Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Pokemon Rot und Blau
These original Game Boy titles started the global Pokemon phenomenon and are playable today through the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library. Collecting, training and trading monsters were established here as the core formula.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is JRPG / RPG, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays light and upbeat. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
Difficulty stays forgiving, so progress rarely depends on your reflexes. Story exists mostly as background texture rather than a reason to keep going. Competitive play against other people is part of the package. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Birth of the Pokemon phenomenon
- Collecting and trading
- Classic trainer battles
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- levelling, looting and optimising a build is your kind of loop
- you want your skill measured against other people
- you want zero frustration and no difficulty wall
- you enjoy competing against other players
- you are watching your budget
Look elsewhere if
- you need real difficulty to stay interested
- pixel art puts you off
- competitive lobbies stress you out
- you specifically want an open world to roam
What it costs you in time
About 25 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 4 weeks, or 13 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 90 out of 100, which puts it above 85 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 157 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, JRPG averages 86 points across the database, so this one sits 4 points above its own genre. The figure rests on a comparatively small number of ratings, so treat it as an indication rather than a verdict.
Released in 1996, which makes it 30 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1996
- Genres
- JRPG, RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 25 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Relaxed, forgiving
- Story weight
- Background flavour
- Play with
- Solo, Competitive
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 90 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokemon Rot und Blau | 1996 | approx. 25 hrs. | 90 | Budget |
| Pokémon Karmesin und Purpur | 2022 | approx. 35 hrs. | 72 | Full price |
| Chrono Trigger | 1995 | approx. 25 hrs. | 93 | Budget |
| Granblue Fantasy: Relink | 2024 | approx. 30 hrs. | 83 | Full price |
If you liked this, try these
- Pokémon Karmesin und Purpur Shared: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy
- Chrono Trigger Shared: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy, rated higher
- Granblue Fantasy: Relink Shared: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy
- Child of Light Shared: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy, shorter
- Pokémon-Legenden: Z-A Shared: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy
- Moonlighter Shared: RPG, Fantasy