The Pokemon Trading Card Game has always been an investment for those who want to collect or play in competitions. However, the price and availability of cards have made the hobby difficult to commit to. Pokemon TCG Pocket is the solution to making the game available for everyone.
It’s no secret that the TCG has gotten increasingly expensive over the decades it has been available. Price hikes at the start of the Scarlet and Violet expansion lifespan pushed ETB prices over $50, with unopened booster packs selling at five dollars on average.
Add in supply issues, like what was seen during the Sword and Shield era, unpredictable pull rates, and the cost of playing and collecting can quickly make the game unattainable – especially for the kids the Pokemon franchise is marketed for.
While I was skeptical of the game originally, I have come to believe that Pokemon TCG Pocket may be the solution to accessibility, and it could surpass the physical game in popularity due to its general affordability.
Pokemon TCG Pocket offers everything you need for ten bucks a month
When information about Pokemon TCG Pocket first started circulating, I had doubts about how playable it would be. Developer Dena, responsible for expensive gacha games like Pokemon Masters ex, was open about the gacha model for card pulls even in the earliest gameplay breakdowns.
My reservations about the game held right up until release day, as Streamers with early access posted videos on how to get all the best cards for free, or how to open the most packs without premium currency. I was fairly convinced that in order to play properly, I’d need to give up hundreds of dollars in a gamble for decent cards.
Despite my fears, since the game’s release date, I have only spent a total of thirty dollars. All of this has been for the Premium Pass which offers extra bonuses and an extra daily pack to open.
At no point since picking the game up have I been tempted to drop money for premium currency. In fact, Pokemon TCG Pocket is blissfully free of ad popouts when opened. It doesn’t shove a bunch of sales and bundles and boxes in your face.
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Instead, I can earn the currency needed to open extra packs by participating in events, completing missions, and leveling my account. I get everything I could want out of the game, and it only costs ten bucks a month.
To put that into perspective, that may be two booster packs in total for the physical card game.
Pokemon TCG Pocket has the accessibility physical collecting has never offered
I have been collecting physical Pokemon TCG cards since I was nine years old. I remember when I could get a booster pack at a box store for two or three dollars. Over the years, as prices have climbed, many players have taken breaks from collecting simply because it isn’t responsible to blow hundreds of dollars on cardboard.
As prices have gone up, and availability has gone down, even those who collect to battle have to ask themselves if it is worth the investment.
Pokemon TCG Pocket has solved the biggest problem facing the physical card game, but making the booster packs, card lists, and gameplay available to everyone. By opening two free packs minimum a day, you are very likely to get rare cards.
Because the cards can’t be sold, and there are no physical supply issues to contend with, no one misses out. Pokemon TCG Pocket has given the game back to the fans, allowing players of any age to truly enjoy the joys of battle and collecting.
When it comes to tabletop games like Pokemon, the most important element should be accessibility, and if Pokemon TCG Pocket continues to build on this, the game will flourish and grow in popularity, possibly eclipsing the physical card game it was inspired by.