When Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag) was first teased a few months ago, it looked like another mobile app designed to capitalize on the recent unexpected popularity of the physical card game. With Pokémon Trading Card Game Live already on the market, it was difficult to figure out how The Pokémon Company envisioned it Bag fit into the larger franchise. And while titles like Marvel Snapshot And Hearthstone have proven to be great successes, it was not clear that Bag could appeal to both newcomers and hardcore Pokemon Fans alike.
There are still a few weeks until Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag)that wasn't available at general release. But during the hands-on time I spent testing the game recently, it felt like a promising – if somewhat underwhelming – attempt to reinvent the classic trading card experience for a new generation of budding Pokemaniacs. Battles are faster, flashier, and clearly designed to be learned relatively easily as you fill digital folders with intangible cards that look like the real thing.
At times, the game's emphasis on making its virtual cards look and feel real makes it seem like the Pokémon Company's foray into the NFT space. The big difference here, however, is that you can actually Do Things with Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag)'s collectibles other than staring at them on your phone.
At its core Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag) is a game that aims to give people a new way to collect cards, show them off, and use them to compete against other players in fast-paced matches. Players can log in for free every day to receive two booster packs of five cards each, and then display them in customizable digital folders or special display boards. Like the physical card game, Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag)Cards vary in rarity (indicated by a new diamond and star rarity system) and feature a series of increasingly elaborate illustrations by different artists.
However, instead of relying on different physical textures or holographic foils to convey the value of a card, Pokémon Trading Card Game introduces a number of new 3D effects to highlight rare pulls. Genetic climax — the first expansion players will have access to at launch — includes over 200 cards, many of which reuse artwork from previously released physical sets. But most players will likely be looking for the new immersive cards, which essentially let you dive into their artwork to see details that wouldn't normally be visible.
Because collecting (rather than battling) is the initial appeal of the physical card game for many people, Creatures Inc. and game developer DeNa wanted to make this the game's main selling point, especially for people who haven't been exposed to the franchise in a while.
“There is a broad audience out there that may not generally interact with Pokemon cards right now,” Creatures Creative Director Ryo Tsujikawa explained during a question-and-answer session. “That's what we've been thinking about with [Pocket] in the form of a game/app – that we could reach a wider audience, including people who may have played in their youth.”
Although Bag has a number of similarities with Pokémon Trading Card Game Live — another mobile game that lets users redeem codes from physical packages to get digital copies — the idea for an app focused exclusively on digital cards came about around the time Pokemon Go was first released. Chief Executive Officer Keita Hirobe said that two of The Pokémon Company's biggest priorities when developing the game were to make it more accessible and keep the barrier to entry low. And for those just looking for a casual way to dip a toe into the game, Pokemon In some waters it can be as simple as opening the app and seeing what the random number generator has to offer.
Tearing open a pack by running your finger along the top edge is actually quite a satisfying experience, accompanied by a quiet rumble meant to mimic the feeling of tearing open a foil packet stuffed with shiny pieces of cardboard. The packs themselves (which aren't guaranteed to contain rare cards like their physical counterparts) can be flipped over before opening, allowing you to reveal the last (rarest) card first. And while you can reveal cards one at a time to build suspense, the game also lets you tilt them while they're still stacked to get a glimpse of their edges, which are one of the indicators of a card's rarity.
Although Bag gives players two packs per day (one every 12 hours) for free, folks coming from the physical card game, where booster packs contain 10 randomly selected cards, may be annoyed by the mobile pack's five – a number that may change in the future. But for those looking to fill their card books faster, the game also gives players the option to purchase Poké Gold – an in-game currency that can be used to purchase more packs or reduce the countdown timer between receiving their free packs for the day. Poké Gold packs start at 99 cents. Additionally, there will be an optional monthly Premium Pass subscription for $9.99, which will grant players a free third daily pack and access to promotional cards.
Although Poké Gold and subscription sales sound like key components to the Pokémon Company’s plan, Bag's profitability, from what I've seen, still leaves quite a bit left over for players who don't spend anything. You can learn the basics of the game's new, streamlined battle system by using pre-made rental decks and battling against computer opponents. And once you have enough cards of your own, you can start creating custom decks to use against other players in the game's online mode.
While the traditional Pokémon Trading Card Game Two players compete against each other with decks of 60 cards each. Bag streamlines things by making decks much smaller and simplifying battle mechanics to keep things moving at a brisk pace. Damage is now automatically calculated by the game's computer, and the first player to earn three points by knocking out their opponent's Pokémon (normal Pokémon count one point, while EX monsters count two) wins.
Although Tsujikawa stressed that BagThe development team at launch is mainly focusing on the collecting aspect of the game. They know that with the introduction of new expansions, users may be interested in a more competitive game. There are no concrete plans yet for Bag a new fixture at the Pokémon World Championships, but it is not difficult to imagine that the app will be right next to Pokemon Go and the physical card game.
This may be necessary to give the game a certain longevity when the initial appeal of pure collecting wears off. And if Pokémon Trading Card Game (Bag) The launch will take place on October 30th, which could be enough to make the app a hit.