Pokémon TCG Pocket is my new mobile gaming obsession and it’s not even out yet

POKÉMON Go is what everyone thinks of when it comes to mobile games.

While many have tried to take its crown, it stands tall as one of the most popular games of all time.

Even Pokémon itself has tried to recreate this success with other mobile titles like Pokémon Masters EX, Pokémon Café Remix, and even Pokémon Sleep.

All of these have been successful in their own way, but are nowhere near the peaks of Niantic’s game.

The Pokémon Company is now giving it another go with TCG Pocket, a digital version of one of Pokémon’s strongest revenue generators, the trading cards.

A mobile version of the TCG is actually already available. However, this is for those who already know how to play the game.

TCG Pocket aims to bridge the gap between those who just like pretty pictures, and those who spend their Sundays shuffling decks.

The Pokémon trading cards have a gacha element to them, as you open packs to try and pull the prettiest (and most valuable) cards.

TCG Pocket not only allows you to open packs without the financial investment, but it’s made the cards prettier than ever before.

Even if you don’t get any ‘pulls’, opening packs of cards is simply satisfying, and you get that realistic feel as you swipe your finger across the screen.

Ultimately, after more than two decades, The Pokémon Company and Creatures Inc. know what it takes to keep people pulling, opening and swiping, and soon it’ll be more accessible than ever.

The packs are rendered in 3D and you can rotate them so you get that tactile feeling of opening real packs.

And the cards themselves have never looked more convincing, with 226 cards available when the game launches on October 30.

The twist is that there are now immersive cards that will let you enter the picture like a living scene, letting you feel the cards come alive in a way they can’t in real life.

TCG Live packs are half the size of their real-life counterparts, with just five cards each, but you can pick up two free packs a day when you log in.

Under the pack opening is a simpler version of the tabletop game, where you use a 20-card deck over the usual 60.

Prize cards are removed in favour of a points system, and you only need three points to win.

You’ll still get one point per regular Pokémon you knock out, and two for a Pokémon EX though.

Benches only hold three ‘mons instead of five, and there are no energy cards, meaning the decks are less complex overall.

You can play matches against the AI, or with other players locally or online. You can even get your deck to do the work for you if you don’t feel like playing.

While it feels like a great way to introduce new players to the game, the microtransactions and multiple in-game currencies already feel like a cause for concern.

There’s something called a special shop ticket that lets you buy accessories, such as custom card sleeves and playmats, and there’s also an event shop ticket letting you buy limited-time cosmetics. 

The emblem ticket currency, meanwhile, lets you buy fancy new emblems for your profile, while ‘shine dust’ is obtained by trading in duplicate cards.

There’s also wonder stamina, which recovers over time, and governs how often you can use your wonder pick to open a pack and choose one of its cards, placed face down, to keep forever. 

Wonder hourglasses can speed up wonder stamina recovery, and you can also use a rewind watch to take your wonder pick again.

And of course there is a premium pass to let you pull three packs a day instead of two.

Overall, it just feels intensely gamified and it’s clear that every tool in mobile developers’ arsenals has been used to keep you playing and ultimately paying.

Pokémon TCG Pocket certainly seems promising for those who find the regular game too complex and we’re sure that people will have fun playing.

But if you’re a parent you might want to watch out for your kids getting sucked in by the monetisation.

Pokémon TCG Pocket launches on iOS and Android Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

If you want to read more about Pokémon, check out the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet seven-star tera raid.