Pokémon TCG Pockethas recaptured my interest in Pokémon in a way that few games have done since I first playedPokémon Bluein 1999. This isn’t to say that it’s my first time revisiting the series. Back in 2016, my friends and I would take almostdailyPokémon GOtrips to our local park. Occasionally, out of a sense of nostalgia, I’ll grab anew mainlinePokémongameto see what I’ve been missing (and put it down after an hour, never to touch it again). ButPokémon TCG Pocketcomes closest to capturing my initial obsession with Pokémon.
Collecting cards and creating decks inPokémon TCG Pocketfeels a lot closer to my earliest experiences opening packsof Pokémon cards than even my more recent engagement with thePokémon TCGandPokémon TCG Live. This is partially due to my social experience withPokémon TCG Pocket, but also thanks to the game’s card pool. The game’s focus on tight and accessible gameplay also deserves some credit for fueling its success.
Showing Off Pokémon Collections Has Made a Comeback
Pokémon TCG Pocket Makes It Easy To Share Exciting Cards With Friends
I never would have imagined that, at age 30,a healthy dose of my daily communications now has to do with Pokémon. Since the release ofPokémon TCG Pocket, I have rarely gone a few hours without at least one message showing off an impressive new card being sent to a group chat. Of course, it helps thatPokémon TCG Pocketis a mobile game, so the process of screenshotting a great pull and sharing it with friends involves only a few clicks.
While the methods may be updated, the act of showing off my coolest Pokémon to friends is still very nostalgic.Pokémon TCG Pocketalso has built-in ways for players to show off their favorite cardson their public profile. That means even players who don’t have an enthusiastic group ofPokémonfans to share their collection with still have a chance to share their pulls with other players. But it isn’t just the collecting aspect ofPokémon TCG Pocketthat feels similar to collecting the first edition cards back in the 90s.
Deck Building In Pokémon TCG Pocket Feels More Old-School
Pokémon TCG Pocket Is A Better Environment For Experimenting With Decks Because It’s Free
To be clear,Pokémon TCG Pocketdoes have a lot of the same deck-building tendencies that can rob modern TCGs of some magic. There is a pretty well-defined meta, and finding meta builds online (or net decks) is very easy. While this wasn’t necessarily the case back in the days of dial-up, I still find that deck building inPokémon TCG Pocketfeels similar to cobbling a deck together from random packs I bought at Toys “R” Us.
One of the reasons I thinkPokémon TCG Pocketlends itself to the type of experimental deck building I used to do as a kidis its limited card pool. Sitting down to play the fullPokémon TCG, where thousands of cards are legal in Standard, it can be a little impractical to sift through them all to create a unique deck. In contrast,Pokémon TCG Pockethas only around 200 cards, with some repeats for special art treatments. This makes it a lot easier to look through and find cards I want to play with.
Another wayPokémon TCG Pocketencourages creative deck building is by having a decent free-to-play model. When playing the physicalPokémon TCG, there isn’t really an option to get free cards. Because players have to be smart with their money, they are encouraged to simply purchase cards that are good in the meta. However, when players are consistently getting free cards fromPokémon TCG Pocket, there’s no real harm in trying out some new creative builds that might not work.
Going up against my friend’s janky Venusaur deck reminds me of a time when the only real consideration I gave myPokémoncards was how much I liked the Pokémon I was collecting. I remember being pumped to pull a Venonat as a kid, simply because I thought it was cute. Since I’m not worrying about how much cards cost or how competitive my deck will be at a local event, playingPokémon TCG Pocketfeels a lot closer to this simpler way of engaging with the game.
The Simplicity Of Pokémon TCG Pocket Gives It A Wide Appeal
Pokémon TCG Pocket Is Less Complex Than The Full Pokémon TCG
While I had a suspicion that I would be interested inPokémon TCG Pocketwhen it was announced, I wouldn’t have expected it to have a broad enough appeal to pull in people who didn’t actively engage with TCGs. What has helpedPocket’s broad appeal - and in turn helped it recapture the feeling of the initial90sPokémoncraze- is its simplicity.The game is a much more streamlined version of the TCG, making it much easier for players to engage with.
Not only are the rules and card designs a bit simpler, butPokémon TCG Pocketis also fully automated. This means players don’t have to remember rules or sequencing, because the game does it for them.It even has handy reminders if you forget to attach energy or play a supporter card, making it less likely that you’ll make a serious misplay. This accessibility, plus the ease with which friends can play remotely, has helped makePokémon TCG Pocketappealing to a wider audience than a typical TCG might have. And built-in nostalgia for Pokémon doesn’t hurt.
How Pokémon TCG Pocket Mirrors The ’90s Pokémon Craze
Pokémon TCG Pocket Helps Capture The Excitement Of Collecting Pokémon Cards
Now that I’m older, it takes a lot for something to occupy the same amount of space in my brain asPokémondid back in the 90s. However,Pokémon TCG Pockethas done a pretty good job of keeping me excited about the game. For one, opening a couple of packs daily means I’m consistently engaged with the game. Pull rates for cool cards also aren’t terrible, so it’s not uncommon for me or someone I know to get a rare card that we want to share. This helps keep an active social scene around the game for me.
This frequent engagement withPokémon, especially with a version of card collecting, is something I haven’t experienced since I was in grade school. While I won’t say my enthusiasm forPokémon TCG Pockethas reached full five-year-old status, it is the closest I’ve come in a long time. Any lifelongPokémonfan who hasn’t tried out the game yet should give it a shot.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is a mobile adaptation that reimagines the classic TCG experience for iOS and Android devices.
