Pokémon TCG Pocket Emphasizes Collecting Over Battling

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As a long-time Pokémon enthusiast who has spent countless hours collecting and battling with physical cards, I must admit that I was initially taken aback by the news of yet another digital card game from The Pokémon Company. However, upon further reflection and reading up on the unique features of “Pokémon TCG Pocket,” I find myself intrigued and eager to give it a try.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is an exciting new digital platform for avid collectors to amass Pokémon cards. This upcoming app on iOS and Android devices enables you to virtually open digital booster packs, manage your expanding collection of virtual cards, and flaunt your prized possessions to friends. Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration of Pokémon TCG Pocket at a preview event, where I interacted with the game developers from Creatures and The Pokémon Company. Here’s what I discovered about how the game’s collection, customization, and combat mechanics operate.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Is All About Collecting Pokémon Cards

While traditional Pokémon games mainly center around combat, the Pokémon TCG Pocket app primarily emphasizes the joy of gathering Pokémon cards. Although there’s an option to engage in battles using these cards (which we’ll discuss further), the app predominantly focuses on acquiring new cards, arranging them in your collection, and providing various methods to display your preferred ones.

The Game Showcases Pokémon’s History of Iconic Artwork

Pokemon cards are renowned for their captivating artwork, which has grown increasingly creative over time. You’ll find various types of art on these cards – abstract paintings, clay model photos, and even crochet dolls! The sheer quality and diversity of art in each card is a delight to Pokemon fans. This attention to detail and variety is beautifully showcased in the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket, where the linework is crisp and colors vibrant on the digital screen. The rarer a card, the more it shines with special features like shiny holographic foil or 3D elements that make it stand out from the frame.

The game features both familiar Pokémon TCG cards from the physical version and exclusive new ones specifically designed for Pocket. Additionally, classic cards have unique twists. For instance, there’s a Slowpoke card with its original Base Set artwork, alongside a full-art variant that eliminates the frame to showcase multiple Slowpokes humorously crawling across the entire card.

You Can ‘Enter’ the Cards to See the World Beyond the Border

The unique selling point of Pokémon TCG Pocket that sets it apart is its exceptional, scarcely found immersive cards. The initial collection, named Genetic Apex, comprises more than 200 distinct cards, yet only three of them are these extraordinary immersive cards. By triggering the immersive effect of one of these cards, you’re transported into the card’s universe. The immersive Pikachu card initially depicts a Pikachu in a forest. Subsequently, it transports you on a brief, guided tour beyond the card’s boundaries and into the forest, where diverse Pokémon can be spotted, such as a group of fiery Ponyta and a pair of Nidoran playing together.

I’ll keep the excitement of the Mewtwo and Charizard interactive cards a secret, but let me tell you, they were nothing like the Pikachu one! They each had their own distinctive music and visuals. One gave off a chilling horror atmosphere, while the other transported you right into an intense action scene. These cards were thrilling to unveil and almost demanded repeated viewings just to spot all the hidden Easter eggs they contained. It’s refreshing to see how the game creators are maximizing the digital medium by incorporating unique features that can only be experienced within a digital environment.

You Can Fully Customize Your Collection

Starting with collecting cards is just the first step. Each new card appears on your Collection Board, which allows you to view your collection in multiple ways due to its filtering options. Once you have your cards, feel free to exhibit them as per your preference. You can enhance your cards by upgrading them for various styles. Now, go ahead and make your Bulbasaur card shine brighter than ever! Organize your cards in decorative binders according to the ones you wish to highlight. Additionally, you have the option to feature a specific card as an art piece, showcasing it on a pedestal. After customizing your collection, you can display these unique items for your friends to admire.

The Battling System Is Pretty Much Pokémon’s Marvel Snap

In the compact edition of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket, the combat system mimics the full game but in a streamlined format. Instead of carrying a 60-card deck, players now use only 20 cards. The Bench, initially consisting of five slots for Pokémon, has been scaled down to three. Energy cards, traditionally used, have been replaced with an automatic energy-generating system that gives one energy token per turn to attach to your Pokémon. Instead of winning by collecting six Prize cards, players now aim to accumulate three points to secure victory. Points are earned by defeating Pokémon, with two points awarded for taking down stronger ones.

The compact version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG), known as Pokémon TCG Pocket, was developed by Creatures Inc., the same team responsible for producing the actual PTCG. In a recent group interview, Ryo Tsujikawa, Creative Director at Creatures, shared that their main focus was to ensure that Pokémon TCG Pocket would be an accessible and friendly introduction for new players. This digital version has fewer complex elements and fewer attacks on the cards compared to the traditional PTCG.

In my capacity as a dedicated Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) enthusiast, I was intrigued to witness the transformation of the game for the Pocket version. The matches, roughly five minutes long, brought Marvel Snap to mind, while the simplified game mechanics were evocative of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links. Employing my novice deck a few times against the computer on easy mode, I subsequently borrowed a colleague’s phone, boasting a fully unlocked Pokémon collection, to test out his Mewtwo ex deck. Armed with a more sophisticated deck, I attempted to conquer the hardest difficulty setting. To my astonishment and pleasure, the computer made tactically shrewd moves and soundly defeated me with an Exeggutor ex deck that relied heavily on healing cards like the Potion item and Erika’s supporter card.

How to Battle Other Players

Beyond just battling computers, Pocket gives you the opportunity to compete against other players, whether they’re nearby or far away. I employed the Auto-Build function to create a deck utilizing my limited collection and issued a challenge to another journalist for a battle. In traditional Pokémon TCG games, Pokémon inflict such substantial damage that they often defeat opposing Pokémon with just one or two attacks. However, in Pocket, Pokémon deal smaller amounts of damage, leading to frequent exchanges as my opponent and I attempted to deplete each other’s teams. It was a refreshing change of pace. In the end, my opponent’s numerous Trainer cards proved decisive, and he emerged victorious.

Despite not having enough time to delve deeper into the combat system, I was content knowing that Pocket offered a simplified yet challenging experience. It seemed as though the developers had put considerable thought into maintaining a balance between fun and fairness in this revised version. A significant alteration in Pokémon TCG Pocket is the introduction of a rule which prevents the player who starts first from attaching an energy. Additionally, it lessens the influence of Pokémon weaknesses. I found these modifications to be strategic and contribute to a more level playing field. When inquired about whether Pokémon TCG Pocket would have a competitive circuit and participate in the annual Pokémon World Championships, we were advised to keep updated for further information.

Why Did Pokémon Make a Second TCG Video Game?

It’s interesting to note that there’s an existing digital Pokémon card game called “Pokémon TCG Live”. This game shares characteristics with “Pocket”, enabling players to gather digital cards for combat (following the complete set of rules). However, it raises a curiosity as to why The Pokémon Company would introduce another digital card game when they already have one. Keita Hirobe, an Executive Corporate Officer at The Pokémon Company, clarified that while “Pocket” and “Live” share similarities, they cater to distinct functions.

Hanawa stated that they consider “[Pokémon TCG Live]” as an expansion rather than a separate entity from the traditional Pokémon Trading Card Game. It’s designed for players who are interested in mastering the rules of the physical game, providing them with an accessible platform to experiment with deck configurations and familiarize themselves with the game’s mechanics. The insights gained from this digital tool can then be applied to their understanding and experience with the real-life Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Our concept, named ‘Pocket’, aims to make the Pokémon Trading Card Game more inviting and available for various gamers. Unlike many other digital trading card games that mainly revolve around battles, our emphasis is not only on the battle aspect but also on the collecting experience of the cards. While we have a thrilling battle system, it’s the card collection journey that we equally prioritize. Therefore, we wanted to incorporate both aspects in a single digital game application.

Pokémon TCG Pocket Is ‘Free to Start’

The Pokémon TCG Pocket app offers a free-to-play experience, but it comes with various in-game purchases. This includes digital currencies, timed events, battle passes, and real-money transactions for additional items. Players receive two free packs daily, but they can also speed up their collection by either spending real money or completing missions to earn an in-app currency that can be exchanged for more packs. Missions can range from collecting specific Pokémon cards to completing various in-game tasks. Also, note that codes for a free digital booster pack found in physical Pokémon TCG packs only work on the ‘Live’ version and not within the Pocket app.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve found that each booster pack in the game “Pocket” contains five cards. Unlike physical packs, there’s no guaranteed rare or holo card in every pack here. However, what sets this game apart is the “Wonder Pick” mode. In this mode, you can mimic a friend’s booster pack and randomly select one card from it to add to your own collection!

The developers aimed to make the process of unpacking packs an enjoyable experience for users. They achieved this by incorporating a satisfying tear sound upon opening, providing a variety of 12 distinct pack options, and allowing users to choose between opening from the front or back. Given that collectors often have specific routines for opening boosters as a form of good luck, it appears that the designers purposefully included various ways for users to customize their unpacking experience.

Pokémon TCG Pocket launches globally on October 30, 2024.

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2024-09-19 16:33