Satoshi Tajiri is credited by Nintendo as the creator of the Pokémon series. The original games, however, were planned and developed by Game Freak, the company he established, with other partners contributing to the wider franchise. Pokémon grew from Tajiri’s interest in collecting creatures and the Game Boy link cable’s potential for trading—not from a plan to make a conventional role-playing game first.
Who is Satoshi Tajiri?
Tajiri is a Japanese game designer and the founder of Game Freak. Nintendo identifies him as the creator of the Pokémon series and president of Game Freak in its Iwata Asks interview. Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda says Tajiri established the company in 1989 for the launch of Quinty, an earlier game. [Masuda, 2011]
Before it became a game-development company, Game Freak was a magazine focused on video games. TIME’s account says Tajiri worked on it with his friend Ken Sugimori, who later became a key Pokémon designer and art director. TIME also connects Tajiri’s childhood insect collecting and teenage interest in arcade games to the ideas that eventually came together in Pokémon. These biographical details are reported by TIME rather than established in the cited company histories. [TIME, 2024]
How did Tajiri come up with Pokémon?
The link cable between Game Boy systems gave players a way to connect their games and transfer information. TIME reports that Tajiri was drawn to that capability and wanted to build a game around trading creatures. In TIME’s account of an earlier interview, Tajiri explained that trading was the starting point; the role-playing-game structure came later. [TIME, 2024]
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- 3 complete Pokémon TCG decks (60 cards each)
- Each deck includes a powerful special Pokémon: Cinderace V, Pikachu V, or Eevee V
- Eevee deck includes 2 copies of an all-new promo card featuring Galarian Obstagoon
- 1 instruction sheet to help you set up to play
- 2 tutorial guides to lead you through the decks
That distinction matters: Pokémon’s trading concept was not merely an extra feature added to an RPG. It gave players a reason to connect with one another and exchange creatures. The link cable had commonly been used for battles, TIME says, while Pokémon made trading a central part of the idea. The familiar image of bugs crawling through a cable is best treated as a shorthand, not as a verified direct quotation from Tajiri.
Who made the original Pokémon games?
“Creator” does not mean Tajiri single-handedly designed every Pokémon or built the games alone. The Pokémon Company’s official history attributes original planning and development of the video game series to GAME FREAK, while distinguishing the roles of its partners:
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- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
- Use other Pokémon’s moves, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage, to revitalize and navigate the world around you.
- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
| Participant | Role described by The Pokémon Company |
|---|---|
| Satoshi Tajiri | Identified by Nintendo as creator of the Pokémon series; Masuda says he established Game Freak. [Nintendo; Game Freak] |
| GAME FREAK | Original planning and development of the Pokémon video game series. [The Pokémon Company] |
| Creatures Inc. | Development of the Trading Card Game, video games, and CG models and motion. [The Pokémon Company] |
| Nintendo | Manufacture and sale of Pokémon video games. [The Pokémon Company] |
TIME reports that development, including initial planning, took nearly six years. That is an approximate duration from TIME’s account, not a separately confirmed exact production interval. [TIME, 2024]
When did Pokémon launch?
The first Pokémon video games were Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Green Version, released for Game Boy in Japan in February 1996, according to The Pokémon Company’s official history. The franchise then expanded beyond the games:
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- POKÉMON GUESS WHO? GAME: The battle is on! Players compete to be the first to guess their opponent's mystery Pokémon in the Guess Who? Pokémon Edition game! For ages 6+
- 48 POKÉMON IN ALL: Pikachu, Quaxly, and more! Each player secretly chooses a Pokémon that their opponent has to guess. Includes 2 double-sided sheets of 8 Pokémon types--48 Pokémon total
- CLASSIC GUESS WHO? GAMEPLAY: ""Is your Pokémon a Water type?"" Players take turns asking ""yes"" or ""no"" questions to deduce their opponent's mystery Pokémon! The first to guess correctly wins that round! The first to correctly guess 5 mystery Pokémon wins
- QUICK & EASY GAME FOR KIDS: This fun mystery game for 2 players is a fast and easy to learn kids game for playdates, Family Game Night, and after school
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| Date | Milestone | Where |
|---|---|---|
| February 1996 | Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Green Version launch for Game Boy | Japan |
| October 1996 | Pokémon Trading Card Game launches | Japan |
| April 1997 | Pokémon television anime launches | Japan |
| September 1998 | U.S. launch period for the anime and Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue for Game Boy | United States |
These milestones and regional descriptions come from The Pokémon Company’s official history. They show how the original video game became the starting point for a larger franchise involving distinct creative and business partners.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why trading was central to the original games
Trading put the Game Boy’s connection between players at the heart of the experience. Each player could collect creatures and use the link cable to exchange them, giving the hardware a social purpose beyond competition. In TIME’s account, Tajiri recalled that the initial goal was to make trading possible; deciding to frame the game as an RPG came afterward. [TIME, 2024]
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- Voice and light guidance for immersive play. Follow real time audio prompts and bright directional LEDs to track targets, react fast, and complete exciting search quests in any room.
- Advanced motion detection boosts active fun. Built in sensors respond when you move up down turn or shake, converting movement into actions that help you snag speedy virtual creatures.
- 40 missions and 65 catches deliver big replay value. Tackle varied objectives, unlock harder challenges, and steadily grow your electronic collection with every successful capture.
- Trainer map for clear progress tracking. Mark missions, plan smart routes, and visualize achievements as you explore, encouraging strategy, focus, spatial awareness, and confidence.
- Kid friendly handheld design for ages 5 plus. Durable, easy to carry, and simple to start; uses 3 AAA batteries not included for portable indoor or outdoor adventure and family play.
This origin helps explain why collecting and exchanging Pokémon are not peripheral ideas. They are connected to the original design premise: a game that could let players share creatures through a feature of the Game Boy itself.
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