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Library/Game/Pokémon Red and Blue
Grade B21 sourcesHIS-01420

Pokémon Red and Blue

Game · 1996 · Notable

53Editable slideCertificate

Pokémon Red, Green and Blue sold over 31.38 million Game Boy copies worldwide.

Trailer · Nintendo of America on YouTube
Pokémon Red Version key art with Charizard
Nintendo / Creatures / Game Freak
Two original Game Boys joined by a link cable, the way players traded Pokémon
KoS / Wikimedia Commons
Pokémon Red gameplay from Nintendo's eShop launch trailer: the player receives Charmander
Nintendo of America on YouTube
TIME magazine cover on Pokémon, 22 November 1999
TIME

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth70VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet53

Numbers

Milestone date
Nov 1999
Feb 27 ’96 to Nov 1999
Platforms
6
Started on Retail
Origin
Mixed
Gaming

Mechanics

  • Mystery & lorePrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Sell-out loop
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Red and Green launched in Japan in 1996, followed by a Mew giveaway and anime. A paid US rollout preceded reported game sell-outs in 1998. The November 1999 TIME cover marks a franchise milestone; fans later completed Red together on Twitch.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Mar ’95Apr ’96NovFeb ’98NovSep ’99Sep ’01Oct ’06Nov ’11Dec ’15Feb ’19Jan ’21RetailPressTVTwitchOpen webX
RetailPressTVTwitchOpen webX

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. February 1996

    Nintendo / Game Freak seed · Feb 27 ’96

    Nintendo released Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy in Japan.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. April 1996

    CoroCoro Comic owner response · Apr 1996

    CoroCoro announced a Mew giveaway that drew approximately 78,000 entrants for 20 places.[2]

  3. October 1996

    Creatures / Pokémon licensees owner response · Oct 1996

    A Pokémon trading card game launched in Japan, extending collecting and trading beyond the cartridges.[3]

  1. owner response · Oct 1996

  2. platform jump · Apr 1997

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Gaming
Region
JP
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Film · Open web · 200653

The Secret

Rhonda Byrne / Prime Time Productions

The Secret documentary sold more than 2 million DVDs after an online launch.

$66.1M revenue

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.