Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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A playthrough of Nintendo's 1998 JRPG for the Nintendo Game Boy, Pokémon Blue Version.

Played on the Super Game Boy.

This is the first part of a two-part playthrough, showing from the beginning up through the raid on Team Rocket's HQ in Celadon City. Part two can be found at youtu.be/n3r6_kMDOV8

After developing a string of small but well-received games throughout the early 90s, including a couple of collaborations with Nintendo, Game Freak finally hit the big leagues with the release of Pokémon. The initial Japanese releases of Pokémon Red and Green were slow to pick up steam, but once that train got going, there was no turning back. They, along with Blue (which took the place of Green for the international releases) ultimately went on to become the foundation of an unreasonably huge media empire and a long-running series of video games, and the franchise yanked a very tired Game Boy back from the brink of death in the late 90s.

I was sixteen in 1998, so I remember the Pokémon craze well, but I had no interest in a game so firmly aimed at the kid crowd. But now, playing it as an adult decades later, it's not hard to see what made people fall in love with Pokémon. It's a quality, mechanically complex JRPG that's wrapped up in a respectfully accessible, kid-friendly presentation, and the innovative use of the Game Boy's link cable functionality gives the experience a long pair of legs.

I wish that I hadn't outright dismissed it as a baby game back in 1998, because this is a lot of fun. If you enjoy RPGs, I'd suggest giving it a try. There's a lot of engaging stuff lurking beneath the hyperactive schoolyard anime vibe.

If you'd prefer a more exotic Pokémon game:

Pokémon Tetris for the Pokémon Mini
youtu.be/Gl9cvsIe4xU

Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure for the Nintendo DS
youtu.be/-VDgSVlRpBk
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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