Top 50 Pokemon Games Of All Time

24 – Pokemon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color)

Anyone who’s been a fan of Pokemon long enough remembers the Pokemon Trading Cards. Sneaking them into school to trade them during recess was practically a staple of any trainer’s elementary school experience. As if the small slips of card weren’t convenient enough, Nintendo gave us a handheld game that contained all the fun of the TCG and almost all the fun of collecting the cards themselves in the form of the Pokemon Trading Card Game…game.

It was simplistic, but effective. The player proceeded by defeating themed NPCs with one of three decks chosen at the start of the game, to which random cards from booster packs were added as the player progressed. Cards from the first few sets of real-life cards were available in-game along with some rare exclusives, and all cards functioned just as they would in real life, enabling you to hone your battling prowess for demonstration against your friends if you had the actual cards. Or, if they had a copy of the game, you could use the Link Cable to battle or trade with them, too. Pokemon Trading Card Game was successful on the whole and an excellent way to participate in the card game hobby without emptying your wallet on real life booster packs, though it’s worth pointing out that the trading card game itself is relatively simplistic. This was good for getting the younger set into the game, but may have frustrated those already accustomed to games like Magic.

Next: #23 - Pokemon Art Academy