December 22, 1999
Just in case you haven’t looked outside
your cave in a few months, let’s just say
this: Pokèmon is big. The RPG and Pinball
games are among the top selling titles on
the Game Boy system, it’s no wonder
Nintendo wants to branch out the series
into new territories. Ah, but Pokèmon
Trading Card Game really isn’t a new
territory for the series, is it? Many
Pokèmon fans only know of Pokèmon
from the Wizards of the Coast trading card
game, and this title for the Game Boy
Color system is essentially a portable,
electronic version of the trading card game
kids have been enjoying for months.
Features
100s of cards to collect
RPG-style adventure and
turn-based battle
Battery back-up
Link cable support for two players
For Game Boy and Game Boy
Color
If you’ve ever played the actual Pokèmon
card game, you’ve got a keen sense of
what the Game Boy game is all about --
you battle other players with cards from
your own deck, fighting against other
players’ Pokèmon. Before each battle, you
put a couple of your own cards on the
playfield as “prizes.” Each time a player
takes out another player’s Pokèmon with attacks, that player gets to take
one of the other player’s prize cards. When one player’s prize cards are
snatched, the match is over.
The whole point of Pokèmon Trading Card Game is to build up your own
deck of cards with extra cards and booster packs. Each game you play
gives you the opportunity to win more powerful cards and booster packs
-- the more you progress in the game, the stronger your deck will be.
Cards consist of Pokèmon creature cards, power cards, move cards,
evolution cards. You determine the strength of your attacks by how many
power cards you’ve attached to that specific Pokèmon -- water for water
Pokèmon, fire for fire Pokèmon, etc. Each player takes turns discarding
creature and power cards, building up their Pokèmon cards on the
playfield. Knock out the Pokèmon and you snag another card for your
deck.
The game may sound complicated at start, but luckily you’re offered a
detailed tutorial at the very beginning of the game. You actually can’t
progress until you’ve gone through this tutorial match -- you can’t screw
up, since every move is fixed. Once you’ve hit through the rigorous
training, you can finally pick your starting deck (one of three) and build it
up through matches.
The best part about Pokemon Trading Card Game is the ability to hook up
two systems together and battle a buddy -- sure is a lot more organized
than hauling your cards all over town to duke it out with your friends.
Pokèmon Trading Card Game will hit the shelves this April.