Pokemon Red and Blue

Pokemon Red and Blue created the largest media franchise in history, selling 31 million copies on Game Boy. The creature-collecting and trading mechanics, linked by cable, spawned a $150 billion empire across games, cards, anime, and merchandise. Its social trade system is more engaging than Diablo's loot grind (#8) because it required real-world connectivity, yet remains 50% less complex than later entries. The games introduced 151 unique monsters, setting a benchmark for collection games that remains unmatched in scale.