What Technology Powers Pokémon Games?

No single "program" — each generation uses evolving engines, languages, and tools.

Core Engines

• Gen 1–2 (GB/GBC): Custom assembly (Z80/Sharp LR35902), hand-optimized.
• Gen 3–5 (GBA/DS): Nintendo "AGB" / "Nitro" SDK, C + ARM assembly.
• Gen 6–7 (3DS): Nintendo "CTR" SDK, C++.
• Gen 8+ (Switch): Custom engine (likely C++), some Unity for spin-offs (Pokémon GO, Masters EX, Café ReMix).

Key Languages

• C/C++: Core gameplay, rendering, systems.
• Assembly: Critical paths (compression, crypto, VBlank).
• C#: Unity-based titles (GO, Masters, UNITE).
• Lua/Script: Event scripting, AI, UI (varies by gen).

Development Tools

• Level editors (custom per gen)
• Animation: Maya/Blender → proprietary pipeline
• Audio: custom sequencers (Pokémon cries, dynamic music)
• Version control: Perforce (industry standard)

Game Freak keeps specifics proprietary. Public knowledge comes from SDK leaks, reverse engineering, and post-mortems.