If you’re like me, Pokémon has struck some sort of cord with you in one form or another from the Nintendo games, the cartoons and movies, Pokémon Go, everybody loves Pokémon. For me it began in high school when Pocket Monsters were made available in my local comic book shop. I thought it was funny that these things were called “pocket monsters” and I really dug the artwork, so I picked up a couple of packs and pretty much forgot about them Until they resurfaced again a few years later as Pokémon. I immediately went out and bought Pokémon red for my game boy system and I’ve been a passionate fan ever since.
I’m not really one for reading rules when it comes to board and card games, so I never fully understood the nuances behind the actual Pokémon trading card game. Who wants to ask a 12-year-old how to play? Not me! Well, thanks to the official Pokémon TCG Live app available on the App Store players can take part in virtual Pokémon card battles against trainers from all around the world!
In this review, I’m going to cover the aspects of the Pokémon TCG Live game itself and leave the details of the actual Pokémon trading card game rules to the app. It does a far better job than I could ever do.
One of the most interesting things about Pokémon TCG Live by Game Freak Studios is that it incorporates real world cards into your virtual deck. What I mean by this is that every new Pokémon card pack that you purchase in real life comes with a code card that can be entered into the app to open a virtual pack of cards to be used in battle.
What kind of micro-transactions are there in Pokémon TCG Live?
There are no micro transactions in Pokémon TCG Live. All of the cards that players are using, have either been unlocked with earned in game currency or earned through battle and leveling up battle tiers. Battle tiers is the in-game reward ladder for prizes that players earn by competing in matched and completing goals.
What is the artwork like on the Pokémon TCG Live?
As I said in my opening, one of the things that attracted me most to Pokémon was the artwork of the cards themselves. The simplistic, cute yet aggressive style of Pokémon appealed to me. Pokémon TCG Live pays special attention to that fact with the cards replicating the beautiful artwork that we’ve come to know and love from the actual cards themselves. One dynamic detail about these cards in Pokémon TCG Live that I enjoy is that the holographic cards backgrounds are animated. So, if a player is lucky enough to get a holographic card, the background of the card moves when the player moves their phone.
What’s the gameplay like in Pokémon TCG?
Pokémon TCG Live is broken up into ranked and casual play. Players earn XP, rank, and rewards in either category that they participate in.
Taking part in ranked play rewards players with rank points that can be used to unlock more Pokémon cards. The type of cards that are used in ranked play are limited to standard versions.
Players who choose the casual version of the game, can choose to play with the standard version cards or the expanded version of cards which includes recent expansions to the Pokémon trading card game.
Just like in standard tabletop Pokémon card battles, players are limited to 60 cards in their deck. Each player enters the game with one deck. It’s up to the player to customize their deck according to their liking and keeping in mind to have variety of different cards, including basic Pokémon Cards and their evolutions. Other types of cards players need to consider having in their deck are energy and trainer cards. If a player has a lot of one type of Pokémon card, for instance, fire, they should have a good amount of fire energy cards. Depending on the Pokémon’s attack, the Pokémon will require a certain amount of energy cards to execute that attack. This is indicated by the symbols next to the move. If the symbols is a star, that means that any energy card type can be used to execute that move. The more powerful moves require more energy cards so it’s a good strategy for players to consider the balance of energy cards versus trainer and Pokémon cards that they keep in their deck.
Trainer cards are cards that assist the player in battle. For instance, a trainer card can allow the other player to swap out their hand or cause the other player to switch out their main Pokémon with one on their bench. Having a good set of trainer cards can really make a difference in a Pokémon card battle.
Each player starts off by drawing 7 cards for their hand and putting all their basic Pokémon onto their bench and selecting one Pokémon to go into battle. Only basic Pokémon can be stored on the bench, this is like the on-deck circle in baseball. Basic Pokémon on the bench can be evolved once during the players turn as well as have energy and trainer cards attached. The player draws one new card from their deck at the start of their turn.
Each game is set on a 20-minute timer and players have a certain amount of time to make their moves, however, if they’re progressively going through their cards, their turn continues. For instance, if a player has a card that allows them to draw seven new cards and the cards that they draw can be played, their turn continues. The player can continue to play as many draw cards as they can pick from their deck.
The game ends when one player collects three prizes after knocking out their opponents’ cards during battle.
What do players get by taking part in Pokémon TCG Live battles?
Players earn trainer points that can be used to purchase booster packs and other shop items. Players earn trainer points by leveling up, completing tasks, and leveling up tiers in the battle pass.
Players also earn trade credits by leveling up and completing tiers in the Battle pass. Credits can be used to purchase individual cards in the card editor. Also, if players receive duplicate cards after getting the max of an individual card, which is 4, they automatically turn into trade credits.
What’s the customization like in Pokémon TCG Live?
The customization in Pokémon TCG Live is limited. The focus is more on the card game than it is the players avatar however, it goes without saying, that there are lots of options for players to choose from when it comes to creating their Pokémon TCG Live avatar. Players can choose from male or female, different hairstyles, as well as accessories like hats, sunglasses, and clothing like shirts, pants, and shoes. Players can also pick a catchphrase and a pose for their avatar. These characters, poses, and catchphrases appear before and after game battles.
Players can also customize their Pokémon decks with different covers for their card boxes and backs of cards. A lot of these extras are available as rewards for leveling up, taking part in special events, and completing goals and tasks.
What I love most about Pokémon TCG Live is that it really breaks down all of the rules and the dos and don’ts of the Pokémon trading card game itself. After playing Pokémon TCG Live a few times I can’t say that, for one, I’ve been playing the game ALL wrong with my nephews and nieces! And two, I feel almost confident enough to go out in public to take people on real Pokémon card battles! That’ll do, Gamefreak…that’ll do.
For another piece on digital card collectibles, check out our piece on Star Wars Card Trader.
