Decades after the release of Pokémon Yellow in 1999, some fans are still confused about the Game Boy RPGs real name. After the debut of the Pokémon Red and Blue Kanto RPGs in 1998, Game Freak released a third edition of Generation 1 called Pokémon Yellow. Although Pokémon Yellow has gone on to become the definitive version of the original Kanto region titles, there is still a debate among fans as to what the RPG is actually called.
Following the launch of Pokémon Red and Blue, the Nintendo franchise became an instant worldwide phenomenon with the release of the Pokémon anime. Due to the overwhelming success of Ash Ketchum's adventures, Game Freak released the Pokémon Yellow edition of Red and Blue which made the Gen 1 RPGs closer to the animated series. For example, the third edition changed many items, locations, and characters to match the first season of the anime.
The game's biggest feature though was Pokémon Yellow's Starter Pikachu, which walked outside of its Poké Ball and followed players in the overworld. Despite Pokémon Yellow's massive popularity, the history of the Game Boy title's name is actually pretty complicated. Depending on the country, some fans knew the game by a different title altogether. Even Nintendo has used a few different naming conventions for the Gen 1 RPG over the years. Here is a breakdown of the mystery of Pokémon Yellow’s real name.
Pokémon Yellow’s Real Name Explained
When Pokémon Yellow hit stores in 1999, many fans were greeted with a box that had Special Pikachu Edition written under the series logo. Even the game's cartridge is labeled with the Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition title. Although Pokémon Yellow's anime characters may have made it seem like a special edition of Gen 1, the game was largely the same as Red and Blue just with various quality of life changes. The RPGs instruction manual seemed to back up the idea of it being a companion color version of Red and Blue, as it states it's the "Yellow Version of Pokémon" on the first page.
However, in various counties such as Canada, the official name Game Freak submitted for rating was also Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition. Adding to the mystery of the game's name is that the official Pokémon website refers to it as Special Pikachu Edition in 2022. Interestingly, Pokémon Yellow's Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console debut in 2016 also featured the Special Pikachu Edition naming on both its eShop listing, as well as the game's download file itself.
It appears that the game's title is definitively Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition. Although for convenience's sake, the Pokémon community has decided to call it Pokémon Yellow over the last two decades. Players confused about playing a different named game in the 90s are not remembering incorrectly, as the third edition of Gen 1 has technically gone by various names over the years. In 2022 though, most will call it Pokémon Yellow as it's much easier to say and falls in line with the classic series release of three editions each generation.
Source: The Pokémon Company