Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Full Comparison

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue are some of the most iconic video games of all time, having started the franchise almost three decades ago. These games started a formula that endures to this day, with the newer releases still using many of the mechanics established with Pokemon Red, Green & Blue.

Here, we’re looking at Pokémon X & Y, the main releases of Generation VI. We’ll be comparing them to the original games, to see how the series has evolved over the years.

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Release Year and Platforms

Comparing the platforms of Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue as well as X & Y is interesting. The original titles were released all the way back in 1996, as flagship titles for the Game Boy. It was Nintendo’s first handheld console (no, the Game & Watch doesn’t count). This meant that alongside the accompanying anime, the first Pokémon games needed to be a hit.

Meanwhile, Pokémon X & Y arrived in a very different environment for the series. Releasing in 2013, X & Y were the first games in the franchise to come to the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS remains Nintendo’s newest fully handheld console, so it’s interesting to see how far technology came in such a short space of time.

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Sales

In the category of sales figures, Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue have time on their side. After all, they were released a massive 17 years before X & Y, during which the series never wavered in popularity.

The figures for Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue currently stand at just over 31 million copies sold. This makes it one of the most successful releases in the franchise’s history, despite being Game Freak’s first attempt. It’s extremely impressive, especially given how readily available the trio of games have been on emulators for years. Still, nothing compares to playing them on the original Game Boy.

By comparison, Pokémon X & Y sold approximately 16 million copies worldwide. While it isn’t quite on the level of the series’ first iteration, it’s still enough to make X & Y the second best-selling Nintendo 3DS game, standing behind Mario Kart 7.

With such a huge gap, it seems incredibly unlikely that we’ll see Pokémon X & Y catch up any time soon.

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Available Pokémon

One of the biggest benefits of a new Pokémon Generation is the addition of hundreds of new monsters to catch. However, as we’re looking at Red, Green, & Blue, we get to look at the original 151 Pokémon that were released. Some gamers feel the newer titles are struggling for inspiration, and it’s interesting to see what things were like when the franchise was still getting started.

Comparatively, Pokémon X & Y add just 69 new Pokémon. However, the mixture of Pokémon from previous Generations also included leaves more than enough for players to catch. We’ve got the full lowdown on every Pokémon you can catch in Pokémon, Red, Green, Blue, X, & Y:

Red, Green, & Blue Pokémon

X & Y Pokémon

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Main Characters

While customizing your character became a key part of later Pokémon games, Red, Green, & Blue didn’t quite implement this. Instead, you played as Red, the default protagonist who you could rename to your own preference. Sadly, you can only play as a male in these titles, which would be quickly changed in future releases. Beyond Red, there really weren’t many main characters to speak of in Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue, besides Professor Oak, who gives you your starters. Oak would go on to be a key character in the Pokémon canon.

Pokémon X & Y take a more modern approach, allowing you to choose between a male and female character. These are both customizable, too, giving you more control over how they look throughout your adventure. This was the first time this feature debuted, which was huge for games considered to be RPGs. Besides the protagonist, Pokémon X & Y certainly have a large supporting cast. Along the way, you’ll meet the likes of Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Serena, and Calem, all of whom are friends of the protagonist. Each has their own role to play in the story, and it’s great to see such a large cast of characters.

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: Pros and Cons

Ultimately, all Pokémon games have their very own pros and cons to discuss. We’re laying them all out for this selection of games right here:

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue Pros

• A smaller pool of Pokémon means a simple meta to understand
• Easy to emulate

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue Cons

• Outdated graphics by 2023 standards
• Lack of complex mechanics

Pokémon X & Y Pros

• Character customization for the first time in the series
• Mega Evolution is introduced
• 3D graphics replace the old sprites
• 69 new Pokémon to use
• Increased chance of encountering shiny Pokémon
• Introduction of Wonder Trading
• Fairy-type Pokémon are added for the first time

Pokémon X & Y Cons

• More Pokémon becomes increasingly difficult to manage in the complex meta
• Clock feature from previous games was removed
• Pokémon Transfer is a paid feature this time around

For us, Pokémon is a series that tends to get better with age because of the mechanical similarities across Generations. If we compare the pros and cons of these games directly, then Pokémon X & Y come out on top.

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue vs. Pokémon X & Y: The Final Details

As well as everything we’ve already discussed, there are a few details you should know before playing Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue, and X & Y.

First up are the regions. Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue take place in Kanto, which is inspired by Japan. Apt, considering the series’ roots. Some of the later games attempted to replicate other areas of Japan, but we think Red, Green, & Blue get it perfect from the off. Pokémon X & Y are set in the Kalos region, which heavily resembles Metropolitan France. The Prism Tower is a not-so-subtle nod to the Eiffel Tower, and it’s cool to see Pokémon tackle a variety of real locations like this. The difference in release dates means it’s almost unfair to compare the games in this regard, but both are a lot of fun to adventure throughout.

Then, there are the Gym Leaders – every Pokémon game has its own. All of Red, Green, Blue, X, and Y have eight Gym Leaders, each with their own type for players to try and counter. These are the Gym Leaders you can expect to encounter in each game:

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue Gym Leaders

Pokémon X & Y Gym Leaders

At the level beyond the Gym Leaders, there are the Elite Four. Another staple of the Pokémon franchise, the Elite Four represents the ultimate challenge in every game. Here is everyone you can expect to face during Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, X, and Y!

Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue Elite Four

Pokémon X & Y Elite Four

And that’s it: everything you need when comparing Pokémon Red, Green, & Blue with X & Y! No matter what, you’re sure to have a blast with two of Game Freak’s finest efforts with the franchise.