Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Ryan explores the idea of a Pokémon TCG video game reboot and why now could be the perfect time for such a release...
Considering just how many Pokémon games are out there, and how good The Pokémon Company has always been at hoovering up every last penny from its global army of fans, it's pretty surprising to realise that the official Pokémon Trading Card Game has only ever been adapted into video game form twice – and even then, one of those was exclusive to Japan.
While the ideas might not always be for me, I'll always appreciate Pokémon being used in new and interesting ways – like an app that helps kids to brush their teeth – but we're talking about a series that isn't afraid to recycle old ideas whether fans care for them or not. There have been a whopping eleven Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, for example, and between main series entries, remakes, spin-offs, and mobile titles, fans of the franchise have become used to seeing a small handful of new Pokémon experiences launch each year.
So how come the Trading Card Game format – an already-established game in its own right that has shifted a staggering 30.4 billion cards over the last twenty-five years – has been used so little? Would a new video game based on the card game make sense? Would it generate the insane levels of revenue the company would expect and help to shift even more physical cards? The answers to those latter questions are 'probably' and 'quite possibly', but I'd argue there's never been a better time for the Pokémon gods to give it a go.
As you'll likely hear countless times over the next few months as new products hit store shelves, this year marks Pokémon's 25th anniversary. A "very special" year of celebrations has been teased (Katy Perry's already on board, for starters) and knowing how much The Pokémon Company likes to revisit the past, you can be sure there'll be some nods to where the series all started thrown into the mix. Indeed, on a fittingly topical note, some iconic Pokémon cards are being rereleased as part of the fun.
Suddenly, a whole community of players who would meet up at clubs or game shops to play and trade can no longer do so
That's a good enough reason for a TCG video game reboot in itself, but of course the anniversary falls at a weird time with the COVID pandemic raging on; while video games have actually bloomed as a result of people staying indoors, the Trading Card Game is another story altogether. A potential dip in sales aside, trading card games shine brightest in social settings – the one thing that currently can't exist. Suddenly, a whole community of players who would meet up at clubs or game shops to play and trade can no longer do so, and heading to a store to pick up some booster packs isn't exactly the same jolly trip it used to be.
Now, TCG Online – an official and ever-expanding digital version of the game playable on smart devices – almost ticks all of the boxes. In TCG Online, you can battle opponents with digital decks that you've built yourself, buy new cards to add to your digital collection, and even redeem codes from real, physical packs of cards to add even more. It's a wonderfully accurate recreation of the game and definitely works as a substitute for the real thing, but it's missing something, and that something is video game magic.
Let me quickly interject a line or two about the thing that inspired me to write this piece in the first place: Pokémon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy. One of the two video games based on the TCG to appear on console, it released across 1998-2000 depending on your region and had players building up their own decks made up of cards from the real Trading Card Game's first three card sets. From there, you take on eight clubs to defeat their masters and earn medals, before taking on a version of Pokémon's classic Elite Four setup. Once you're certified the very best (like no one ever was), you can go on to battle and trade with friends who have a copy of the game on their Game Boy, too.
I've been replaying it over the past couple of weeks and, while the nostalgia helps, I've really fallen in love with both it and the Trading Card Game itself all over again. Completing objectives to receive booster packs in-game – no purchase required – is super-fun, and pulling a digital version of the shiny Blastoise card that I still have in a folder at home today made me happier than a few lines of game code ever should. It has a decent plot, NPCs to talk to, a full collection of cards to unlock through skill and gameplay rather than via additional purchases, and it's all playable on a Nintendo console. It feels right.
So, let me put forward the idea of a new Pokémon Trading Card Game for Switch. Just like the mainline games, players can start off as novices, but this time with a single deck of cards as they set off on a journey to become the best card player the world has ever seen. Cards from the series' past are all correct and present – can you imagine getting that Shiny Charizard everyone wanted but now, in 2021? – and once you wrap up the game's story, you can go ahead and play against all your Switch friends online.
Now, you've got something that feels like a 25th anniversary celebration, helps players to enjoy the game safely online, would attract new players to the physical game, and could happily launch for a console that seems to re-energise any franchise that appears on it. Now it really does tick all the boxes, and I'm getting hyped at the very thought of the idea.
Usually, I'd wrap up by saying something along the lines of "you know, this'll never happen so don't get too excited", but it's really not out of the question. For one thing, Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution — a Switch game that lets you collect 9000+ cards from that series' history and play out scenes from its anime — does pretty much all of the things I've been talking about here but for Konami's collectable card game. And if New Pokémon Snap can finally bring back a series that last saw the light of day twenty years ago, why couldn't a 'New Pokémon Trading Card Game' follow suit?
Please, Pokémon overlords. Let it happen!
Are you a fan of the Pokémon Trading Card Game? Would you like to see a new, updated game for Switch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Comments 59
We've needed a reboot for years! I loved the original.
Just give us the TCG Online, I have no idea why this isn't on the switch yet considering its available on mobile devices.
Sometime's dreams come true. Not this one though. TCG Online might happen but the thought of the Pokemon Company following up on fan's wishes is too farfetched for me.
"It’s Time For A Pokémon Trading Card Game Reboot On Switch"
YES!
That game is amazing (I like the sequel too)
TCG online is really nice, but it lacks a dedicated story mode or something. The GB games are good, but all the walking only serves to get you to the next card game (card battle? Pokemon card battle?)
I'm not much into YuGiOh (both game or anime) but if we could get a Pokemon TCG with the interesting world interactions some (few) YuGiOh games got, that would be awesome
That's if anyone knows how to play the game. I thought YUGIOH was complicated. Then I saw the pokemon TCG
@tanaka2687 Yeah, could you imagine them ever releasing a Pokemon Snap sequel? They would never listen to the fans on that. Oh, wait.
I would settle for a digital release of a localized version of the sequel we never got.
TCG Online is everything that I DON'T want a video game adaptation of the card game to be. It's grindy as hell and incentivises real-world purchases which defeats the purpose of having a digital version of the game in the first place. I had dabbled in it, but I wasn't getting anywhere, and I couldn't compete against online players with far superior cards while I was stuck with stock decks. It was a miserable, joyless experience.
I absolutely loved the GBC games back in the day, and love them every bit as much now. In fact, I still frequently play the (bloody excellent) English fan translation of the Japan-exclusive sequel. I also achieved a personal best this week. I knocked out five Pokémon in a single turn (thanks to a favourite of mine, Dark Arbok).
The magic of the GBC games is that every card was theoretically available in infinite quantities, making every card, however elusive, within reach. One also didn't need to worry about the real-world space (and expense) required in amassing a collection of cards (nor damaging them) in order to enjoy the game itself.
While I wouldn't expect TCGi or Nintendo to be generous enough to give a potential TCG sequel the Yu-Gi-Oh treatment (with more or less EVERY card to date?), but I would love if they were to issue a new entry every year, or perhaps more reasonably, every 2-3 years, containing a new/updated/revised storyline plus all of the new cards that had been released between instalments (similar to the two GBC games) as opposed to (shudders) DLC, which would drive me back to the GBC games like TCG Online did.
The game was by far my favorite Pokemon spin-off and I'm so sad that not only did we never get the sequel here in the west, but there also has never been a continuation past then.
This. I really loved the original, and why a sequel doesn’t exist is beyond me. Maybe Snap sales will change that.
I would also be TOTALLY GOOD with the TCG being integrated into the next mainline series a la Gwent in Witcher 3. The engine’s already there, and I think fans would be excited even if it was more of Sword gameplay plus TCG.
But we’ll probably get a Pokemon calorie counting app before that happens.
YES
This has been top of my list for most wanted Pokemon spinoffs for years.
The game has likely evolved quite a bit over time, and I don't really have the money or time to keep up with the real card game. Also, it's a lot of fun playing the card game in the context of a JRPG.
I have wondered why card games have not made a resurgence especially in this touchscreen world on Nintendo systems. There are a few I can’t get into physically but would not mind a game or two digitally.
It’s interesting that game freak has gone after the match 3 crowd But not the card game crowd.
@HammerKirby The difference is creating a console release is kinda shooting themselves in the foot.
You have a highly profitable online Pokemon CG which encourages people to buy real life booster packs. (ie micro transactions)
By making a console version devoid of microtransactions is going to affect the the online CG profits........why would they make something that has the potential to do this?
Sure if they are about pleasing its customer base it makes sense but its probably safe to say profits are more important to them
Or even a Gwent-like minigame built into the mainline games. Something to collect in game would be cool - maybe you could take a Pokémon to a special NPC and buy a card of that Pokémon. A nice new collectible for the living dex owners
I didn't play the original TCG gameboy game until a couple years ago, and it still holds up super well today! I think a new game in this style would be awesome, my only concern being that the game has changed quite a bit over the last 20 years, and I might have a hard time adapting to it
Yes.
I'm afraid it won't happen because of TCG Online, but somehow Yu-Gi-Oh can do the two things at the same time successfully.
The original on GBC is very good, and the second, Japanese-only one is absolutely fantastic, it's my second favorite Pokémon spinoff after Mystery Dungeon 2 (it was also one of the first games I played in Japanese, back when I knew close to nothing in the language other than reading kana).
So yeah. If they released something like that new Yu-Gi-Oh game with the Pokémon TCG that included all of the previous cards ever made, or even just a good chunk of them, I would play that a ton. Even though I haven't kept up with the actual TCG for over 10 years now.
@Archius9 agree! I love the conceit in Hearthstone single player and Gwent that some cards are locked behind specific opponents.
Release the Japan only Game Boy Pokémon Card Game 2 in the West.
@HammerKirby
You may be right. But that has taken over 20 years. Don't expect anything is the mindset I have these days
I completely, absolutely agree! Yes, this is the time.
@Luminous117 Meh, the Pokemon Ranger games have had their time in the spotlight and The Pokemon Company is too busy with both the main series Pokemon games as well as mobile games to really be interested in another Nintendo platform exclusive extensively made Pokemon spinoff game like Pokemon Ranger game, however, they could do some kind of Pokemon Ranger themed thing in Pokemon Go but that is about it!
@Mr-Fuggles777
It doesn't seem to be on Iphone which is stupid because its on Ipad
@1ofUs I'm not sure if you are saying PTCG is more or less complicated than Yugioh, but the consensus is that PTCG is much more easier to get into than Yugioh. There are some cards in Yugioh that have paragraphs of text in them lol Pokemon keeps it simple while still having strategic depth to it
Never got into the actual physical card game besides buying a few packs, but I played the crap out of the GBC game. I'd love a new one. Heck, release the old one too.
I used the original to learn how to play. I was too cheap to buy actual cards I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Cardpocalypse is a pretty fun homage to it.
@Chimera_Police I was never fussed on Gwent when I first tried to play it on PS4 but now I have Switch version and more time to dedicate I watched enough Youtube to get a decent Deck now I get the fuss. A similar style in other games, especially in Pokemon could be really good
I'd be down for either a reboot or just some kind of port of the Gameboy game. I had way too much fun with that game back in the day and the music was way better than expected from a card game.
YYYYEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!! I've been screaming this for years. Pokemon Snap finally came back, so however unlikely it is, there's a very small chance the TCG could return in virtual form as well.
Yes, yes, one thousand times yes! Was just considering this the other day.
I'm still upset no one listened to me when we were all playing the Wii U. The gamepad was perfect for this
I would want one featuring different formats from different eras. Give us samples from gen 2-7, all cards rotated out if the standard format.
I seem to remember blasting through the entire original game in like 3 days when it first came out. Not because I played it non-stop, but because it was so easy. I think that the A.I. in Pokemon games (ALL of them) ruins it, IMHO. Opponents are soooo stupid. There's nothing like battling a real person!
Even in PTCG Online, for example, if you play the single-player portion (a long series of opponents, using pre-made decks), your opponent will do stuff like put 10 fire energy on an Arcanine and use "Flop" every turn instead of "Flamethrower" and just die on purpose.
This! This is what I want! A classic single-player game with a world to explore and no pay2win in sight!
@Silly_G I used to feel the same way about PTCG Online, but now it's the complete opposite. I love it! Basically, you won't get much enjoyment out of it unless you spend $30-$60 on eBay to get booster pack codes. Once you get these boosters, do NOT open them. Use the "trade" function to build your deck that way.
In particular, wait for the weekend to do trades, because that's when other players post the most on the marketplace. The great thing about trading too is that if you trade, say, 3 boosters for a particular card and don't like it, it's easy to just turn around and trade it back to someone else for 3 boosters. No loss!
Personally, I recommend getting 2-3 each of Togekiss V and Togekiss VMAX because they provide a great base for any deck. They're colorless, do a decent 120/130 damage, and most importantly has a 2-energy move that lets you search your deck for ANY 2 cards, meaning you don't need multiples of good cards to draw them out.
Once you get rolling with a good deck, you'll start racking-up wins and getting a bunch of coins, which you can use to buy more boosters (which aren't tradeable if purchased in-game...dumb I know) or save them up for when the next expansion releases. After two weeks of playing with a good deck, I have enough coins right now to get like 20+ boosters when the new set comes out. By the time Battle Styles releases in March, I'll probably be able to get 40+!
All of this isn't even to mention how fun the game is when you start developing your own decks based on all the mechanics of the new cards, which make the originals seem like total trash in comparison. Lots of strategy and flexibility, and just sooo much fun. Went from "frustratingly unfair game I never want to play again" to "best experience I've ever had with Pokemon."
I love that game, all it needs it's a better interface since they did all they could with the gameboy 2 button layout. Just updated controls and graphics would do it for me but a new one!? Sign me up.
@Burntbreadman I don't disagree but I think by now pokemon is a machine that feeds itself, the show gets people interested in the games that gets people interested in the cards or any order you wanna put it. I think having a single player story mode card game would draw people into the mechanics before advancing to the online TCG.
YES! Nintendo are you listening? Do it! Please do it.
Pleeeeeeeeeese
I'll never forget the day I traded my Charizard holo (1rst gen) for a lot of holos of less value, I'm ashamed of my stupidity as a kid
It's time for a reboot of a lot of Pokémon spin-offs... I fail to see why they can't make small scale, $20-30 digital-only & limited-physical titles for the Switch. I'd buy a new Pokémon Pinball or Rumble on par with the original (which isn't exactly a high ceiling) for $20. But instead we get mobile games that aren't fun and only exist to Nickle & Dime you that get shutdown after, and that's how it'll be sadly. Gotta wonder who made a mass blood sacrifice for The Pokémon Company to acknowledge Snap and reboot that as a real game and not a mobile one.
Yes please! I'd like that!
Can't wait for shoved-in microtransactions, limited local distributions and an inevitable Season Pass that will properly conclude an unfinished game. About $100-120 for the full experience.
No, thanks.
Well, a new video game based on the TCG would be pretty redundant now that we have the online game. The game's format, constant updates, and focus on online play simply work better as a PC title. Besides, aside from a lackluster single player mode, what exactly is it missing compared to a video game? You either rack up in-game currency or complete objectives to get new packs in-game, just like you would in a video game version. Sure, you can get additional in-game packs via real world purchase of physical packs, but that's just a bonus.
Although, I do find it odd that they let us play it for absolutely free, not even using a premium subscription model or premium currency system to directly make some money off of it. They do make some money indirectly by somewhat encouraging players to buy more physical packs for online codes, but those are still mostly purchased for the physical cards themselves, while a few extra in-game packs don't give you that much of an advantage in the online game.
@Silly_G The TCG online game does NOT incentivize real world purchases! Not really. That's just a bonus. Just rack up 200 in-game coins to get a new booster pack or 500 for a new theme deck (that simultaneously adds to your collection for making custom decks) or a few other various objectives for obtaining new cards. You can also sign up for the newsletter to get a free pack every time a new set is released.
Anyway, the single player mode isn't great, but it's entertaining enough and helps you rack up resources in the early hours of the game. Overall, it is kind of grindy at first, but once you collect enough cards (and maybe make some trades) to start making some decent custom decks, then it opens up into a brilliant representation of the TCG, all without spending a dime if you so desire.
As long as it's like YuGiOh's Legacy game, then go for it. But I tried that Pokemon TCG Online thing, and...I kept running into opponents with 3 of the same legendary EX cards. Obviously they were hacking/cheating. Also super grindy to get cards unless you pay real money for them or something.
Just make Pokemon: Legacy of the Trainer....uhhhh, Battle Evolution...? You get my point. lol
@stinkyx You pretty much hit the nail on the head when it comes to code cards, you’re better off buying ‘em in the resale market than you are buying the packs themselves. It’s also worth noting that various League Battle Decks (Pikachu & Zekrom GX, Reshiram and Charizard, and Zacian V) also come with code cards that net you the cards included in the product.
As for Togekiss V/VMAX those cards aren’t exactly good in the format right now. Marnie and Reset Stamp hurt the 2-card search effect, 120 damage isn’t that good right now, and it’s weak to the Boltund V/Pikachu & Zekrom decks that are topping tournaments right now.
@ZebZed Yeah, I just lost a tournament last night in the finals because I had a water deck against the deck you just mentioned, lol.
The main reasoned I mentioned Togekiss V/VMAX is because that's how I started and it worked really well for digging out my good cards. I'd typically get to V/VMAX on turn 2-3, pull out my 3 good cards (literally, all the rest were total trash): Steelix V and Malamar V/Vmax. I ended up winning probably 30-40% of my matches, instead of losing 99% with the starter cards the game gives you (before, my only wins were if my opponent milled out their own deck).
The Marnie card will always be a problem, IMHO, but for beginners without a large pool of good cards to draw from, I think Togekiss VMAX is a lifesaver!
TCG online is good. My Eevee deck still rocks in extended.
I never played the gbc game but I would like a remake if they do the single player component justice.
Although I've kind of given up hope on future pokemon games in general. Their latest releases have been either really mediocre or aimed at kids and non-gamers.
Nah I'm good. The trading card game is fine as it is.
Yes. YES! SO MUCH THIS!
The great thing of the original GBC games is that the spinoff is from a world outside Pokémon while having its essence.
I've always wanted the Pokémon TCG video game version to be played out like if it were an augmented reality like in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and games. It would be ambitious to animate so many Trainer Card art. Even turning the battlefield according to certain arena cards (forgive my lingo).
And since some Base Set cards are being reprinted in their original form, which have been powercrept so long ago (remember back when 120 HP was enough to tank and 100 was the max base damage you can deal), a story mode where you start with the older sets of cards and gain access to later expansions and rules would be a great concept.
It's ambitious to do such a project, but if Konami can do it, Nintendo and the Pokémon Company can do it, as well.
This, and an expanded remake of Colosseum and XD updated to the Gen 8 meta that pushes the Switch's capabilities is what I want to see happen.
I don't know why this isn't a thing yet. Selling virtual booster packs seems like a no brainer for TPC.
I want something with a story mode. That way I can learn the game and maybe get into competitve multiplayer.
I'm not gonna lie, the $250 I spent on Blizzard's Hearthstone was mostly an effort to make up for not having any Pokémon cards when I was a child. That and a little bit of Yu-Gi-Oh (which I only really watched on TV). I really wanted to play TCG but couldn't find the cards, the money to buy cards, or anyone with whom to play. After like 15 years I finally had the chance to play a card game and it was great!
So I'm all in favor of this if they put in as much effort into the art, animations, and polish as Hearthstone (a game criminally absent from Switch, BTW). I'd finally get to live out a missing part of my childhood. And spend stupid money on digital cards again.
This project will be released this year for Nintendo Switch with new features and more. I am part of the project with my manga studio for the Nintendo Switch. Look forward to it.
I would download a Pokémon TCG video game for Switch right NOW if one was available.
@Joeynator3000 That's not really a sogn of hacking or cheatong, just dedication to tradong for the cards you want. If you look at commenst just before yours, people will trade whole booster packs in-game for specific cards. Some people have the money to buy irl packs or codes from people who have bought packs, just so they can specifically get the cards they want from the online trade system.
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