Japanese Pokémon Red, mother of all Pokémon. 151 creatures to catch, evolve, trade, battle. Turn-based combat, mature writing for Game Boy, smart map economy. The Red/Green/Blue cartridges launched a global tidal wave. Essential, the starting point of a legend.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Nintendo and Game Freak's landmark RPG with a trainer crossing Kanto to catch 151 Pokemon, defeat 8 gyms, and become champion. Published by Nintendo/Game Freak, released 1996-1999 depending on region. Turn-based capture and battles, link cable trading and fights, memorable rival and gyms, and the Pokemon League.
Pokemon - Versione Rossa review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
From the quiet of Pallet Town to the supercharged battle themes, Junichi Masuda's compositions have etched a whole universe into collective memory. The chilling Lavender Town melody and the victory fanfares alike remain indelible. This foundational soundtrack, of rare evocative power, has marked entire generations.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Catching a creature, leveling it up then completing your Pokédex weaves a loop of short-term goals that never truly stops. Each battle yields experience, each route hides an unseen species and trading between versions pushes you to explore further. The pacing shows its age and the grind makes itself felt, but this collecting quest stays irresistibly gripping.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Catching a hundred and fifty-one creatures, defeating the eight gyms and claiming the champion's crown is only part of the journey through Kanto. Completing the Pokédex, trading version exclusives and fine-tuning your team extend the adventure far beyond the story. The founder of a phenomenon, this game owes its legendary longevity to that collection quest that endlessly calls for one more session.
Italian localization of Red, with a share of Italian language adaptations rolled out across the marketing material, although in game names stayed largely English. The October 1999 launch coincided with the Italian anime broadcast on Mediaset, which fuelled peninsular demand. Nintendo Italia run was more modest than the English versions, and the Italian cardboard box remains under represented outside Italy, which strengthens its value among local collectors.
A cult cover
Charizard spreads its wings across a scarlet cartridge, fangs bared and flame blazing: Japan's very first Pokémon wave arrives in the crisp, colorful style of Ken Sugimori. The bold red and conquering pose sum up the promise of adventure and collecting. A founding icon, this original illustration keeps all its 1996 freshness.
A questionable morality
Becoming the greatest trainer relies on a routine no one questions mid-game: bumping into wild creatures out in nature, wearing them down through fights, then sealing them in a ball to complete a collection. Sold as a grand friendly adventure, the pastime amounts to assembling a team of captured brawlers, which somehow never stops anyone from adoring it.
Is Pokemon - Versione Rossa still worth playing in 2026?
The mother of the entire franchise, the first Pokemon generation remains a fascinating object to study today. One hundred and fifty-one creatures to catch, evolve, trade and battle, a clever cartridge economy between versions, and turn-based fights of surprising readability. The pacing is slow by modern standards, the balance occasionally rough and the interface dated, yet the writing is mature for a Game Boy title and the freedom to explore still holds. For game design enthusiasts, collectors or the simply nostalgic, it stays a historical source in its own right.
