Pokemon TCG Pocket’s New OP Card is Pokemon X and Y All Over Again

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 4, 2024 2 Views 6 Min Read
Pokemon TCG Pocket's New OP Card is Pokemon X and Y All Over Again

The Pokemon TCG has fostered a competitive meta that has evolved over decades of new cards, but its translation to the franchise’s latest mobile release in Pokemon TCG Pocket has reignited hype around the unique offerings in its own first expansion. Among Genetic Apex’s 226 cards, however, one stands out as a defining force in the early meta of the game. With luck on the player’s side, Kangaskhan in Pokemon TCG Pocket can be nearly as overpowered as its Mega counterpart in the days of the X and Y video games.




While its first expansion has largely focused on the nostalgia of the original 151, the throwback effect of Kangaskhan’s sudden rise in Pokemon TCG Pocket has given it a mixed status in battle. Playing the card optimally essentially makes the game into a probability-centric toss-up, a predictable strategy that almost mirrors the anxiety of facing Mega Kangaskhan in past generations.

Pokemon TCG Pocket Types Short Stick

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One Pokemon TCG Pocket Type is Getting the Short End of the Stick

Pokemon TCG Pocket has some pretty obvious balancing issues at launch, but one Pokemon type in particular is doing a little worse than the others.

Dizzy Punch Can Be Overpowered at the Beginning of Battle

As a one-cost move with a coin flip mechanic that dictates whether it will inflict two hits for 30 damage each, Kangaskhan’s Dizzy Punch has the potential to hit for 60 damage in one turn when it hits the field. As a Basic Pokemon with 100 HP, its bulk allows it to set up a snowball scenario if these coin flips favor the player. With the effectiveness of evolving Basic stage Pokemon in Pokemon TCG Pocket, Dizzy Punch can take them out before they even fulfill that strategy.


It’s not exactly the most overwhelmingly powerful card of its expansion, but the relatively low cost of its attack and the survivability of Kangaskhan tend to put it above similar contenders like Farfetch’d, with its more reliable 40 damage Leek Slap. It might have a high retreat cost along with being able to be checked by the likes of Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Giovanni Supporter card, any countering tends to hinge on Kangaskhan not landing its Dizzy Punch hits.

The Power of Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Kangaskhan Card is Reminiscent of Mega Kangaskhan’s Overbearing Dominance


The Parental Bond Ability Broke Pokemon X and Y’s Competitive Scene

While many fan-favorites with striking designs got Megas that pushed them even further into the hearts of players when the Pokemon X and Y games launched, Kangaskhan stands as an example of a bland Pokemon redeemed by its Mega Evolution. This may have been an over-correction, however, as Parental Bond allowed Mega Kangaskhan to attack twice. The second hit might have reduced damage, which was even further lowered in Gen 7, but the strength of moves like Power-Up Punch and Fake Out made this Pokemon a constant fixture of the video game meta that many players felt the need to regulate. A double-hitting gimmick might seem like deja vu for TCG Pocket players now, but only time will tell if this remains the case.

Dizzy Punch Kangaskhan is Unlikely to Be as Much of a Menace

Even when the power creep of Z-Moves came around in the games, the status of Pokemon X and Y‘s Mega Kangaskhan remained worthy of banning among competitive communities like Smogon. It would probably still be a problem if Megas hadn’t been removed, but the Dizzy Punch card in TCG Pocket will have to endure further expansions that are almost guaranteed to bring similar options. Cards like Ambipom from the Pokemon GO set can hit for 60 damage per Energy attached, for example, but it’s unknown if the meta of the mobile game will progress to that point any time soon.

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