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25 September, 2014

Pokémon TCG is on its way to iPad, but should we be excited?

For about a month now we've known that a Pokémon trading card game (also known as a Collectible Card Game or CCG) is well and truly on it's way to iOS. This is, of course, very exciting for fans of the colossal franchise and for those who have been having a blast with other collectible card games that have found their home on the iPad. So, as a die-hard Pokémon fan, how could it be possible that I'm not jumping out of my Pikachu onesie in anticipation for Pokémon TCG on iPad?

The Pokémon Company has always relied on the "fans-will-buy-anything" business model. Every game outside of the main canon - as in, everything not made by GameFreak - has been developed with fan service in mind, and little to no depth. (As much as it pains me to say, this does include Pokémon Snap, although that game holds a special place in my heart). I've spent an unreasonable amount of money on Pokémon cards in the past and will continue to do so. I even bought Pokédex 3D Pro on the Nintendo e-shop impulsively, blindly forking out $14.99 for what was essentially a glossy character database. I justified this decision by convincing myself that a lot of work had gone into bringing these characters into the new generation.

The problem is, 2014 has been the year of the CCG on mobile devices. It has been led by the 20 million selling Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, with it's variety of flashy animations, punishing difficulty and vibrant characters. But we also got huge improvements to enjoy in Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers, which has arguably the largest CCG player base on the planet, Star Wars: Assault Team unfolding in a galaxy far, far away and even the Cartoon Network made a solid effort to create an engaging card game for tablets with Card Wars - Adventure Time. That's a lot of competition, and they are all pushing boundaries as far as the interactive card game experience goes. At this point in time the online Pokémon Trading Card Game is not. It's interface is bland and unimaginative, and the character models look as if they've been pulled straight from a fan-made flash game... in fact, that would be a step up.

This is not a review, but it is a reaction from a die hard fan - I'll hold my final judgement for the tablet version until later this year when the game is released, but I'm concerned. The Pokémon Company has a golden opportunity here to step up to the plate and create something that’s worthy of its place among the other wildly successful franchises. But deep down, I know they won’t. Just like being let down by an old friend too many times, you learn to smile, nod and expect nothing.

If you like the CCG genre, we recommend picking up Episode 6 of Grab It. In it, we have a world exclusive interview and feature with Wizards of the Coast, the company that created the genre over twenty years ago, and continue to lead the way with digital games like Magic 2015.

Writer:
Brodie Fogg

References:
     -
Episode 6 of Grab It 
     - Star Wars: Assault Team
     - Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
     - Magic 2015
     - Card Wars - Adventure Time

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