Pokémon TCG Pocket, the digital trading card game, is now available on mobile.
It’s free-to-start and allows players to split open booster packs to acquire digital versions of popular Pokémon trading cards – and then compete in battles.
The game was first announced at the Pokémon Presents event in February and is now finally available to download across iOS and Android devices.
One of the biggest draws are the “immersive cards” that allow players to dive into the artwork to explore the worlds within.
However, while free-to-start, there are microtransactions and multiple currencies in the store to acquire time boosters and other items, allowing players to open more packs.
Poké Gold costs 79p for five pieces, or up to £79.99 for 500 pieces. This can be used to buy bundles of items, costing from 45 pieces to 115 pieces.
That said, there are various freebies each day so, if you’re willing to wait, you’ll still have access to a decent chunk of the experience without paying – so far at least.
At launch, cards are from the Genetic Apex collection, which includes plenty of fan favourite Pokémon originating from the Kanto region.
Back in September, Eurogamer’s Lottie Lynn went hands-on with the experience stating while the focus is on opening card packs “there’s a promising version of the card game underneath”.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is expected to be a success, though it remains to be seen if it can reach the same levels as Pokémon Go.
That game just launched its Gigantamax feature to a mixed response, with Niantic acknowledging feedback to make the battles easier.
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