A mini history of the Pokémon TCG video games
The beta of the new free-to-play Pokémon Trading Card Game Live recently started in Europe. Reason to dive into the history of TCG video games.
Pokémon is back: in the shopping streets, in the media, on your girlfriend’s phone and your nephew’s Switch. The games are doing well, with Legends: Arceus, Pokémon GO (still) and soon Scarlet and Violet.
The physical cards are also immensely popular. However, the combination is missing: a good Pokémon Trading Card Game video game.
How it all started
Everything used to be better when we were young, including Pokémon. We are not talking about the physical card game now — I was too broke for that fifteen years ago — but the video game for the Game Boy Color.
You didn’t have to buy booster packs or perform micro transactions, all the fun of the genius card game was on that one little cartridge. It was released in the West in 2000, more than a year after the physical cards came out.
Not much later, a sequel was released for the Game Boy Color, which unfortunately was never released outside of Japan. The Game Boy Advance was here, a new era began.
The present day
The only successor so far: Pokémon TCG Online from 2012. Quite an addictive free-to-play game that you still have to install the old-fashioned way on your PC, laptop or tablet. There is no smartphone version, that will be TCG Live.
In TCG Online, you can scan the QR codes of physical packs and decks for new cards. You can also grind until you can buy a deck, which I managed in a few evenings. Therefore, I would definitely not call it pay-to-win.
This year there will finally be a successor: TCG Live. Also a free-to-play card game, available on iPhones and Android phones for the first time in Pokémon history. After the release, TCG Online will officially retire.
How do you play the Pokémon card game?
The game works the same in the video games as it does in the real world, surprise! The principle is very simple: you play a monster, your opponent plays a monster, and the strongest wins.
Evolution allows you to make certain Pokémon stronger, and energy cards unlock more powerful attacks. Some Pokémon have benefits against a certain type — for example, water against fire.
Then there are trainer cards, which can give you an advantage or disadvantage your opponent. They are similar to the Spell Cards in Yu-Gi-Oh!, but often do not play a decisive role. One strong Pokémon, on the other hand, can turn a game completely upside down.
If you want to get acquainted with the trading card game through a video game, I initially wanted to recommend the Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color. Until, by way of research for this article, I rediscovered TCG Online.
I’ve been slightly addicted for a while now.
Game Boy Color
As for the original Game Boy Color game, it resembles Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow — as far as it has a story. In the game you are a kid who is given a starter deck by a professor, based on grass, water or fire monsters.
You set out to defeat eight Club Masters (gym leaders), then beat a bunch of Grand Masters (similar to the Elite Four). You also have a rival named Ronald.
The sequel has a bigger story. The title, translated from Japanese, is Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR! In the game, Team Great Rocket (GR) kidnapped the Grand Masters from the first game, imprisoned the Club Masters and stole all the cards.
It’s up to you to rebuild your deck, defeat the villains and rescue the masters from a rocket-shaped island in the sky that can only be reached by a zeppelin.
The big difference with the original GBC game, besides having a story: the world is twice as big, there are twice as many cards, and you can play as a female character. There is also one second gen card: Lugia.
Original Hardware vs Emulators
To play the original Pokémon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color, you can buy an original used cartridge and play it on original hardware (tip: put a backlit IPS screen in it). It is also available for 5 euros in the eShop for the 3DS, which saves you all that work and money.
The translation of the sequel can only be played on an emulator, unless you buy a physical copy of this rom hack, for example on Etsy. The advantage of an emulator: you can play at double speed, which is great for a game that is still compatible with the original brick Game Boy.
The gigantic disadvantage: the temptation is too great to save before important and risky moves, which eliminates almost all excitement. It simply doesn’t motivate you to really delve into deck building and game tactics if you can always go back in time.
Do you want to start today? Pokémon TCG Online is still free to download.
Conclusion
Do you have an aversion to retro games but want to get acquainted with Pokémon TCG? Then start with TCG Online or wait a little longer for TCG Live. Do you want to have a full experience with a single purchase? Then those 5 euros in the eShop are well spent.
Still, nothing beats the authentic gaming experience on the Game Boy Color. Oh, nostalgia…
