Pokemon Trading Card Game

"I'm surprised that it came off this well!"

Sure, I wasn't really much of a Pokefreak, but considering it came out on my birthday (April 11) I figured I should try it. Now I can truly say that anything that arrives on your birthday has to be good!


Graphics: 8/10
The graphics are, once again, small, stocky sprites that are drawn to make them look all like children. However, the card illustrations are excellent, even if they aren't 100% reproductions of their originals. There's even battle animations that show what kind of attacks are being done. Plus, all the counters for damage are located there too. And, if that weren't enough, it's Game Boy Color enhanced!


Sounds: 7/10
Mostly average Game Boy fare, little of which I recognized from the original. The music that is. The sound effects are similar to that of the original game, however, which adds an extra touch to the gameplay. It livens up what would otherwise be a quiet card game, formerly only lit up audibly by the comments and battle cries of the players!


Controls: 8/10
Playing your cards is done via a menu based system. Unfortunately, things can get rather confusing, and you sometimes end up ending your turn without attacking when you actually wanted to attack! On the plus side, all the commands are listed in one menu so you know what you can and can't do. That's one plus is has over the card game.


Story: 6/10
The story element is similar to that of Pokemon, only with the card theme in mind. Your goal is to beat all the club leaders in an attempt to play the masters and earn the rare Pokemon cards. Ho hum. Still, it does add a nice RPG element to the field.


Replay: 8/10
Newbies may have a little trouble at first. Thankfully, there's a tutorial in the manual as well as at the start of the game. Even then, it's still a little hard learning things like deck management and what each element is strong and weak against. This takes time.


Overall: 8/10
It may not be the best craze, but it sure isn't the worst either. If you like the card game, or want to start on it, this is the best way to. Plus there's no more spending unnecessary money on booster packs! Just thirty bucks and you're set!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/15/00, Updated 07/16/01