Image owned by Nintendo. Pokémon is owned by Game Freak.
Back when I was a kid and first stared playing video games, I didn’t have too much. I remember that I had Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six for the Game Boy Color and I had Spyro on the ps1. I didn’t have a particular genre that I leaned towards until I stumbled upon Pokémon Red. This game become my childhood leading me to play each mainstream game in the series. Let’s start with some history.
If you don’t know the Pokémon series is developed by Game Freak and Published by Nintendo. The first game has four different versions, though one version was not released outside of Japan. I consider them four different versions since all of them take place in the same region, even though two were released at a later date. Those games were Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Green, and Pokémon Yellow. The goals of each game were pretty simple, catch Pokémon, get badges by beating gym leaders, and defeat the Pokémon League.
Pokémon Red Version and Green Version
Pokémon Red was the one that started it all for me. Pokémon Red was released in North America on September 28, 1998. It was the first Pokémon game I played as well as the first rpg that I played. To summarize, you play as a child who sets out to become the best Pokémon Trainer in the region. As you progress through the game you’ll encounter new Pokémon to capture, collect gym badges, and battle your rival. At the start of the game you choose the water type Squirtle, the fire type Charmander, or the grass type Bulbasaur.
Image owned by Nintendo. Pokémon is owned by Game Freak. 
Credits to Amazon for image. Pokémon is owned by Game Freak.
This game was super fun to have growing up. The main reason was because you got to decide what Pokémon you wanted on your team. You could also name them what you wanted. It also doubled as a nice strategic game because each battle you have to think of type match ups as well as move types. Pokémon Green was released in Japan on February 27, 1996. Pokémon Green was the same as Pokémon Red except for the version exclusive Pokémon. It did not release outside of Japan. Due to this I have not played this one. Pokémon Red is playable on 3DS and 2DS systems by purchasing it on the e-shop. For a list of version exclusive Pokémon be sure to visit Bulbapedia.
Pokémon Blue Version
Pokémon Blue was released in North America on September 28, 1998. This version of the game contains improvements as well as fixes for glitches that Pokémon Red and Green had. Bulbapedia lists some of these changes as new front sprites for Pokémon, some Pokémon locations changed, and fixed glitches. Visit Bulbapedia for a full list of differences as well as other Pokémon related information. One interesting thing to note is that some of the changes made in this version were carried over to the international releases of Pokémon Red and Blue. Some changes did not make it to the international release of Pokémon Red though. Pokémon Blue is playable on 3DS and 2DS systems by purchasing it on the e-shop.
Pokémon Yellow
Image owned by Nintendo. Pokémon is owned by Game Freak. 
Image owned by Nintendo. Pokémon is owned by Game Freak.
Pokémon Yellow released in North America on October 19, 1999. Pokémon Yellow was vastly different from the other games. Instead of getting to choose what Pokémon you start with, one is given to you. You start the game with a Pikachu just like Ash Ketchum from the anime. You also have a chance to get the other starters as long as you talk to the right people. Another difference is that your rival gets an Evee instead of the Pokémon that your starter is weak to, this is what he does in the other games. I enjoyed this one the most simply because it was more challenging. The first gym leader that you battle uses Rock Pokémon which are strong against Electric types, your starter falls into this category. You have to think of what Pokémon you can catch that will help you overcome this obstacle. Pokémon Yellow is playable on 3DS and 2DS systems by purchasing it on the e-shop.
Final Thoughts
These games will always be important to me as they not only got me into playing rpg games, but also other games that I had not tried before. Out of all of the versions mentioned above, I enjoyed Pokémon Yellow the most. If you own a 2DS or 3DS I highly reccomend picking one of these games up. They cost $9.99 for each game so they are pretty affordable. Thank you for reading. Be sure to follow the blog as well as follow me on twitter @realgamerwithg1 for updates on ne blog posts.