Pokémon celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016 — a milestone that coincided with a swelling resurgence of the brand, and one that reinforced its longevity. But for many of us in the West, the media phenomenon didn’t hit us until two years later. On Sept. 28, 1998, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue launched on Game Boy in North America. We haven’t looked back since.
This week, we’re celebrating the beginning of an obsession we continue to have. Red and Blue were some of our very first games; for others, they were the games that inspired a lifelong dream of collecting ’em all. We’re traveling across the entire land of Kanto with personal memories, objective Pokémon reviews, deep dives into the franchise’s history and more. It’s never a bad time for a little nostalgia, right? —Allegra Frank