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 $3 or £2.50) will always contain a "holohgraphic" card, which are regarded as the best. In the West however you only get on per three packs, so as you might work out, collecting a whole set is difficult. The demand for the "charizard" card amongst others has caused many scandalous news reports in schools and so forth. In order to create a "killer deck" you usually have to have more money than the targeted age range has. And as far as trades go, would you give up the most prized card in the set? Exactly.
2) Game play. I will defend the game here. It is very simple to learn, but VERY difficult, maybe even impossible, to master. There are simply too many strategies available thorugh the hundreds of cards released (and yet to be released). You could play this game for the rest of your life and still never have a definitive winning formula.
3) Future. There ars still 3 sets of cards (at least) left to come out in the West. but the recent expansions "Team Rocket" and "Gym Heroes" have not been as popular as previous sets, resulting in the cards going down in value. Yet at the same time older cards no longer in print are skyrocketing in value. This makes it easy for kids to get hold of the new cards, but the older ones, which are usually stronger game-wise, are inaccessible.
So, to summarise these points, it would seem that if you have the money, the game is an A rated product for sure. t is tremendous fun to play and offers an alternative to computer games and also gives children a chance for social interaction. On the other hand, if money is tight or unavailable, you will only end up with a meagre collection, not fit for anything. It's all a result of Wizards Of The Coast's money grabbing.
The only ray of 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.
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.
MikeScoates 11.09.2000 ·
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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.
MikeScoates 11.09.2000 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pokemon
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