, July 27, 2012 ) Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 ( June 23, 2012, October 7, 2012, October 11, 2012, October 12, 2012 ) ( Nintendo 3DS ) Pokémon Rumble Blast ( August 11, 2011, October 24, 2011, December 2, 2011, December 8, 2011 ) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon : Gates to Infinity ( November 23, 2012, March 24, 2013, May 17, 2013, May 18, 2013 ) Generation VI ( Nintendo 3DS ) Pokémon X and Y ( October 12, 2013 ) Pokémon Battle Trozei ( March 12, 2014, March 13, 2014, March 14, 2014, March 20, 2014 ) Pokémon Art Academy ( June 19, 2014, July 4, 2014, July 5, 2014, October 24, 2014 ) Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire ( November 21, 2014, November 28, 2014 ) Pokémon Shuffle ( February 18, 2015 ) Pokémon Rumble World ( April 8, 2015 ) Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon ( September 17, 2015, November 20, 2015, February 19, 2016, February 20, 2016 ) Pokémon Picross ( December 2, 2015, December 3, 2015, December 4, 2015 ) Great Detective Pikachu ( February 3, 2016 ) Generation VII ( Nintendo 3DS ) Pokémon Sun and Moon ( November 18, 2016, November 23, 2016 ) Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon ( November 17, 2017 ) ( Nintendo Switch ) Pokkén Tournament DX ( September 22, 2017 ) Pokémon RPG for Nintendo Switch ( temp ) ( 2018 or later ) Console games Generation I ( Nintendo 64 ) Pokémon Stadium ( ポケモン スタジアム, Pokémon Sutajiamu ) ( August 1, 1998 ) Pokémon Stadium ( ポケモン スタジアム 2, Pokémon Sutajiamu 2 ) ( April 30, 1999, February 29, 2000, March 23, 2000, April 7, 2000 ) Pokémon Snap ( March 21, 1999, June 30, 1999, September 15, 2000, March 23, 2000 ) Pokémon Puzzle League ( September 1, 2000, March 16, 2001, May 30, 2008 ) Hey You, Pikachu ! ( December 12, 1998, November 5, 2000 ) Generation II ( Nintendo 64 ) Pokémon Stadium 2 ( ポケモン スタジアム 金銀, Pokémon Sutajiamu Kin Gin ) ( December 14, 2000, March 28, 2001, October 19, 2001 ) Generation III ( GameCube ) Pokémon Colosseum ( November 21, 2003, February 10, 2004, March 22, 2004 ) Pokémon Box : Ruby and Sapphire ( May 30, 2003, July 12, 2004, March 22, 2004 ) Pokémon Channel ( July 18, 2003, December 1, 2003, April 2, 2004 ) Pokémon XD : Gale of Darkness ( August 4, 2005, September 28, 2005, November 18, 2005 ) Generation IV ( Wii ) Pokémon Battle Revolution ( December 14, 2006, June 25, 2007, November 22, 2007, December 7, 2007 ) My Pokémon Ranch ( March 25, 2008, June 9, 2008, July 4, 2008, July 4, 2008 ) Pokémon Rumble ( June 16, 2009, November 16, 2009, November 20, 2009 ) PokéPark Wii : Pikachu 's Adventure ( December 5, 2009, July 9, 2010, September 23, 2010, November 1, 2010 ) Generation V ( Wii and Wii U ) PokéPark 2 : Wonders Beyond ( November 12, 2011, February 27, 2012, March 23, 2012, March 29, 2012 ) Pokémon Rumble U ( April 24, 2013, August 29, 2013, August 15, 2013, August 16, 2013 ) Generation VI ( Wii U ) Pokkén Tournament ( March 18, 2016 ) Generation VII ( Nintendo Switch ) Pokkén Tournament DX ( September 22, 2017 ) Pokémon RPG for Nintendo Switch ( temp ) ( 2018 or later ) Arcade games Generation VI Pokkén Tournament ( July 16, 2015 ) Mobile games Generation VI Pokémon Shuffle Mobile ( August 24, 2015, August 31, 2015 ) Pokémon Go ( July 6, 2016, July 13, 2016 ) Pokémon Duel ( April 12, 2016, January 24, 2017 ) Appearances in other games This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2018 ) Several Pokémon PC games were released for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh. Games from the franchise were also released exclusively in Japan for Sega consoles Pico and Advanced Pico Beena. Pokémon are also in Mario Artist : Paint Studio for Nintendo 64DD as pasteable stickers, and they also appear in Picross NP Vol. 1 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Super Smash Bros. series In the Super Smash Bros. series, Pikachu, Ivysaur, Squirtle, Charizard, Jigglypuff, Pichu, Mewtwo, Lucario and Greninja have been playable characters. Pikachu and Jigglypuff are introduced in Super Smash Bros., and are also featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, alongside Pichu and Mewtwo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mewtwo and Pichu are not featured as playable characters, although Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard make their first playable appearances as part of the Pokémon Trainer character, while Lucario appears as a separate character. Greninja made its first appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Charizard is a standalone character, and Mewtwo returns as a downloadable content character. Rayquaza is featured as a boss enemy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The series features Poké Balls as items, which, when used by a player, make a random Pokémon appear including Piplup, Bonsly, and Munchlax, with various effects on the game, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have Master Balls, which function like Poké Balls but only summon a rare Pokémon ( like Mew, Palkia, and Genesect ) or Goldeen. Several Pokémon also appear as stage hazards / in stages, including Rayquaza, Ho - Oh and Manaphy. Reception and legacy Main article : Pokémon This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( February 2014 ) The series has sold over 279 million units ( inclusive of spin - off titles ; 210 million for the mainline Pokémon games ) as of February 29, 2016, giving it the distinction of being one of the best - selling video game series in history. Guinness World Records awarded the Pokémon series eight records in Guinness World Records : Gamer 's Edition 2008, including `` Most Successful RPG Series of All Time '', `` Game Series With the Most Spin - Off Movies '' and `` Most Photosensitive Epileptic Seizures Caused by a TV Show ''. The Pokémon video game series is the basis of the Pokémon franchise, which includes the Pokémon anime, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Pokémon manga, and various toys. The anime series has run for over 900 episodes, accompanied by 19 feature films, with a twentieth in production. The trading card game and its expansion sets have grown to around 3,000 unique cards in total, and continue to draw a healthy player base to its official international tournaments. The extent of global toy and merchandise sales since 1996 cover such broad markets and high quantities that they are simply beyond estimation. IGN ranked Pokémon as the 17th greatest desired game series : `` the basic gameplay premise boasts solid, addictive play mechanics, and several of the handheld RPGs deserve to be in every gamer 's collection. GamesRadar listed Pokémon as the No. 1 Nintendo game `` not made by Nintendo '', stating that having to catch each Pokémon made the games addictive. See also List of Japanese role - playing game franchises References Jump up ^ Schmidt, Alex ( November 24, 2017 ). `` Pokemon games sold over 300 million games worldwide ''. WholesGame. Retrieved November 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Pokémon Green Info on GameFAQs '' gamefaqs.com. Retrieved February 23, 2007. 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Jump up ^ East, Tom ( December 2, 2009 ). `` News : Pokemon Platinum Release Date Confirmed ''. Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2009. Jump up ^ Tanaka, John ( May 7, 2009 ). `` New Pokemon Games Confirmed ''. IGN. Retrieved August 8, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Nintendo unveils its video game lineup for early 2010 ''. Nintendo Canada. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version release date announced ! ''. Nintendo of Australia. January 22, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2010. Jump up ^ `` News : Pokémon HeartGold / SoulSilver UK release date revealed ''. Official Nintendo Magazine. January 12, 2010. Retrieved January 12, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Cubed3 Pokémon Battle Revolution Confirmed for Wii '' Cubed3.com. Retrieved June 7, 2006. Jump up ^ Goldfarb, Andrew ( June 11, 2013 ). `` E3 2013 : Pokemon X & Y Release Date Announced ''. IGN. Retrieved October 15, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Pokémon X and Pokémon Y announcement on Nintendo Direct ''. nintendo.com. Jump up ^ Quillen, Dustin ( October 4, 2013 ). `` Pokémon X & Y Versions Revie ''. US Gamer. Retrieved October 15, 2013. Jump up ^ CoroCoro Comic, March 2013 Issue, Shogakukan. Jump up ^ `` Meet Sylveon, Pokémon X And Pokémon Y ′ s Eighth Eeevee Evolution ''. Siliconera. Retrieved February 14, 2013. Jump up ^ Scullion, Chris ( May 7, 2014 ). `` Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire remakes coming to 3DS ''. CVG Online. Retrieved May 7, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Pokkén Tournament, A Pokémon Fighting Game, Announced For Arcades ''. Siliconera. Retrieved August 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Frank, Allegra ( February 26, 2016 ). `` Pokémon Sun and Moon officially unveiled, out later this year ''. Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon Pokémon Video Games ''. www.pokemon.com. Retrieved 2017 - 06 - 26. Jump up ^ Gartenberg, Chaim ( June 13, 2017 ). `` A proper Pokémon game is coming to the Nintendo Switch ''. The Verge. Retrieved June 13, 2017. Jump up ^ Pokémon Ruby review ( page 1 ) Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Gamespy.com. Accessed May 30, 2006. Jump up ^ Pokémon Yellow Critical Review Archived September 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Ign.com. Retrieved March 27, 2006. Jump up ^ Reilly, Luke ( September 10, 2015 ). `` Pokémon GO Coming to Smartphones ''. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved September 10, 2015. Jump up ^ Skrebels, Joe ( 24 January 2017 ). `` New Pokemon Mobile Game Gets Surprise Release ''. IGN. Retrieved 5 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` Virtually Overlooked : Mario Artist ''. Engadget. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 08. Jump up ^ `` The Total Sales for Pokémon Are Staggering ''. Kotaku. Retrieved 14 April 2016. Jump up ^ Whitehead, Thomas. `` The Pokémon Company Confirms Outstanding Lifetime Sales For The Franchise ''. Retrieved 18 March 2016. Jump up ^ Clodfelter, Tim ( April 17, 2008 ). `` Record Book Focused on the Gamers ''. Winston - Salem Journal. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2008. Jump up ^ Carlisle, Rodney P ( 2009 ). `` Pokémon. '' Encyclopedia of Play in Today 's Society. SAGE Publications. pp. 563 -- 564. ISBN 9781412966702. Jump up ^ The News & Features Team ( December 4, 2006 ). `` The Top 25 Videogame Franchises ''. IGN. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2010. Jump up ^ Henry Gilbert ( August 30, 2010 ). `` The Top 7... Nintendo games not made by Nintendo, Pokémon Black / White DS Features ''. GamesRadar. Retrieved September 1, 2010. External links Official website Official Japanese website ( in Japanese ) Pokémon Nintendo Game Freak Satoshi Tajiri Ken Sugimori Junichi Masuda Creatures Inc. 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Question: when did the first pokemon game come out
Answer: 1996; 1996; 1996; October 2000