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Pokémon Trading Card Game

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This article is about the card game. For the video game, see Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game).

Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game logo (top) and cardback
Designer
Publisher
Release dateOctober 20, 1996; 28 years ago (1996-10-20)
TypeCollectible
Players2
Skills
Age range6+
Cards60
Playing time2–120 minutes
ChanceSome (order of cards drawn, dice, coin flip)
Websitetcg.pokemon.com

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (ポケモンカードゲーム, Pokemon Kādo Gēmu, "Pokémon Card Game"), abbreviated as PTCG or Pokémon TCG, is a collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the Pokémon franchise. Standard gameplay cards include Pokémon cards, energy cards, trainer cards, and stadium cards, a variant of trainer cards. Pokémon cards contain data about the creature's type,and where it came from, attacks, ability, and HP as well as any special effects the cards have on the game. Basic (unevolved) Pokémon can change into their evolved forms during the game by playing subsequent evolution cards in the deck. Energy cards can be attached to Pokémon cards to power up attacks, and trainer cards can be used for different effects on the game. Card effects often rely on elements of luck, such as dice rolls and coin tosses, to decide an outcome. Counters are stacked on top of cards in play to indicate damage dealt, and players may choose to put their Pokémon cards on a bench to switch to a different attacker.

The game was originally released in Japan by Media Factory in 1996 as Pocket Monsters, which was based on the Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow Game Boy video games. Beginning in 1998, Pokémon trading cards were released in North America by Wizards of the Coast, which was known at the time for producing Magic: The Gathering. Wizards of the Coast released one demo set and eight expansion sets of cards for the first generation of Pokémon as well as nine expansion sets for the second generation of Pokémon. In June 2003, publishing rights were transferred from Wizards to The Pokémon Company. Since the release of EX Ruby and Sapphire in 2003, the Pokémon Company has handled publishing for every English-language expansion of the series.

Competitive challenges have been a part of the game since its early inception in Japan. Wizards of the Coast handled early tournaments during the Pokémon Trading Card Game League era, during which local competitions were held at American venues such as Toys "R" Us. A wide set of prizes, including Pokémon badges and Pokémon cards, were offered as prizes during this time. Competition has continued since the Pokémon Company assumed the role of publishing in 2003.

Spin-off media for the Pokémon Trading Card Game include the video game adaptation of the same name for Game Boy Color, the Pokémon: Play It! series for PC, Pokémon TCG Online, and Pokémon Card Game: How to Play DS. After the closure of TCG Online in 2023, it was replaced with Pokémon Trading Card Game Live and Pokémon Pocket in 2024.

As of March 2024, the game has produced over 64.8 billion cards worldwide.[2]

Development and publication

[edit]

The Pokémon Trading Card Game was developed in Japan, based on the 1996 Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow Game Boy video game by Nintendo.[3] It was first published in October 1996 by Media Factory in Japan.[4] In the US, it was first published by Wizards of the Coast, towards the end of 1998 to capitalize on the US popularity of Pokémon.[3] Over the next five years, Wizards of the Coast published more than a dozen expansion sets for the game, allowing the company to sell millions of cards and earn more revenue from Pokémon than they had from Magic: The Gathering in its first 10 years.[3] Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast in September 1999 for $325 million dollars based on the strength of the Pokémon license.[3] In 2001, Nintendo created its affiliate Pokémon USA, Inc., so that it could recover the US licensing rights to the game.[3] In June 2003, Nintendo transferred the publishing rights from Wizards of the Coast to The Pokémon Company.[5] Wizards sued Nintendo on October 1, 2003, and accused the company of poaching employees and violating its patent; the lawsuit was settled out of court.[3]

Gameplay

[edit]
Official Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon-themed Pokémon playmat depicting labels of numerous in-game aspects, such as the Active Pokémon, Bench Pokémon, Deck, and Discard Pile sections
A Pokémon TCG playmat with labels of various gameplay aspects, e.g. Active Spot, Bench, Deck, and Discard Pile

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a strategy-based card game that is usually played on a designated playmat or digitally on the official game client Pokémon TCG Live where two players (assuming the role of Pokémon Trainer) use their Pokémon to battle one another. Pokémon that have sustained enough damage from attacks–that reaches or exceeds its HP–is referred to as being "Knocked Out", granting the opponent a prize card; however, powerful card mechanics like Pokémon-V and Pokémon ex grant extra prize cards when Knocked Out.[1]

Taking all six prize cards is the most common win condition. Other ways to win are by "Knocking Out" or by removing all opponent's Pokémon in play–the Active and those on the Bench (i.e. the row behind the Active that can house up to five additional Pokémon to support and substitute Active Pokémon if it retreats or is "Knocked Out"), or by Decked Out–if at the opponent's next turn they have no cards left in deck to draw into.[1]

Players begin by having one player select heads or tails, and the other flips a coin; the winner of the coin flip will decide who goes first or second. (Dice may be used in place of coins, with even numbers representing heads and odd numbers representing tails; dice are also primarily used in official tournaments organized by The Pokémon Company). The player going first cannot attack or play a Supporter card (powerful Trainer effects card) on their first turn. Players shuffle their decks and draw seven cards, and then each puts one Basic Pokémon in play as their Active Pokémon. This Pokémon is the one that is actively attacking and receiving damage. If a player does not have any Basic Pokémon, they must call mulligan, shuffle, and then draw another hand until they draw a Basic Pokémon; the opponent may draw one additional card per mulligan. Once both players have at least one Basic Pokémon, they can play up to five more Basic Pokémon onto their Bench, and then take the top six cards of their deck and place them to the side as Prize cards.[6][1]

Play alternates between players who may take several actions during their turn, including playing additional Basic Pokémon, evolving their Pokémon, attaching an Energy card, playing Trainer cards, and using Pokémon abilities and attacks. After Trainer cards are played, cards are discarded by effects from Trainer cards or Abilities, and after Pokémon were "Knocked Out", they are put into the discard pile.[1] A player may also retreat their Active Pokémon, switching the Active Pokémon with one on the Bench by paying the Active Pokémon's retreat cost of a certain number of Energies. At the cost of ending the turn, players may use one of their Active Pokémon's attacks once the prerequisite number and types of Energy attached to that Pokémon is fulfilled. Effects from that attack are then activated and damage may be dealt on the defending Pokémon, which may modify based on the defender Pokémon's type weakness or a resistance policies, and/or by any other effects on the defending Pokémon. Players alternate attacking until a player wins either through one of the above win conditions or by concession.[7][1]

Card types

[edit]

Pokémon cards depict one or multiple Pokémon from the Pokémon franchise, one to two elemental types, one or more attacks and/or an Ability, and a certain amount of HP. Basic Pokémon are Pokémon that have not evolved and can be played directly onto the Bench; they have Stage 1, Stage 2, and/or special mechanic evolutions. Each player may have up to six Pokémon in play: one in the Active Spot and five on the Bench.[7]

Most Pokémon have attacks that require a certain amount of Energies to use. Attacks deal damage to the opponent's Active Pokémon and sometimes deal additional damage to their Benched Pokémon; they may have additional effects like drawing cards, inflicting Special Conditions (Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned) or altering the opponent's deck and/or board state. Abilities, previously called Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies until 2011,[8] are not attacks, but special effects on Pokémon that may be activated once or multiple times during their turn, such as drawing additional cards or switching the opponent's Active Pokémon with one of their Benched Pokémon, or can be passive, i.e. they remain in effect as long as the Pokémon with the Ability remains in play.[1]

The other type of Pokémon cards are Evolution Pokémon. In contrast to a Basic Pokémon, Evolution Pokémon cannot be directly put into play; they must be placed on top of the corresponding previous Stage Pokémon to evolve it, and they cannot be played onto a Pokémon the same turn that Pokémon was put into the Bench or during the player's first turn. Stage 1 Pokémon evolve from Basic Pokémon, and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from Stage 1 Pokémon. As a Pokémon evolves, it gains HP and their attacks change, usually becoming more powerful.[8] Over the years many different variations to the standard mechanics have been added, the most prominent of which are the signature feature of their respective expansion series.

Major Pokémon Card Attributes
Card Type Release Expansion Evolution Stage(s) Mechanics
Shining Pokémon,

Pokémon ☆, Radiant Pokémon

Neo Revelation & Shining Legends[9] (Shining),

EX Team Rocket Returns[10] (☆), Astral Radiance[11] (Radiant)

Basic One per deck (excluding Shining Pokémon released after Shining Legends)
Pokémon-ex,

Pokémon ex

EX Ruby & Sapphire series,

Scarlet & Violet series

Basic, Stage 1, Stage 2 2 Prizes, official documentation writes the names from the two releases differently but they function the same and are treated as such.[12]
Pokémon LV.X Diamond & Pearl series LEVEL-UP 2 Prizes, can use attacks, Poké-Powers, and Poké-Bodies from its previous evolution[13]
Pokémon LEGEND HeartGold & SoulSilver series LEGEND 2 Prizes, 2 cards must be played onto the Bench at the same time[14]
Pokémon-EX Next Destinies Basic 2 Prizes, distinct from Pokémon-ex
Mega Pokémon-EX XY series MEGA 2 Prizes, turn ends after evolving from Pokémon-EX
Pokémon BREAK BREAKthrough BREAK Increases HP and gives an additional attack/Ability to its previous evolution.
Pokémon GX Sun and Moon series Basic, Stage 1, Stage 2 2 Prizes, each player can use a GX attack once per battle
TAG TEAM Pokémon GX Team Up Basic 3 prizes, each player can use a GX attack once per battle[15]
Prism Star Cards Ultra Prism Basic One of each Prism Star card per deck, sent to the Lost Zone when discarded
Pokémon V Sword and Shield series Basic 2 Prizes
Pokémon VMAX Sword and Shield series VMAX 3 Prizes, evolves from Pokémon V[16]
Pokémon V-UNION SWSH Black Star Promos V-UNION 3 Prizes, once per game for each V-UNION name: add four V-UNION cards with the same name to the Bench[17]
Pokémon VSTAR Brilliant Stars VSTAR 2 Prizes, each player can use a VSTAR Power once per battle, evolves from Pokémon V[18]
Tera Pokémon ex Scarlet & Violet series Basic, Stage 1, Stage 2 2 Prizes, different types than normal but uses the same energy, cannot be dealt damage by attacks while on the Bench[19]

Other Pokémon attributes include Owner's Pokémon,[20] Baby Pokémon,[21] Crystal Pokémon,[22] Dark Pokémon,[23] Light Pokémon,[24] Team Magma's cards,[25] Team Aqua's cards,[25] δ Delta Species,[26] Pokémon Prime,[27] Pokémon SP, Restored Pokémon, Team Plasma cards,[28] Ancient Trait, Ultra Beasts,[29] Single Strike,[30] Rapid Strike, Fusion Strike,[31] Ancient,[32] and Future cards.

Trainer cards perform various effects to affect the game, including but not limited to: drawing cards, healing Pokémon, discarding Energy from opposing Pokémon, or retrieving cards from the discard pile. Before the Diamond & Pearl series, all cards that were not Pokémon or Energy were considered Trainer cards. Afterward, Trainer cards were subdivided into three categories, Item, Stadium, and Supporter. Item cards directly affect the battling Pokémon and include the subcategory Pokémon Tool cards to attach to a Pokémon and provide for different effects. Stadium cards provide global effects both players can use, usually once per turn. Supporter cards have considerably the strongest effects, but they are limited to one per turn.[1] Starting with Scarlet & Violet, Pokémon Tool cards are considered as a separate category from Item cards; existing Pokémon Tool cards have received errata to conform to this change.[33] ACE SPEC Trainer cards have powerful unique effects but only one ACE SPEC card is allowed in the deck.

Energy cards are attached to Pokémon in play to power their attacks. Only one Energy card may be attached per turn, unless a player has an effect that specifies otherwise. There are two categories of Energy cards: Basic Energy and Special Energy. The nine different Basic Energy types which correspond to Pokémon card types are Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal, and Fairy.[34][35] The Dragon type does not have a corresponding Basic Energy card, and instead uses multiple types of Energy cards. Basic Energy cards fulfill costs for attacking and retreating and don't have additional effects, while most Special Energy cards have additional effects. Most attacks require a certain type and amount of Energy. If the attack has a Colorless Energy requirement, that requirement can be met by any Energy card.[1] Any amount of Basic Energy can be put in the deck, but only four of each special energy can be put in, just like Trainer and Pokémon cards.

Pokémon types

[edit]
TCG type Game type
Grass Grass, Bug, and Poison (1996–2007)
Fire Fire
Water Water and Ice
Lightning Electric
Psychic Psychic, Ghost, Poison (2007–2019), and Fairy (2019–)
Fighting Fighting, Rock, and Ground
Darkness Dark and Poison (2019–)
Metal Steel
Dragon Dragon (2012–2019, 2021–)
Fairy Fairy (2014–2019)
Colorless Normal, Flying, and Dragon (1996–2012, 2019–2021)

Pokémon Types are elemental attributes, determining the strengths and weaknesses for each Pokémon and its attacks. Pokémon take double damage from attacks of types they are weak to and less damage from attacks they resist.[36] These type matchups offset one another in rock–paper–scissors-style relationships.[37] Pokémon Types in the TCG include Fire, Fighting, Dragon, Lightning, Grass, Water, Fairy, Psychic, Darkness, Metal, and Colorless.[35] Other Pokémon types such as Ice and Ground types from the franchise, however, do not have their own types in the TCG and instead are categorized/incorporated inside other types; for example, Ice type[38] and Ground type[39] are categorized under Water type and Fighting type, respectively.[40]

Starting with Dragons Exalted, Dragon type Pokémon are now listed as Dragon-type, and they were previously categorized under the Colorless type.[41] Similarly, starting with Sword & Shield, Poison type Pokémon are categorized under Darkness-type; Poison-type were previously Psychic type,[42] and before that they were categorized under Grass type.[43]

A simplified type system was adopted from the video games for use in the trading card game. Darkness and Metal types was introduced alongside the corresponding Pokémon Gold and Silver video game, the Dragon-type was introduced in the Japanese Dragon Selection set; and Fairy type was introduced in the XY set to correspond to its introduction in the franchise, but they were later categorized under Psychic type starting with Sword and Pokémon Shield.[42][44] While most Pokémon have only one type, three exceptions are EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua which introduced dual-type Pokémon that have two different types, as well as XY and HeartGold and SoulSilver series sets.[45] Dual types were also utilized in Pokémon-Legend cards from HeartGold and SoulSilver.[46] In August 2016, XY Steam Siege reintroduced the dual-type mechanic, but this time on regular Pokémon and Pokémon-EX.[47]

Sets

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Main article: List of Pokémon Trading Card Game sets

The Pokémon TCG debuted In Japan in 1996[48] with the release of "1st Starter & Expansion Pack/Base Set" (第1弾スターターパック & 第1弾拡張パック),[49][50] which was the original core series of cards and Theme Decks released in Japan on October 20, 1996,[51] and in the United States on January 9, 1999.[52][53][54] The "1st Starter & Expansion Pack" contained various Pokémon cards depicting the original 150 Pokémon species in the main Pokémon franchise,[55][56] and it is the only expansion not to have a set logo or symbol[57] (i.e. except for the error "no-symbol" Jungle cards).[58]

In the United States, the "1998 Pokémon Demo Game Plastic Pack" was the earliest introduction to the Pokémon TCG, preceding the "1st Starter & Expansion Pack";[57] and consisting of 24 Base Set shadowless cards and an instruction manual.[59] "The Pokémon Demo Game Plastic Pack", "Base Set", along with the subsequent expansions "Jungle", "Fossil", "Base Set 2", "Team Rocket", "Gym Heroes", "Gym Challenge", make up the "First Generation Sets" published by the original English-edition publisher Wizards of the Coasts. Similarly, the "Second Generation Sets" published by Wizards comprised "Neo Genesis", "Neo Discovery", "Southern Islands", "Neo Revelation", "Neo Destiny", "Legendary Collection", "Expedition Base Set", "Aquapolis", and "Skyridge". The "Second Generation Sets" is the last collection set published by Wizards before Nintendo transferred the publishing right to The Pokémon Company In July 2003.[60] Since July 2003, The Pokémon Company has published eight additional "Generation" sets, which has gradually transitioned the TCG to more modern gameplay and mechanics.[61]

Card collecting

[edit]
The PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator is the most valuable Pokémon card ever sold

Pokémon cards are sold at stores in many different formats including pre-constructed decks, booster-packs-bundled promo cards set, booster box of 36 packs, or individual packs.[62] Subsequently, cards are also available through e-commerce websites and individual sellers. However, buyers should be cautioned of fake Pokémon cards.[63]

Pokémon card collectables are valued based on their rarity, though some lower rarity cards can be worth more than higher rarity ones. This depends on the popularity of the card within competitive play, the age of the card, number of cards printed, and various other factors.[64] From the lowest to the highest level, cards rarities are indicated by different shapes on the bottom corner, i.e. Common (circle), Uncommon (diamond), and Rare (star).[64] Japanese-edition cards use letters rather than shapes to denote rarities; i.e. from the lowest to the highest level, C, U, R, RR, SR, and UR.[65] In a single Pokémon TCG booster pack, a collector can pull 10 cards in total, i.e. five Common cards, three Uncommon cards, a reverse holographic card of any rarity, and sometimes a Rare card.[62] Starting with the Scarlet and Violet series however, each pack will contain one holographic card, as well as two reverse holographic cards.[66] Unlike the basic Common and Uncommon, Rare collectables are divided into many different sub-groups, comprising Holo Rare, Reverse Holo, Half Art/Half Body, Full Art/Full Body, Secret Rare, Ultra Rare, Rainbow Rare, Promo, and card mechanics including EX/GX, V/VSTAR/VMAX, and Tag Team.[67] Rarities can be also account for old card collectibles such as "1st-edition Base Set" and "First Generation Sets", and such collectibles are some of the rarest and most expensive Pokémon cards with some valuing at thousands and millions of dollars.[68][69]

Holo Rare are Rare cards that have a holographic illustration, whereas Reverse Holo are any-rarity cards that have holographic textures elsewhere on the surface except for the main illustration. Half Art and Full Art are Half Body and Full Body artworks covering the entire/half the card surface, respectively. In comparison, Secret Rares can be Full Art or Half Arts but with additional artwork schemes such as alternative holofoil scheme, shiny scheme, or a gold trim; they are characterized by a set number past the actual printed size of the set (ex. 242/220). Secret Rares also comprise the subset Rainbow Rare, which features similar materials but in rainbow-color foil schemes.[67][64] In response to these collectible's considerable rarities, card collectors use card sleeves to protect them from wear and tear.[70][71]

From least to most, the top 15 most rare and expensive Pokémon cards are "20th Anniversary 24-karat real-gold Pikachu", "Prerelease Raichu", "Master's Key", "Espeon and Umbreon Gold Star POP Series 5", "2002 Pokémon World Championships No. 1 Trainer", "1996 Pokémon Japanese Base Set No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur", "1999 Pokémon Japanese Promo Tropical Mega Battle Tropical Wind", "1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer, "2006 Pokémon World Championships Promo No. 2 Trainer", "2000 Pokémon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Holo Lugia #9", "Kangaskhan-Holo #115 Family Event Trophy Card", "Black Star Ishihara Signed GX Promo Card", "Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram", "1999 First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4", and a PSA-graded 10 "Pikachu Illustrator".[72][69]

The "Pikachu Illustrator" is the rarest and most expensive Pokémon card ever sold in history, and it was acquired by the celebrity and collector Logan Paul for $5,275,000 in July 2021. Created as a prize for the 1997-1998 Pokémon design contests organized by the Japanese manga-magazine CoroCoro Comic and with only 41 copies printed, it is the only Pokémon card to say "Illustrator" instead of "Trainer" like other Trainer cards. The card was illustrated by Atsuko Nishida, the original designer of the Pokémon species including Pikachu. The Japanese imprint reads: "We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokémon Card Game Illust Contest. Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokémon Card Illustrator and admire your skill."[69][73] While the Pikachu Illustrator Card purchased by Logan Paul has the record for the most expensive Pokémon Card ever sold, other lower grade versions of the card have been sold for high prices elsewhere. Shopping platform ZenPlus, a subsidiary of shopping service ZenMarket (now part of ZenGroup), sold two of the cards in 2020, for the Japanese Yen equivalent of US$233,000 and US$208,496 respectively.[74][75] A third card was sold on the platform in 2022 for US$772,000.[76]

There are various TikTok accounts dedicated to opening Pokémon card packs (also known as "ripping" packs) people buy live on stream for viewers[77]. Some streamers even run "pulls", where certain cards or number values are associated with rare, high value cards that are included if they happen to be pulled during pack openings. While there are genuine accounts associated with this trend, there are also scammers intentionally selling resealed packs with valuable cards already taken out, sending counterfeit cards or not sending anything at all.[77] Pack rips are also streamed for other popular card games such as Magic: the Gathering and One Piece.

Competitive play

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See also: Pokémon competitive play
Children (hands holding cards) competing at a Pokémon TCG junior tournament
Pokémon TCG Junior (10 years old and younger) / Senior (11 to 14 years old)-class tournament
Adults (hands holding cards) competing at a Pokémon TCG junior tournament
Pokémon TCG Master (15 years old and older) -class tournament

In addition to the collectible aspect of the card game, The Pokémon Company International (formerly known as Pokémon USA) has also organized Play! Pokémon, a program run by Pokémon Organized Play (POP),[78] players can compete against others in tournaments and earn player points, two-card booster packets for promotional sets, badges, stickers and other prizes. POP are governed by League Leaders and League Owners. Play! Pokémon also features a professor program, where individuals aged 18 or over may be nominated as a "professor", who can help sanction the tournament.

League Leaders assist in organizing the league, while League Owners are the main organizer of the event. The latter report directly to the Organized Play program every seven weeks. A league cycle is usually divided into eight seasons, each of which lasts about five weeks and is typically represented by themes found in Pokémon (e.g. gym badges, starter Pokémon). Play! Pokémon supports both standard and expanded card format, however in its competitive tournaments only standard format (i.e. card rotation format that discontinues older Pokémon cards to foster new strategies and a healthy competitive environment) are permitted. In contrast to the former, expanded card format permits inclusion of any Pokémon cards, regardless if they are older cards.[79]

The first Pokémon TCG tournament began on June 14–15, 1997, at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall. As the tournament had no real skill-based qualifiers, participants were admitted through preregistration and through an extensive lottery system process if too many people applied. Many deck lists including the winning deck lists used in the tournament are poorly built because of the lack of skill sets in the admittance process, with many players running incomplete evolution lines and excessive Trainer cards. The tournament was divided into four sessions with three solely restricted to elementary school players and one allowing players up to junior high. The top three player of the tournament were awarded the No.1, 2, and 3 trainer trophy cards; this practice continue through subsequent Pokémon TCG tournaments and organized plays.[80]

Players in a tournament are split into three age categories: Junior (11 years old and younger), Senior (12 to 15 years old), and Master (16 years old and older).[81] Notable references include Austin Brewen who won the first junior tournament, Brenden Zhang who won the first Senior Tournament, and Arturo Heras who won the first Master Tournament. These tournaments play several rounds, where players will play a standard game against each other and wins and losses will be recorded. In most tournaments, there are some Swiss-style rounds where players are paired up against others of similar win/loss ratios,[82] usually from their age group (this does not always occur in smaller events, though). Afterward, there will be a cut off the top record-holders (approximately the top 1/8 of participants) where players will play best two out of three matches and the loser gets eliminated (standard tournament bracket style), with an eventual winner.[83]

POP runs a season for these tournaments, which allows players to earn larger prizes and play in a more competitive environment in comparison to League. These range from City and Regional Championships, all the way up to the Pokémon World Championships, the single invite-only event of the year. Players can earn invites to the World Championships by winning or ranking high at International Championships, doing well at tournaments to get Championship Points, or by qualifying in the Last Chance Qualifier.[84] Some of these methods are only used in the United States, as PUI and POP are based in the United States, but they are represented by local distributors who provide the Organized Play program to their own country.[85]

Although The Pokémon Company International tries to keep Organized Play as uniform as possible globally, there are some notable differences in how POP is run outside of the United States. The Pokémon Card Laboratory (PCL), located in Japan, is the designer of new cards and the ultimate authority on any matter relating to the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It can declare rulings on any in-game circumstance, issue errata, change card text after publishing, and change the basic game rules, although the latter three rarely occur. PCL runs Organized Play in Japan. The Pokémon Trading Card Game in most European countries is currently handled by The Pokémon Company International. Certain countries have no direct official presence; in these regions, distributors of the game run tournaments. European countries can qualify for positions at the Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships each year, through National Championships and European Rankings.

Pokémon TCG World Championships

[edit]

The first Pokémon TCG World Championships was held in 2004 at Orlando, Florida, U.S. The venue was organized by Wizards of Coasts, with more than 100 invited contestants from various countries.[86][87] To qualify for the championships, players are required to collect Championship Points across regionals and other official tournaments, which can vary based on each championship and different regions.[88][89]

Year Location
2004 Orlando, Florida, U.S.[87]
2005 San Diego, California, U.S.[90]
2006 Anaheim, California, U.S.[91]
2007 Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, U.S.[92]
2008 Orlando, Florida, U.S.[93]
2009 San Diego, California, U.S.[94]
2010 Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, U.S.[95]
2011 San Diego, California, U.S.[96]
2012 Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, U.S.[97]
2013 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[98]
2014 Washington D.C., U.S.[99]
2015 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.[100]
2016 San Francisco, California, U.S.[101]
2017 Anaheim, California, U.S.[102]
2018 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.[103]
2019 Washington, D.C., U.S.[104]
2020 - 2021 All events have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[105][106]
2022 London, England, U.K.[107]
2023 Yokohama, Japan[108]
2024 Honolulu, Hawaii [109]

Controversies

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Wikinews has related news:

In November 2000, Israeli magician Uri Geller alleged that Kadabra's spoon bending and Japanese name, Yungera, were unauthorized appropriations of his identity, leading him to sue Nintendo. Geller learned of the similarity after fans of both himself and Pokémon noted the similarities between him and Kadabra,[110][111][112] He remarked that the lightning patterns on its abdomen is popular with the Waffen-SS and that Nintendo had "turned [Geller] into an evil, occult Pokémon character".[113] A Nintendo director denied this, stating that they had no knowledge of any Pokémon named "based on the image of any particular person".[114] In 2008, Pokémon anime director and storyboard artist Masamitsu Hidaka stated that Kadabra would not be used in the Pokémon Trading Card Game until an agreement was reached on the case.[115] In November 2020, Geller told TheGamer that he received emails from Pokémon fans which convinced him to drop the case and allow Nintendo to bring back Kadabra.[116]

In March 2023, a player was disqualified from a regional tournament for allegedly laughing when they were asked by a game official for their pronouns. This generated backlash from the community and a fundraiser was created to help cover the teenager's travel and lodging costs. The fundraiser, as of March 30, had raised over $3,000.[117][118]

Reception

[edit]

The reviewer from the online second volume of Pyramid in 1999 stated that "Pokémon is the second most popular CCG in Japan (behind Magic: The Gathering), and it's no fluke. The game plays like a kinder, gentler version of Magic, with easier rules and graphics geared to the younger crowd."[119] In the United States, Wizards of the Coast reported in early 1999 that it had sold 400,000 packs of Pokémon trading cards in less than six weeks of its release.[120]

In 2016, it was the year's top-selling toy in the strategic card game subclass.[121] In 2017, it had an 82% share of Europe's strategic card game market.[122] As of March 2023, the game has sold over 52.9 billion cards worldwide.[123]

Reviews

[edit]
  • Family Games: The 100 Best[124]

Video games

[edit]

The Pokémon Trading Card Game video game adaptation was developed by Hudson Soft and Creatures and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color console.[125] It was released in Japan in December 1998[126] and later in North American and Europe in 2000,[127] reappearing in the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console released in 2014.[128] The adaptation are similar in gameplay and rules, featuring 226 cards from the TCG with infrared linking for multiplayer and trading.[129][130] The video game was accompanied by Pokémon Card GB2: Great Rocket-Dan Sanjō!, a Japan-exclusive sequel released in March 2001.[131] In addition to the Pokémon Trading Card Game video game, Wizards has developed another digitized adaptation, Pokémon Play It!, which consisted of two versions that offer players a beginner's introduction to the different gameplay aspects of TCG as they slowly transitioned into "Advanced Challenges" in the 2nd version. The first version of Pokémon Play It! was released in 1999, followed by its sequel Pokémon Play It! Version 2 in 2000.[132]

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online was a prominent video game adaptation of the Pokémon TCG. It was released on March 24, 2011, as Pokémon Trainer Challenge for Microsoft Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.[133] The game initially offered three starting decks but significantly expanded its card collection shortly after release. Card packs and premade decks could be redeemed using in-game currencies and rewards. Beginning April 6, 2011, players could redeem digital booster packs using a promo code card bundled inside printed booster packs.[134][135]

The Pokémon Card Game: How to Play DS (ポケモンカードゲーム あそびかたDS, Pokemon Kādo Gēmu asobi kata DS) how-to-guide video game adaptation was released in Japan on August 5, 2011, for Nintendo DS, alongside three bundled 30-card decks, a play mat, and damage counters tokens.[136]

On September 20, 2021, another Pokémon Trading Card Game-based video game was announced, titled Pokémon Trading Card Game Live. A closed beta of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live was released for Canadian players on February 22, 2022.[137] Later, a global beta of Pokémon Trading Card Game Live was released on November 15, 2022 on Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows.[138] The game is now also available on macOS.[139] Upon the full release, Pokémon Trading Card Game Live replaced Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, and the latter was discontinued shortly after. Crown Zenith was the final set supported on Pokémon Trading Card Game Online.[140] Existing players of Pokémon Trading Card Game Online can transfer their account and in-game data to Pokémon Trading Card Game Live.[141]

On February 27, 2024, yet another Pokémon Trading Card Game-based video game for Android and iOS was announced in the Pokémon Presents presentation developed by Creatures (company) and DeNA titled Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.[142] The game features entirely original digital cards not present in the physical card game featuring dynamic artwork, as well as the ability to look into the artwork of certain cards to see obscured elements. A streamlined battle system is present, as well as the ability to trade cards with other players. Players are given two booster packs to open every day at no charge,[143] but also have the option to pay for in app purchases, including a paid premium membership. This membership allows you to open an additional free pack, and adds other features within the game.[144][145] It is not required, and you can play the game without it. The game was released worldwide on October 30, 2024.[146]

See also

[edit]

References

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Further reading

[edit]
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Wikibooks has more on the topic of: Pokémon Trading Card Game
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