Although the initial hysteria has died down, Pokemon is still here! If you aren't already aware; Its Japanese; it stands for 'Pocket Monsters' and its actually been around for about 7 years. This opinion gives you a detailed background in Pokemon, a brief description of the game and the problems/advantages ... Read review
Advantages: Good strategy game for all the family & a good collection hobby Disadvantages: Cost; exploitation in card swaps; and value of the the cards
...initial hysteria has died down, Pokemon is still here! If you aren't already aware; Its Japanese; it stands for 'Pocket Monsters' and its actually been around for about 7 years. This opinion gives you a detailed background in Pokemon, a brief description of the game and the problems/advantages of collecting the Pokemon cards. Even if you hate the concept of Pokemon it maybe worth reading!
The object of the Pokemon game is to compete ... ...The winner is obviously the Pokemon champion. Each pocket monster or Pokemon has special skills eg. Pikachu has a lightening bolt of a strength of 40 Hit Points against its opposing Pokemon. Each Pokemon are split into different categories - fire, earth, lightening, water, psychic etc. Some are better than others and some evolve from one type of creature into another more powerful creature. An example is Charmander which envolves into Charmeleon ... more
Although the initial hysteria has died down, Pokemon is still here! If you aren't already aware; Its Japanese; it stands for 'Pocket Monsters' and its actually been around for about 7 years. This opinion gives you a detailed background in Pokemon, a brief description of the game and the problems/advantages of collecting the Pokemon cards. Even if you hate the concept of Pokemon it maybe worth reading!
The object of the Pokemon game is to compete or fight against your opponent using your pocket monsters against theirs. The winner is obviously the Pokemon champion. Each pocket monster or Pokemon has special skills eg. Pikachu has a lightening bolt of a strength of 40 Hit Points against its opposing Pokemon. Each Pokemon are split into different categories - fire, earth, lightening, water, psychic etc. Some are better than others and some evolve from one type of creature into another more powerful creature. An example is Charmander which envolves into Charmeleon who envolves into the mighty Charizard!
The game has different themes - water, fire, fighting etc. One person can play with one theme and the other plays with another eg. fire vs water. The game can be very addictive, fun to play and educationally very good, if played right! Each person has an active Pokemon and a number of reserved Pokemon. Each person takes it in turns to train their Pokemon and attach energy cards, making them more powerful and have a greater chance of knocking out their opponents Pokemon. After knocking out your opponents Pokemon you can claim a prize. Once all the prizes have been won then that person is the Pokemon master or champion.
The game has a good mixture of strategy similar to that of warhammer, chess and a good old fashioned card game. It is fun for all ages from 7 upwards. The starter pack costs around Ł7 and is the preferred set to learn to play the game, which can easily be learnt within a few days. The game will keep both the children and adults hooked for a few weeks/months - or throughout a holiday!
You can add further specialist Pokemon/Trainer/Energy cards by buying further 'booster' packs at around Ł2.50 each. Each booster pack has 11 cards in total of which one card is rare Pokemon card, a certain number of uncommon cards and the rest common cards. It is a lottery on what cards you get. If you get doubles you can swap or trade them with your friends - usually not at schools! They are hated by most teachers! The best card is Charizard because it is the most powerful and has a greater resistance of getting knocked out. It's very hard to find and it will set you back around Ł10-Ł20 for that single card, which is why there is a lot of controversy about Pokemon. As well as the value of the cards and unfair trades taking place, younger children have been exploited by the older kids.
There are a total of over 151 Pokemon across 4 series - Basic, Jungle, Fossil & Team Rocket(Dark Pokemon). Each series comes with a number of trainer cards which can boost energy, increase your Pokemon's energy, decrease its number of hit points etc or decrease your opponents Pokemon hit points. We are many series behind Japan and a few behind America.
At the moment, due to the initial hysteria dying down, the card decks are being sold in shops for half price or under, so if you've always fancied having a go, or have missing cards to collect, now is the time to buy.
In summary, the games great - very addictive, educational and very collectable! Our kids aged 9 and 11 still love to play it although sometimes need a little adult support. Even us adults have been known to have grudge matches! Not one mention of the yellow rodent Pikachu! It has its critics, but if they just played the game they might change their opinions. Yes, Pokemon isn't cheap if you want to catch'um all but it is an enjoyable game and is something good for children to collect, if controlled properly.
Advantages: Some of the creatures are actually quite cool Disadvantages: Takes over the little darlings' lives
...them. He was mad for Pokemon and ate, slept and breathed the craze. I remember driving him and his mate over to Blackpool to see the James Bond film, 'The World Is Not Enough' - they started muttering unintelligibly in the back of the car - "Wigglypuff, Charizard, Blastoise, but Mewtwo's the best you dick!" Apparently these are Pokemon creatures, and are characters from a phenomenon which embraces trading card games, TV cartoons, movies and websites ... ...that the careless little sod had lost them in his own bedroom. That was enough for us and Pokemon cards were rapidly banned at our house. We managed to get Lewis off the craze just as it was taking hold. Take my advice, everything in moderation... ...
dave27 01.06.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: Erm, well, Pikachu is cute, but that's it! Disadvantages: They were invented!
...know that there are more Pokemon cards on this tiny planet than humans? Apparently, Pokemon cards cost the producers 10p to make about 15 cards, but they sell at about 23 pence per card. Children are sucked into thinking they must get every single card or they'll be outcast for the rest of their lives, and you realise there are over 800 to collect! They are being totally ripped off by Nintendo. But what makes the situation worse is that it's not ... ...One can buy eleven cards in a pack for a charge of Ł2.50. Why should parents shell out this much for pieces of worthless paper? Besides, the kids spend more time just looking at them than actually playing the game, which is too complicated to go into. The company claims the make some rare, but this is just another marketing scam to get the kiddies to pay upto Ł50 for one stupid card! And the people who make the fake ones will be grinning too, because ...
reh 09.09.2000 (22.12.2000)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: Loads of fun for Pokemon/Nintendo fans Disadvantages: Can be boring for parents
...Love them or hate them, Pokemon Trading cards are big! They have played a big part in our life this year, we have been to no less than six Trading Card League events. I have to praise these events because for Pokemon fans they are a real treat. The events are free to enter and the first thing you get is a bag of goodies just for going in. This bag contains a collectable card which is not readily available elsewhere. Once inside the kids can play ... ...chance to download a rare Pokemon onto your gameboy console. All in all they make for a very entertaining day out for the kids. If you are a parent I suggest you learn how to play too or you could end up spending a lot of time just waiting around. The leagues are held all around the country, for details of an event near you, you can check in one of the many Nintendo or Pokemon magazines available. In the Nintendo Official Magazine they feature photographs ...
stonea 05.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: Gameplay galore and a lot of fun to be had, a good hobby. Disadvantages: Kids know more about Pokemon than they do about geography, now, a bad thing indeed.
...You know that when the Pokemon phenomenon becomes childrens' joke folklore then it is officially a phenomenon of gigantic proportions.
My nephew knows every one of 150 Pokemon names and their associated card statistics, you give him the number, he calls out the stats. (He IS autistic though, that has a lot to do with it, but the point is he loves Pokemon.)
The main idea is trading and collecting cards, which kids have always loved doing for the ... ...have driven this card collection beyond all proportion. The card "game" itself is another matter, does anyone know how to play it properly? It's hard to find books on how to play, but plenty are out there and I would recommend WH Smiths if you want to learn the basics, they aren't really that hard to pick up, but there is loads of strategy involved, so kids can get into it as deep as they want. ...
MikeScoates 11.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: Highly customisable, promotes social interaction,, popular (for the moment) with the children Disadvantages: Prices in the West are ridiculous. Some cards no longer available. Odds of getting premium cards too high.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game has been available in the UK for just under a year now, and about 18 months in the US. Yet it seems that the game is now in a decline. So I put the question to you - is it actually worth bothering with this franchise anymore?
Consider the following factors:
1) Cost. I will not pull punches here. Wizards Of The Coast made this game a rip off in the West. In Japan, a booster pack (where you get new cards in a pack for ... ...light I can see for Pokemon TCG is the release of the new Gameboy games this Christmas season, which may or may not result in a resurgence of the franchise. If not, start selling off your collection now. Note to cars stores: Maybe Dragonball Z will be the next big card game. Maybe not.
David. ...
GoldOpinion 12.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: None, as a parent, but ask a child the same question! Disadvantages: Everything about Pokemon.
Am I getting old, or does anyone else not understand Pokemon?
What is the fascination about Pokemon and why does everyone else seem to understand this phenomena, except me! Or am I just feeling my age?
For anyone out there that hasn’t come across Pokemon - where have you been, Mars? Because that must be about the only place that this craze can’t have reached or are there little green men swapping Pokemon cards!
For the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know what Pokemon are, then I will do my best to try and explain what they are (that is if my understanding is correct?).
Pokemon are a Japanese creation (who else!) and the literal translation is “Pocket Monsters”. They are cartoon characters and there must be about 150 different Pokemon, but they seem to keep adding new ones, so that figure has ...
Xyanthe 11.04.2001 (02.05.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pokemon
I think pokemon cards are a rip off.They bend easily and kids fight over them. Kids in my street are fighting and falling out over them.The people who made them sould of thought about what would happen when they made them. Also the cards are so expensive a saw one card that was Ł14.99 and another one that was Ł12.50.childrens pocket money are being spent on them.I feel that the cards are a total waste of time and money.Children could be buying some thing useful like crayons etc.My brother brought some.He spent about 20 pounds on them and allhe does now with them is thow them around his room. ...
attic4 11.11.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Pokemon
Advantages: Nice toys Disadvantages: Just another parent gimmick
The Pokemon Revolution has hit our shores for about the last 18 months and are beginning to wain in popularity now slightly.
THE Toy last Christmas was a Pokemon toy.
The toy this Christmas is going to be the Thunderbirds puppets.
Strange that as I never though it would be popular with young children, not 30 years after its initial release.
The pokemon domination is helped by its TV coverage as is Thunderbirds.
POkemons are meant to be small animals that are used to duel with on TV. They come out of red and White balls and then take on Evil.
Obviously the toys reflect all of the characters and you can buy lots of different ones.
The most famous one is called Pichachu.
It is a cuddly Yellow creature that lives with its owner on TV. This is the one that everyone wanted for Christmas.
They also come on playing cards that ...
andycharger 11.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pokemon
