Pokémon Trading Card Game is a Game Boy Color title based on the popular strategy card game from Wizards of the Coast. Fans of the existing red, blue and yellow versions of Pokémon will find this game to be less redundant than earlier Game Boy Pocket Monster offerings. This game is more of a hybrid of its predecessors--mixing strategy card gameplay and role-playing game elements--with highly successful results.The story in Pokémon Trading Card Game is basically the same as that of the original Pokémon titles, only with new character and feature names substituted. Instead of Professor Oak, players meet Dr Mason. Gym Leaders are named Club Masters, battles are duels and so forth. Learning the card game is a breeze thanks to the inclusion of comprehensive instructions and an in-depth tutorial. Although some minor changes have been made, the method of play is virtually identical to the original card game, and just as addictive. While much shorter than the Pokémon games, the gameplay here doesn't involve random and repetitive battles, and follows a less linear path.
Although Pokémon Trading Card Game would seem to turn a social experience into a solitary one, it allows for and encourages interacting with other game owners. Duels can be fought between players via a game link cable, and cards and decks can be traded using the infrared communications port. The most interesting feature here is the "card pop!" option, which generates one new card for each player when communicating wirelessly; the catch is that you can't "card pop!" the same person again for a while after doing so, thus limiting the feature's appeal. --Joe Hon