The following page contains short summaries of significant differences between the Japanese and International versions of Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, as well as differences between each version.
Significant differences such as story, glitches and their fixes, the Rival's team, version exclusive Pokémon, and Pokémon move access are largely known about and discussed elsewhere. On this page, I focus primarily on other factors, such as Trainer teams, item locations, in-game Pokémon trades, and Cerulean Cave.
Many Western players may be vaguely aware of the fact that Japan got games called Red, Green, and Blue, while the rest of the world got Red and Blue. The differences between these games are a little nuanced.
The games were released in the following order, with Japan's releases bolded:
Below is a selected list of differences among generations. Differences in wild encounter tables, important trainer (Rival, Gym Leader, Elite Four, Giovanni) parties or movesets, Pokémon movepools, and anything related to the starter Pikachu or the three Kanto starters is not covered, as this information is largely known and available elsewhere. The purpose of this is to demonstrate lesser-known differences.
In Viridian Forest, there is an item ball in the northeast area. In Red, Green, and Blue, it contains an Antidote. In Yellow, it contains a Potion.
A handful of hidden items had their location changed from Japanese Red/Green to Japanese Blue. The placement used in Japanese Blue was then used for all international versions of Red and Blue, as well as Japanese and international versions of Yellow.
Item | Location | Red/Green placement | Blue placement |
---|---|---|---|
Hyper Potion | S. S. Anne | On B1F, in the fifth room from the right, on the wall two tiles below the Fisherman | On B1F, in the fifth room from the right, on the bed's pillow |
Nugget | Saffron City | In Copycat's room, on the bed | In Copycat's room, on the desk |
Elixer | Saffron City | On 5F of Silph Co., on the first plant east of the Scientist | On 5F of Silph Co., on the second plant east of the Scientist |
Rare Candy | Route 17 | Four tiles east and one north of of the Cue Ball near the grass patch | Four tiles east and two north of of the Cue Ball near the grass patch |
Six hidden items were broken in Japanese Red/Green. They were fixed in Japanese Blue and all international releases, as well as in Yellow.
The issue with the items is that the two databases that hold hidden item information each have different coordinates for the item. The result is that the actual item location, and the location at which the Itemfinder thinks the item is, do not match. Additionally, picking up any one of these items will cause the other five to disappear. All six items can be brought back by giving a Fossil to the scientist in Cinnabar Lab; however, as the player will only ever have two Fossils without hacking or using glitches, only three of the items can be obtained.
In Japanese Blue and international releases, three of the six items are located in the same location, but the mismatch between the databases is resolved, making them work normally.
As for the other three items, the Nugget in Copycat's house is fixed but moved to Copycat's desk (see above), and the other two are located in Cerulean Cave, which uses a different layout in Japanese Blue (see below). All items in Cerulean Cave work as intended after Red and Green, though.
Item | Location | Placement |
---|---|---|
Nugget | Rocket Hideout | On B3F, one tile east of TM10 |
Nugget | Saffron City | In Copycat's room, on the bed |
Calcium | Route 13 | One tile east of the Trainer Tips sign |
Rare Candy | Pokémon Mansion | On B1F, in the northwest corner where the Secret Key is |
Rare Candy | Cerulean Cave | On 1F, on a rock southwest of the Max Elixer |
Ultra Ball | Cerulean Cave | On B1F, on a rock near the Max Revive |
Several Trainers, in addition to Gym Leaders and the Rival, were removed, added, or had their parties changed between Red/Green/Blue and Yellow. Mostly, this seems to have been done to remove Pikachu and Raichu from enemy Trainers' parties, with the result that the player's Pikachu and Lt. Surge's Raichu are the only two members of that line to be seen in the game. In places where Yellow adds Jessie and James, Rockets are removed. Viridian Forest also has a completely different set of trainers.
Red/Green/Blue | Yellow | ||
---|---|---|---|
Bug Catcher | Weedle lv.6
Caterpie lv.6 |
Lass | Nidoran♀ lv.6
Nidoran♂ lv.6 |
Bug Catcher | Weedle lv.7
Kakuna lv.7 Weedle lv.7 |
Bug Catcher | Caterpie lv.7
Caterpie lv.7 |
Bug Catcher | Weedle lv.9 | Bug Catcher | Metapod lv.6
Caterpie lv.6 Metapod lv.6 |
Bug Catcher | Caterpie lv.8
Metapod lv.8 |
||
Bug Catcher | Caterpie lv.10 |
Location | Red/Green/Blue | Yellow | |
---|---|---|---|
Pewter City Gym | Jr. Trainer | Diglett lv.11
Sandshrew lv.11 |
Both Pokémon are instead level 9 |
Mt. Moon | Rocket | Raticate lv.16 | This Rocket is removed and replaced with Jessie and James, who use Ekans, Meowth, and Koffing, all lv.14 |
Route 6 | Jr. Trainer | Squirtle lv.20 | This trainer instead has a lv.16 Weepinbell |
Jr. Trainer | Rattata lv.16
Pikachu lv.16 |
This trainer instead has a single lv.20 Cubone | |
S.S. Anne | Gentleman | Pikachu lv.23 | This trainer instead has a Voltorb and Magnemite, both lv.22 |
Lass | Rattata lv.18
Pikachu lv.18 |
This trainer instead has a single lv.20 Jigglypuff | |
Vermilion City Gym | Sailor | Pikachu lv.21
Pikachu lv.21 |
This trainer instead has a single lv.24 Magnemite |
Rocker | Voltorb lv.20
Magnemite lv.20 Voltorb lv.20 |
This trainer's Magnemite is replaced with a lv.20 Voltorb | |
Gentleman | Pikachu lv.23 | This trainer instead has a Voltorb and Magnemite, both lv.22 | |
Route 9 | Jr. Trainer | Growlithe lv.21
Charmander lv.21 |
This trainer is instead a Youngster with a single lv.24 Sandshrew |
Route 10 | Jr. Trainer | Pikachu lv.20
Clefairy lv.20 |
This trainer's Pikachu is replaced with a lv.20 Jigglypuff |
Route 8 | Lass | Pidgey lv.19
Rattata lv.19 Nidoran♂ lv.19 Meowth lv.19 Pikachu lv.19 |
This trainer's Pikachu is replaced with a lv.19 Nidoran♀ |
Rocket Hideout | Rocket | Sandshrew lv.23
Ekans lv.23 Sandslash lv.23 |
Both Rockets are removed and replaced with Jessie and James, who use Koffing, Meowth, and Ekans, all lv.25 |
Rocket | Ekans lv.23
Sandshrew lv.23 Arbok lv.23 |
||
Pokémon Tower | Rocket | Zubat lv.25
Zubat lv.25 Golbat lv.25 |
All Rockets are removed and replaced with Jessie and James, who use Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing, all lv.27 |
Rocket | Koffing lv.26
Drowzee lv.26 |
||
Rocket | Zubat lv.23
Rattata lv.23 Raticate lv.23 Zubat lv.23 |
||
Route 13 | Jr. Trainer | Pidgey lv.24
Meowth lv.24 Rattata lv.24 Pikachu lv.24 Meowth lv.24 |
This trainer's Pikachu is replaced with a lv.24 Pidgey |
Beauty | Rattata lv.27
Pikachu lv.27 Rattata lv.27 |
This trainer's Pikachu is replaced with a lv.27 Vulpix | |
Route 15 | Jr. Trainer | Pikachu lv.29
Raichu lv.29 |
This trainer instead has a Pidgey and Pidgeotto, both lv.29 |
Silph Co. | Rocket | Cubone lv.32
Drowzee lv.32 Marowak lv.32 |
This Rocket is removed and replaced with Jessie and James, who use Weezing, Arbok, and Meowth, all lv.31 |
Yellow made a few changes to Surfing and Fishing.
In Red, Green, and Blue, the player could find wild Pokémon by Surfing only on Routes 19, 20, and 21. Yellow added Surfing encounters to Routes 6, 12, and 13, and Seafoam Islands B3F and B4F.
The locations in which the player can fish are identical between all games, although Red, Green, and Blue can fish in Cerulean Gym due to an oversight (the encounters are the same as those from Cerulean City). Old Rod and Good Rod encounters are the same no matter the location, and are identical between all games.
Yellow made some changes to how fishing encounters with the Super Rod are handled. In Red, Green, and Blue, each location where fishing is possible is assigned a group, which can have between 2 and 4 Pokémon at specific levels. The encounter rate of any Pokémon in that group is dependent on how many Pokémon there are; if a group has 2 Pokémon, each one gets an encounter rate of 50%, and if there are 4, each one has a 25% rate. Yellow instead assigns every fishing location its own encounter list, and each list has 4 slots, whose encounter rates are 40%, 30%, 20%, and 10%. This makes Fishing encounters work more similarly to grass and Surfing encounters.
All four games have different prize Pokémon that can be purchased in Celadon Game Corner. International Red uses Japanese Red's list, and International Blue uses Japanese Green's list.
Red | Green | Blue | Yellow |
---|---|---|---|
Abra lv.9
180C |
Abra lv.6
120C |
Abra lv.8
180C |
Abra lv.15
230C |
Clefairy lv.8
500C |
Clefairy lv.12
750C |
Pikachu lv.12
620C |
Vulpix lv.18
1000C |
Nidorina lv.17
1200C |
Nidorino lv.17
1200C |
Horsea lv.18
1000C |
Wigglytuff lv.22
2680C |
Dratini lv.18
2800C |
Pinsir lv.20
2500C |
Clefable lv.24
2880C |
Scyther lv.30
6500C |
Scyther lv.25
5500C |
Dratini lv.24
4600C |
Dragonair lv.30
5400C |
Pinsir lv.30
6500C |
Porygon lv.26
9999C |
Porygon lv.18
6500C |
Porygon lv.22
8300C |
Porygon lv.26
9999C |
Red/Green, Blue, and Yellow each use a different set of in-game trades. While international Red and Blue use the trades from Red and Green, the Underground Path trade was changed: in Red and Green, you trade your Nidoran♀ for the NPC's Nidoran♂; in Red and Blue, you instead trade your Nidoran♂ for the NPC's Nidoran♀.
Blue has a trade for a Haunter and Graveler, and Yellow has a trade for a Machoke. All three of these will immediately evolve as soon as they are traded to you.
Location | Red/Green | Blue | Yellow |
---|---|---|---|
Route 2 | Your Abra
NPC's Mr. Mime |
Your Jigglypuff
NPC's Mr. Mime |
Your Clefairy
NPC's Mr. Mime |
Cerulean City | Your Poliwhirl
NPC's Jynx |
Your Machoke
NPC's Haunter |
N/A |
Underground Path (5-6) | Your Nidoran♀
NPC's Nidoran♂ |
Your Rattata
NPC's Poliwag |
Your Cubone
NPC's Machoke |
Vermilion City | Your Spearow
NPC's Farfetch'd |
Your Machoke
NPC's Haunter |
N/A |
Route 11 | Your Nidorino
NPC's Nidorina |
Your Rhydon
NPC's Kangaskhan |
Your Lickitung
NPC's Dugtrio |
Route 18 | Your Slowbro
NPC's Lickitung |
Your Persian
NPC's Tauros |
Your Tangela
NPC's Parasect |
Cinnabar Lab | Your Raichu
NPC's Electrode |
Your Kadabra
NPC's Graveler |
Your Golduck
NPC's Rhydon |
Your Venonat
NPC's Tangela |
Your Seel
NPC's Slowpoke |
Your Growlithe
NPC's Dewgong |
|
Your Ponyta
NPC's Seel |
Your Growlithe
NPC's Krabby |
Your Kangaskhan
NPC's Muk |
A few Poké Marts have slightly different offerings between Red/Green/Blue and Yellow.
Viridian City sells Potions in Yellow, but not in Red, Green, or Blue.
Cerulean City sells Escape Ropes in Yellow, but not in Red, Green, or Blue.
Fuchsia City sells Super Potions in Red, Green, and Blue, but Hyper Potions in Yellow.
The vendor that sells vitamin drinks does not sell HP Ups in Japanese Red and Green, but does sell them in Japanese Blue and all subsequent games.
Cerulean Cave has three different layouts: one for Japanese Red and Green, one for Japanese Blue and international Red and Blue, and one for Yellow. The layout used in FireRed and LeafGreen matches Japanese Red and Green's, while the layout used in HeartGold and SoulSilver is inspired by Japanese Red and Green for 1F and 2F, and Yellow for B1F.
All three layouts require Surf to navigate, and have Mewtwo located on B1F. All three additionally use an open layout with water for 1F and B1F, and a maze with no water for 2F.
Despite having different layouts, the items in Red, Green, and Blue are identical, and located on the same floors; their precise placements are the only thing that differs.
Yellow shares most of its items with Red, Green, and Blue. It contains no Nugget and one fewer Full Restore, but has one more Max Elixer, Rare Candy, and Ultra Ball, and two more Max Revives and PP Ups.