"Pokémon TCG Pocket" finally brings the swap function - but also more problematic content
Three months after the release of "Pokémon TCG Pocket", the second expansion is being released. Among other things, it finally brings the trading function to the mobile trading card game. This is the perfect starting point - if you are aware of the risk of addiction.
The latest app of the world's most successful media franchise, "Pokémon TCG Pocket", was released on 30 October 2024. By the end of 2024, over 46 million people had downloaded the mobile game. This made "TCG Pocket" the most downloaded Pokémon app of the past year in a very short space of time.
While we're on the subject of impressive figures: The app's revenue is also impressive. After "TCG Pocket" broke the 100 million revenue barrier after just 17 days, it was already 400 million US dollars by the end of 2024. An absurdly high figure for a free-to-play game. You can buy additional booster packs with money
Collecting fun now also with swap function
The biggest attraction of the game is collecting (rare) Pokémon cards. In "TCG Pocket", you can get new ones by opening booster packs or using the "Wonder Choice" function. You can open a new pack every twelve hours, i.e. two per day. If you buy the Premium Pass for CHF 10 per month, you can open a total of three every day. The Wonder Choice is another feature that allows you to randomly select one of five cards from packs that other players have already opened.
Source: Cassie Mammone
I've been playing Pokémon TCG Pocket since its release and have used the Premium Pass every month, opening three packs a day. As a result, I have over 2000 cards and at least one of almost every copy. My progress is slow just before the new expansion, because it's these final steps that take the longest.
In contrast to the slow progress in the endgame, you'll be flooded with packs of cards at the start of the game to hopefully bring enough for the duels against other trainers. Alongside collecting, this is the biggest attraction of "TCG Pocket".
Source: Cassie Mammone
With the latest update, trading becomes the third option for obtaining new cards. This allows you to swap specimens up to a certain rarity level with your friends in the game. This is the quickest way to obtain specific specimens. Before the new expansion, there were around 400 cards, after which the number should be around 550.
Unfortunately, contrary to initial expectations, the swap function is not so user-friendly. On Reddit shortly after the release, I read the first reports that the costs for in-game currencies and custom cards are a bit steep. After three months of collecting, I can probably fill my gaps with it. As a starting aid for newcomers, the new function seems to be less useful than I had hoped. The developers confirm my suspicions with their statement, according to which they want to revise the function again.
A "collectible" card game that finally puts the focus on collecting
The special thing about "Pokémon TCG Pocket" compared to most other mobile card games such as "Pokémon TCG Live" is that you can regularly open booster packs and collect cards without getting into duels. A playable deck is quickly created, but not necessary for collecting fun. A dream for collectors.
If you like games similar to "Yu-Gi-Oh!", "Magic: The Gathering" and the like, then you know the appeal. Adding cute, cool, strong or particularly rare pieces to your physical or virtual collection gives you a satisfying feeling. Especially when it's a golden "Pikachu-ex" with the crown rarity, which has a draw chance of a mere 0.16 per cent.
"TCG Pocket" is a step ahead of the conventional trading card game: New are the immersive cards of the three-star rarity level, whose beautiful artwork becomes a short, indeed immersive, video when viewed for a longer period of time.
Card duels are not a must, but they're still fun
Since collecting alone is not enough for me, I also regularly play duels against other players in real life. Nevertheless, I was surprised that the matches in an app that advertised the collection factor in particular were also really entertaining
The rules have been slightly modified and simplified compared to the physical Pokémon trading card game. You receive one Pokémon type energy per round, which you can apply to your pocket monsters. Their attacks require a certain amount of energy and sometimes have other effects in addition to a fixed amount of damage.
You can refine your strategy with item and supporter cards that, for example, make your Pokémon stronger, let you draw more cards or decide whether you get additional energy with a coin toss.
Source: Cassie Mammone
The system is quickly internalised after the well-explained but boring tutorial. With the different coin tosses, "TCG Pocket" adopts the luck elements of the physical template and ensures that no two duels are the same. You can at least avoid the luck factor in your deck by avoiding Pokémon such as Mottineva. However, you can also embrace the luck factor.
Mottineva puts the opposing Pokémon to sleep with its attack "Powder Snow". At the start of each round, the owner of the sleeping Pokémon tosses a coin. If it shows heads, it wakes up and the game continues as usual. If it shows tails, however, the Pokémon continues to sleep and the turn is largely wasted. If my Pokémon sleeps for four rounds in a row, I want to tear my hair out - if my opponent does this and decides the duel in my favour, I'm happy about the disaster that has been caused.
In the last three months, I've played a lot of card duels and experienced the whole range of emotions. Although I've often been upset by aggressive Electro decks with "Pikachu-ex", I keep going back. I'm also looking forward to the many decks I can build with the new "Collision of Space and Time" expansion.
I always keep one particular danger in mind.
"Pokémon TCG Pocket", gacha games and the dangers of gaming addiction
When you restart the game, you'll be given lots of items to make collecting easier - including Pack Sand Watches, Wonder Stamina and Shop Tickets. This will probably also apply to the new currency, which will be introduced into the game at the same time as the fresh A2 set and the exchange function.
Unfortunately, "TCG Pocket" is not completely safe. The principle of the trading card game lends itself perfectly to gacha elements, which are used in abundance. This includes the card packs with their randomised content or the countless in-game currencies that deliberately complicate the game and entice players to spend real money.
Although there is an upper limit on how much players can spend per day, this cannot hide the nature of "TCG Pocket". I too was itching to buy more packs for a few francs to get my hands on the handy star card "Mew-ex" faster for the release of the "Mysterious Island" expansion. Fortunately, I am resistant to such purchases.
This is by no means all players. Especially not the main target group of the Pokémon franchise: children. So if you're curious about the game or your little ones are fascinated by this new Pokémon mobile game, it's important to address the topics of gambling, gambling addiction and a conscious approach.
Source: Cassie Mammone
In the three months I've been actively following the game, I've been able to successfully wade through the currency jungle and had a good time without putting much money into the game.
In concrete terms, I paid CHF 30 for three Premium Passes within three months. That's a fraction of a booster pack display of the physical card game and less than half of a full-price game, which usually keeps me occupied for shorter periods of time. The one-off expense per month is manageable and as a fan, I want to afford the extra goodies.
The "Pokémon" charm is irresistible
As a fan from the very beginning, I've been involved in many aspects of the popular franchise. From the first Game Boy game, "Yellow Edition", which sparked my love for video games, to one of my absolute favourite games, "Diamond Edition", to the sobering modern releases of "Sword and Shield". The fact that a gacha app like "Pokémon TCG Pocket" can pick me up so much still surprised me.
In my opinion, this proves that the developers at Creatures Inc. and DeNA have done their homework. Of course, the versatile designs of the popular pocket monsters do the rest.
The future of mobile gaming looks bright. Like other games of its kind, "Pokémon TCG Pocket" is constantly being updated with new card sets and keeps players on their toes with special collection and duel events.
That's why I recommend getting into "Pokémon TCG Pocket" together with the fresh expansion "Collision of Space and Time" and the swap function. Especially if you're looking for a game that will satisfy your possibly dormant collectible card game cravings.
Header image: Pokémon Company
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Cassie Mammone
Freelance Editor
cassandra.mammone@gmail.comI wrote my first text about video games when I was eight years old. I haven't been able to stop since. The rest of my time is spent on my love for 2D husbandos, monsters, my cats and sport.
