Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs To Chill With the Expansions

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I’m quite fond of collectible trading card games, yet I find myself hesitant about diving into Pokémon TCG Pocket. Launched merely a month ago, October 30, the mobile iteration of the game is gearing up for its fifth expansion on March 27: Shining Revelry.

It’s neat that players can try for glossy editions of scarce Pokemon, but it feels overwhelming since there are still two previous sets left unfinished and we’re constantly receiving new cards? I guess it’s high time for a break.

If you’re not familiar, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Pocket releases new sets almost monthly, each containing numerous new cards that range in scarcity. You can obtain these cards in a couple of ways: either by opening booster packs or by getting fortunate with a Wonder Pick, which gives you the chance to select from five possible cards that another user has pulled from a booster pack they’ve chosen.

Opening packs awards you with a minimal number of pack tokens. Accumulate enough and you’ll have the opportunity to pick any card in a particular collection. Unfortunately, the rewards are quite small, which means if you’re aiming for a rare card, you’ll likely need to open many booster packs first to accumulate the necessary pack points. Also, it’s important to note that these tokens can only be used to acquire cards from the specific set from which they were earned, not any other sets.

In this game, trading is an option, but the complex system has sparked significant backlash from players, leading to revisions. You should understand the direction I’m heading now, right? It’s quite challenging to collect sets due to the randomness involved. It’s not about spending money, as you can’t directly purchase cards. Instead, you can buy packs, but that’s much like visiting a casino and aiming for the big win. Keep in mind that if you’re a free-to-play user, you’re limited to opening only two booster packs per day.

In the latest expansion called Triumphant Light, the probability of obtaining the three-star Arceus EX full art card is a mere 0.222%. And let me tell you, I do have this card in my collection (a bit of boast). But even rarer than that, the crown rarity Arceus EX has an extremely low chance of just 0.040% to appear.

Released on February 28 was a smaller deck named Triumphant Light, containing only 96 cards. However, it’s worth noting that this is relatively small compared to recent releases such as Space-Time Smackdown, which added an impressive 207 cards on January 29, and Mythical Island, which joined the fray with 85 cards on December 17. Even the game’s debut set, Genetic Apex, introduced a whopping 286 cards back on October 30.

The Pokémon TCG Pocket app could be described as an instance where having too much content might not always be beneficial. It seems like the creators at Creatures Inc. and DeNA are pushing players to spend money in order to keep pace with the frequent releases. However, it should be noted that all booster packs remain accessible, allowing players to either finish a prior collection or take a chance with a new one.

If DeNa focused equally on various parts of the game instead of just card collection, the gameplay could become significantly more pleasurable. And yes, it’s encouraging that ranked play will be introduced as part of the Shining Revelry extension. It’s definitely progress, even if it’s a step at a time.

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2025-03-24 21:42