Summary
Pokémon TCG Pockethas already launched in a select few locations, with a worldwide release set for the end of this month. With manyPokémonfans eager to check out the new app, they may find some features inPokémon TCG Pocketsurprising if they don’t know what to expect.
Pokémon TCG has been a highly successful part of the series since its earliest days, capturing fans' excitement by allowing them to ‘catch em’ all.’ Fans are drawn to the card game for different reasons, some simply looking to collect their favorite creatures, and others looking for a new way to battle. Over time, several video games have tried to adapt the TCG experience to varying levels of success.TCG Pocket, the latest digital TCG experience, has takena new approach to thePokémon TCGformula, giving card game fans new and old a new way to experience the iconic cards.
Everything Confirmed for Pokémon TCG Pocket
Collecting Pokémon Trading Cards
Collecting seems to be the major focus ofTCG Pocket, with the battle system not unlocked until players reach a certain level. Just like players are used to, cards can be earned by opening booster packs. Each pack inTCG Pocketcontains 5 cards, and players are able to open 1 free pack every 12 hours. Currency can be purchased to shorten the time between receiving free packs, andthePokémon TCG PocketPremium Passallows players an extra free pack every day.
If players don’t receive the cards they want in their packs, there are two additional ways cards can be obtained. The Wonder Pick feature allows players to see the cards that other players received in their booster packs, and receive one of those cards at random. However, this method requires a combination of various in-game currencies to use.Pokémon TCGcards can also be craftedusing pack points. Pack points are generated each time the player opens a pack, and each card costs a different amount of points to create.
A trading system is also planned for the game, adding another way for players to interact and get new cards, but this feature won’t be available at launch.
New Pokémon Trading Card Types
The cards included inTCG Pocketare a carefully curated mix of both classic and new cards, giving the experience a familiar, but still exciting feeling. At launch, theGenetic Apex booster set, featuring nearly 300 cards, will be available. The cards included are a mix of classic cards that have been reimagined forTCG Pocket, and brand-new cards exclusive to the game.
Some of these new cards come in exciting new formats, such as impactful cards, which feature art that pops off of the card, likely inspired by holographic cards in the physical TCG. Immersive cards are probably the biggest difference between theTCG Pocketexperience and the real world game. These cards include art that goes far beyond what appears on the actual card. Players get a look at the world behind the card’s borders in an experience unlike anything a physical card can deliver. The digitization of the collecting experience also allows for new requirements for high-value cards, such as theGenetic Apex’s Mew card.
A New Pokémon Battle Experience
Card battles inPokémon TCG Pocketare another major difference between this game and the official card game. Battles inTCG Pockethave been streamlined to be both faster, allowing for matches that fit the mobile market better, and simpler so that new players don’t have a steep learning curve. The essence of the game remains the same, with players selecting Pokémon from their deck and battling against one another using the moves on the cards. In the physical game, attacks are paid for using energy cards, but this card type isn’t present inTCG Pocket. Instead, energy is generated once every turn, and doesn’t take up card space in the player’s deck.
Because of this, deck side has been reduced from 60 to 20 cards. The smaller deck size will also increase the value of themost viable Pokémon cards. The other major change is the conditions for winning a match. Rather than setting 6 cards aside as prize cards, like in the physical game,TCG Pocketuses a point system. Players earn either 1 or 2 points every time they defeat an opponent’s Pokémon, and need only 3 points in order to win the match.
Some of these changes may seem strange to longtime TCG fans, but this experience was designed for the mobile market. The emphasis on collecting rather than battling and the simpler battle format are both changes made to make the TCG fit better in an app.Pokémon TCG Pocketis a brand-new experience, and the use of digital media really helps it stand apart from its physical counterpart.Early reviews ofPokémon TCG Pockethave been mixed, but on the favorable side, so success seems likely for this new era of the PokémonTCG.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd. In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. You can collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.
