A version of this post was originally published on CBR on April 8, 2026. It was originally about Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, but I tweaked it to focus on Red and Blue.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were a big deal when they initially came out in 2004. The Pokémon series had moved on to the Game Boy Advance, so the beloved cast of original 151 Pokémon were stuck on the previous generation of handhelds. FireRed and LeafGreen, though, brought them to the present day, letting players trade them to the latest games, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Now, a new generation of Pokémon lovers is experiencing the first generation of Pokémon following FRLG getting re-released on the Nintendo Switch this past February.
While many Gen 1 Pokémon, like the Kanto starters, have remained popular through the years, many members of the original crew are underrated and would be perfect for a new playthrough. Let's look at some, through the lens of Red and Blue. (Some of these may be Pokémon that just I have personally under-appreciated over the years.)
Cloyster
There are so many options for Water-type Pokémon in the first generation, with the starter Blastoise and the high-powered Gyarados being among the most popular. Overshadowed, though, is the bulky Cloyster. Though it's not particularly fast, it has solid Attack and Special stats, and its Defense is the highest of any Pokémon available in the game.
Also going for it is its half Ice typing, which very few Pokémon have in Red and Blue. There aren't many Pokémon in these games that can even use Ice-type moves. For example, the only ones capable of learning Aurora Beam are the Seel evolutionary line, the Shellder family, and Vaporeon. This makes Cloyster especially useful for taking down Lance's dragons in the Elite Four.
Tauros
It would be easy to play through Red and Blue without ever seeing a Tauros: It can only be found in the Safari Zone as a relatively rare encounter. Then there's the task of actually catching it with the Safari Zone's unique and often-frustrating capture mechanics. Considering the game offers two Snorlax essentially on a platter, players would be forgiven for choosing one of them instead of Tauros if they want a Normal-type Pokémon on their team.
For those wanting to try something different, though, Tauros is an interesting pick. Its level-up moveset isn't exciting, just a bunch of Normal-type attacks that are mostly pretty similar. When it comes to TMs, though, it's more diverse, able to learn a broad variety of moves from a number of types. Tauros is compatible with the TMs and HMs for, to name a few, Toxic, Blizzard, Thunder, Earthquake, and Fire Blast. For a casual playthrough, Tauros can effectively provide some solid type coverage. Since it's a Normal Pokémon, it's also weak to just Fighting moves and is immune to Ghost attacks.
Poliwrath
Poliwrath has a similar issue to Cloyster. There are so many Water Pokémon that Poliwrath is easy to ignore. That's not true for Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, though, who has called Poliwag his favorite Pokémon. The iconic swirl on its belly was inspired by the tadpoles Tajiri enjoyed catching as a kid, as they had translucent stomachs through which their intestines were visible.
Perhaps this is why Poliwrath is quietly one of the best Water Pokémon in the game. While Poliwag and Poliwhirl are pure Water types, it gains the Fighting type when evolved to Poliwrath. Water/Fighting was a unique type combination at the time: Poliwrath was the only one in the entire Pokémon universe until Keldeo was introduced in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.
Poliwrath also has well-rounded base stats, but beyond that, it's also a fun Fighting Pokémon to take for a spin as an alternative to Primeape, Machamp, Hitmonlee, and Hitmonchan.
Hypno
Alakazam is the clear-cut top pick for Psychic Pokémon from Kanto, especially before it was slightly nerfed between RBY and FRLG. Abra is available early in the game, and even if you can't trade it to evolve to Alakazam, Kadabra still has one of the game's best Special stats. This overshadows Hypno, which isn't quite as good and can be obtained (as a Drowzee) just a little bit later into the adventure.
Especially if you're unable to get an Alakazam, Hypno is a worthwhile Psychic alternative. It's not as fast or as strong with its Special, but literally every other stat is better than both Kadabra and Alakazam. Abra can also be annoying to catch thanks to only knowning Teleport, while obtaining Drowzee is less of a chore.
Electrode
There's a lot that goes into a Pokémon battle, but ultimately, whether a player attacks first or second can be the difference between winning and losing. It's great for Electrode, then, that it is as fast as they come: In the Generation 1 games, no Pokémon, not even Mewtwo, outspeeds it.
Electrode is easy to overlook, considering Voltorb is only found in and around the optional Power Plant. Even there, the legendary bird Zapdos is a stronger Electric option. Electrode is still a great Pokémon to keep around, as its access to the moves Selfdestruct and Explosion can immediately knock out most opponents, while its speed ensures it can get that attack off first.
Dodrio
It's so easy to use Pidgeot as a team's Flying Pokémon. Pidgey is available in the earliest routes in the game, and when it's time for the Elite Four, Pidgeot is one of the game's strongest Flying types. The truth, though, is that another bird might actually be better: Dodrio.
In relation to Pidgeot, the issue with Dodrio is that it's only first accessible in the Celadon City area (as Doduo), which is a decent way into the game. It actually shines over Pidgeot in some key ways, though. For one, it can learn Drill Peck, one of the best Flying moves in the game.
Stat-wise, Dodrio and Pidgeot are also comparable. Their base stat total is about the same, but Dodrio is superior in both Attack and Speed, two key attributes. The main thing Pidgeot really has going for it over Dodrio is that it's available for significantly more of the game. When it gets to be later in the adventure, though, swapping it out for a Dodrio is a move worth considering.
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The Very Best: The Untold Story Of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri's Global Phenomenon
a book by Derrick Rossignol.
Learn more at pkmnbook.com.