Pokémon Trading Card Game

• Release Date: April 10, 2000
• Genre: Strategy
• Style: Card Battle
• Similar Games: Pokémon: Gold Version (Game Boy Color)

Game Description

The popularity of Pokémon keeps driving more and more games and game variants. Not only have we been treated to three different versions of Game Boy games, there's also Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Pinball and additional titles planned for 2000. With the release of Pokémon Trading Card Game, the popular card game makes the leap to the small screen. While this title runs on a different set of rules than the Poké action you're used to, fans of the card game won't miss a beat as they start working their way to obtaining the legendary cards.

As our young hero journeys through the various club houses collecting new cards, he'll acquire new booster packs from people he defeats and from the helpful Professor Mason, who manages to attach booster packs for your deck to his e-mail hints. Much like in the standard Pokémon game, players will have to find and defeat club leaders to win badges. Each leader has a set of conditions you'll have to follow in order to challenge him or her. Outdueling the lackeys is easy compared to facing off against one of the club leaders, however. Careful deck construction and strategy will have to be used to succeed.

Fans of the card game will get a chance to practice their skills without having to worry about carrying their cards through the standard one-player mode. They'll also get to experience the thrill of working up clever deck strategies and card combinations to humble their friends in the two-player mode. Double the Game Boys, and you'll also get a one-time shot to get a unique card through the Pop mode. That only works once per pairing, however.

Players start with a choice of three deck styles. They can choose from a Charmander theme deck, a Bulbasaur deck, or a Squirtle deck. While each deck tends to retain the elemental theme of its star occupant, there's usually enough support from the other Pokémon evolutionary branches to supply you with a deck that'll get you past the early gyms with a little retooling. If the starting three don't interest you, you can always revise one to your heart's content.

Pokémon Trading Card Game is the first Pokémon game to feature full Game Boy Color support. If Pokémon fans were wondering what the towns in Pokémon Silver and Gold will look like, there's not much difference here. Expect to see varied colors instead of varying shades of Super Game Boy monotones like the older Pokémon offerings provide.

With over 200 cards to find, collect and trade, your quest to become the greatest card master stands before you. So grab your cards and set out to make your mark on the world of card sharks and Pokémasters alike. Players will even be able to trade their cards and favorite decks with other Game Boy owners without having to worry about spending a fortune on those real-life booster packs! Is your lucky star shining today?

Roots & Influences

First Nintendo gets their start as a card manufacturer, then they go into video games and buy into a property known as Pocket Monsters. A successful TV series and a popular video game franchise develops. At about the same time, a game known as Magic the Gathering brought attention to the custom card game market. With the aid of Wizards of the Coast and Game Freak, we now have a video game version of the popular card game.

Review: Overall

Ever hear of a series of games that go by the name Pokémon? Suffice to say, it's been a very popular one here at the turn of the millennium. The success has spawned multiple variants on the monster-raising formula. In the card game, you're still squaring off against opposing card masters who use their Pokémon cards to defeat your deck.

To really play the game well, you'll have to get meshed in with the card game's mentality. It's not enough to simply know which Pokémon are strong against which. Card combos and extra ability items can rapidly turn the tide of a fight. The advanced card matches involve a great deal of strategy and the right cards to fuel your brilliant plans. Battling will help you along those lines as you earn extra booster packs for your deck every time you win. It takes time to build a crafty deck under those conditions, but it's a rewarding process. Even better, you don't have to worry about buying rare or out of print cards.

The card duels are the same as the real version of the game. In some ways it helps things go smoother as there aren't any counters or record keeping to worry about. It also keeps the turn order strictly enforced, which is useful since the turn order and the between round aspects of these kinds of card games can get muddled in casual play. No shuffling to be done here either, although you'll still be at the mercy of getting stuck with poor cards if you don't allocate resources carefully.

Once you get to exploring the world in order to find the legendary cards, you'll find the clubs and other areas look a lot like past Pokémon areas like the Gyms and research labs. You have the same look as in the past games except that the Pokémon Trading Card Game fully supports the Game Boy Color so you get better detail and separation between the backgrounds and the characters than in the older titles. The cards themselves are colorful and closely replicate the artwork found on the real-life cards so experienced card players won't have to spend much time checking on details. With over 200 or more cards to see, that's a lot of artwork to cram in.

The music isn't especially memorable. It's mainly typical fare for the Pokémon games, but the tunes will pick up when you challenge a club leader and they fill the dead air nicely. The sound effects are limited by what the system can replicate, but you'll hear reasonable approximations of flames, crashing water and other unique sounds for the various cards played and the special moves.

This is a very addictive game all in all. If you're a fan of the card game, you won't be disappointed. If you're a fan of Pokémon, but never got into the card game for one reason or another, this makes an excellent starting point, and if you're not a Pokéfan at all, this game has enough strategy and versatility behind the card battling that you'll still be sucked in if you give it a chance.

Review: Enjoyment

Playing the card game and mastering it are two very different things. There are many paths to victory, which will you choose?

Review: Graphics

The game manages to avoid the washed out appearance that other efforts on the system have managed. Plenty of detail in the cards and smooth animations mark the card battles.

Review: Sound

Typical music, but there's a nice assortment of sound effects to round things out.

Review: Replay Value

The card finding and deck building angles will allow you to attack the game from a different angle every time you play. The link up modes offer even more possibilities.

Review: Documentation

The manual's very helpful. The card game can be complex to beginners but the manual takes pains to explain all the facets of the game. Nice layout to boot.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)