Pokémon‘s Dual-Version Release Strategy Originated as a Joke About Surpassing Mario
Kyoto, Japan – A playful challenge from pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri to Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto sparked the now-iconic tradition of releasing Pokémon games in pairs, a strategy that has defined the franchise for nearly three decades.The revelation came during a recent Nintendo shareholder meeting, as reported by GamesRadar and shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Genki_JPN.
Tajiri reportedly joked that to ever surpass the success of Mario, a game would need to be sold twice to each customer – essentially requiring two purchases per player. This lighthearted comment, made long before the release of the first Pokémon games, directly influenced the growth of Pokémon Red and Green in 1996, with Blue following later that same year. the dual-release approach aimed to encourage players to collect both versions to “catch ’em all,” fostering a sense of community and driving sales.
According to Miyamoto, speaking to investors (as documented in a Nintendo investor relations PDF), “A long time ago, Tajiri-san, the director of Pokémon, joked with me that if you want to surpass Nintendo’s Mario you’ll have to sell two copies of the game to each customer.”
While Pokémon has achieved phenomenal success, consistently ranking among the best-selling video game franchises of all time, mario titles have generally outsold Pokémon on each Nintendo system. Notable exceptions include pokémon Gold and Silver on Game Boy Color,and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire on Game Boy Advance. more recently, Pokémon Sword and Shield sold 26.84 million copies, and Scarlet and Violet reached 27.15 million, figures dwarfed by Mario Kart 8’s 69.56 million, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s 36.93 million, and Super Mario odyssey’s 29.84 million. Despite not consistently overtaking Mario, the dual-version strategy has undeniably contributed to Pokémon’s enduring popularity and commercial viability.
