A recent Nintendo meeting shed light on why major Pokémon games are typically released in pairs. While there have been nine generations of paired Pokémon games so far, this practice actually stems from a long-standing tradition connected to another iconic Nintendo character.
Since its debut with Pokemon Red and Green in Japan in 1996, the Pokemon franchise has become a massive cultural phenomenon. Over almost three decades, it’s generated over $103 billion in revenue, as of 2024. The latest installments, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (released in 2022), have contributed an estimated $2.5 to $3 billion to that total by October 2025. These games follow a familiar Nintendo strategy: releasing two very similar versions, each with unique monsters.
Mario’s Success Influenced Pokemon’s Two-Game-Release Format
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, recently shared the story behind the two-version release strategy for Pokémon games. In a Nintendo shareholder meeting transcript, Miyamoto recalled a conversation with Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri before the first Pokémon games were finished. Tajiri jokingly suggested that to beat Mario‘s sales, Nintendo would need to find a way to sell two copies of the same game to each player. While Miyamoto didn’t say this conversation directly caused the creation of Pokémon Red and Green, it ultimately led to the series’ long-standing tradition of releasing paired versions of each new game.
While Pokemon isn’t alone in trying to release a game across two different versions, Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Fates caused a stir in 2015. The game’s story was split between two separate cartridges for the Nintendo 3DS, forcing players to choose a side – either the kingdom of Nohr or Hoshido. Although the game sold well, fans largely criticized this approach, viewing it as a way to earn more money. Since then, Fire Emblem games have gone back to being released as a single package.
The practice of releasing two versions of each Pokémon game has been successful, fostering a strong community through trading exclusive creatures and evolution methods. While the franchise is now so popular that this dual-release strategy might seem unnecessary – the recent Pokémon Legends: Z-A quickly became one of the best-selling Pokémon games ever – rumors suggest the next main Pokémon games, reportedly titled Pokémon Wind and Waves, will still be released as two separate versions.
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2025-11-08 17:05