With Pokémon TCG Pocket (in English: Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket), MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen can finally fulfill her dream of having her own card collection. Because she can collect Pokémon cards without having to spend money.
Recently, there has been a digital trading card game for mobile devices. Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket combines the best aspects of card collecting for me: I can tear open booster packs, admire my cards in the album, and even use them for battles.
The mobile app allows you to open a new pack every 12 hours. There are no extra costs involved, which benefits my collecting passion.
A wish for years, but always too expensive
For several years, I have been considering starting a Pokémon card collection. Many of the card images are beautiful, and some cards even contain interconnected stories. One example is Gardevoir with its pre-evolutions, which accompanies a little girl into her old age.
But there are several reasons why I never started collecting:
- On one hand, my own stupidity gets in the way. I already had a small collection when I was in elementary school. In a moment of mental clarity (and because our cat had urinated on the shelf), I threw away my collection folder one day. To this day, I shake my head at having discarded my collection and am simply too proud to start over.
- On the other hand, I already have a hobby with Magic: The Gathering that costs me money. I already know how expensive it can be to buy several boosters from one set. Next year, the Final Fantasy collection is also coming, which I am already saving for. Two trading card games would probably break my wallet – and the space in my shelf.
- It is also worth mentioning that with each set, new Pokémon are introduced that are then printed as cards. Thus, collecting would never stop, which can be nice on one hand but also expensive on the other.
- I also feel like I have already missed so many sets that I no longer want to start. The card game has been around for several decades, and starting is even more difficult for me since I don’t know where to begin.
The main reason remains that collecting Pokémon cards would ultimately be too expensive. But thanks to the mobile app, I can finally fulfill my long-desired dream of having my own Pokémon card collection while saving a lot of money.
While it is possible to spend a lot of real money on the app thanks to premium passes and Poké Gold, I can control myself quite well with such tempting offers. The app allows you to open two boosters per day. This gives me the thrill of wondering what cards might be in the booster without having to invest money.
The only advantage of spending money is that it brings special cosmetics for playing, or allows me to open even more boosters in a shorter amount of time. Those who, like me, are patient can manage to open two boosters per day. This is certainly more than I can currently afford with Magic.
Another plus of the app is that I can comfortably play on the couch or while doing other things. In contrast to Pokémon GO, the app is perfect for lazy people like me. The rules in battles are also simplified so that newcomers can immediately grasp the fights.
The only downside is that the cards remain digital. If the developers decide to shut down the game’s servers at some point, all the beautiful cards will be gone. I could still admire an analog collection in the album even after many years.
However, the digital cards bring a feature that real cards lack: There are full-art cards where only a portion of the image is visible on the card itself. But when you click on the card, a larger scene unfolds, showing many other Pokémon interacting with one another.
Therefore, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is a mobile game I will continue to stick with in the future. If you, like me, are a patient player who doesn’t want to spend money on mobile apps, the trading card game could be a good alternative to the real thing.
Currently, there is the first event in Pokémon TCG Pocket where special cards can be collected. This way, the fun of collecting will last in the long run. You can find all the information about the event at MeinMMO: Pokémon TCG Pocket starts its first event, bringing you exclusive promo cards
