The Evolution Of Play: Pokémon TCG Classic

The Pokémon TCG Classic is one of the most unique products we have seen in years from the Pokémon company. It is designed like a portable battle stadium that you can play anywhere with your friends and features some classic card designs. It triggered lots of nostalgia in many Pokémon fans, particularly fans who collected during the early years of Pokémon. The set comes with a giant carry case to carry all of the cards and extras in which opens out into a battle stadium to play your games in. When you open it up, you find 3 excellent decks to choose from, featuring Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, all reprints of the Base Set and featuring a new holo pattern. There are also stackable damage counters, condition markers and counters contained alongside the decks, as well as deck boxes to match the decks. It is a little pricey though and retailed at £400, which I think put a lot of people off, particularly as the cards are not tournament legal, apart from the energy cards.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game was released in the UK in 1999 with the Base Set and was produced by Wizards Of The Coast. Some of the most iconic and sought after cards were released in this first set and it was our first chance to get our hands on the starter trio of Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. Many people who played the original games will have their favourite and it can cause quite the discussion on which is the best! But it was their final evolution forms that people often remember most fondly and Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise are some of the best loved Pokémon of all time. They have seen reprints of these Base Set cards over time, including in the Sword and Shield 25th Anniversary set, Celebrations.

The Nostalgic Appeal of Pokémon TCG Classic

The Pokémon TCG Classic is different to lots of products in that it features faithful reprints of many of our favourite cards. As we have said, the main Pokémon in the decks are Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise as well as many other of our favourites from the Kanto region. This appealed to many people that had played during the early days of Pokémon as the decks were similar to what they had played all those years ago. Not only does it feature many staple cards from the Base Set but they are all faithfully reprinted in a holo pattern, so the whole deck is full of shinies! Imagine if we had had that as kids with the Base Set! Not only do you get all these original cards, you will also get some new cards too, as Suicune ex, Lugia ex and Ho-Oh ex make their debuts. There are only 6 brand new cards for this product, the rest are all made up of reprints. We even get to revisit some amazing fan favourites, such a PokeBall, Rockets Admin and the ever powerful Bill.

Key Differences Between Pokémon TCG Classic and Standard Game

As we know, unfortunately, these cards will not be legal for tournament play and can only be used with this product. It’s unfortunate although not too surprising, considering that most of these cards are reprints of old cards and the game has changed a lot since then. Reintroducing cards like VS Seeker could have a huge impact on the game.

In the set you also receive stackable damage counters, which is something different and I’m sure you could use these in your normal play if you wanted. There are also no coins in this set for determining coin flips. Instead, you have a tube in the middle of the board which you roll little orbs down and they then land on a chess board style area. If the orb lands in a black bordered hole it is classed as a tails and if it lands in a white bordered hole then it counts as a heads. I don’t think we will see this in the standard game much!

Aside from these changes to the gameplay, there are no differences in the rules of the game and the way that the cards interact with each other, which keeps it nice and simple for those already experienced in playing.

The Experience For New and Veteran Players

I think this product is an excellent all rounder. For those just beginning their Pokémon journey, it is a fantastic way to get your hands on everything you need to begin playing with your friends straight away. It's also brilliant that it is such a portable product. By having its own little carry case, you can take all the pieces you need with you and you don’t even need a table to play on as it unfolds into its own battle stadium. This is perfect for new players that don’t then need to go out and buy loads of extras to play the Pokémon TCG.

It is a great way for new players to learn the card mechanics and how they interact with each other before heading off to a tournament or more serious setting. It is a great way to learn about damage counters and coin flip mechanics and everything you need to know about the Pokémon TCG before starting to go to tournaments. It seems that this product is the perfect gateway into the TCG and allows you to get a feel for things without the pressure of a tournament scene.

Aside from the newer players, veteran players will love this product too, but for different reasons. This is a set, stuffed full of all the classic cards that many of us grew up with and it gives people the opportunity to relive their childhood years or battling with friends on the school playground. It transports us back to the Kanto region and our favourite starter trio of Pokémon. While the cards are not tournament legal, they are a superb standalone set to allow us to recreate those golden years! The nostalgia factor will feature heavily for veteran players.

The Pokémon TCG Classic will also appeal to collectors who can get their hands on the ‘original’ Base Set cards, or at least, as close as we can get these days. Many people will never even play with these cards and instead will display them in a binder or have them graded and displayed. I’m sure there are also hundreds or thousands of these products sealed in people’s collections. People enjoy the hobby in different ways and it is a great thing that the Pokémon TCG Classic appeals to all aspects of the hobby.

The Impact of the Pokémon TCG Classic and its Future

The Pokémon community has had a generally positive response to the Pokémon TCG Classic. Many people have enjoyed the nostalgia factor of these cards and have enjoyed collecting them. The price point has been a barrier to entry for some people but it remains a fantastic starter set for new and returning players. I think it would have been far more popular if the cards were legal for tournament play, however I also think it was the correct decision to keep them out of the standard format. It was great to see something new and different from the Pokémon company and I would love to see similar products in the future. Will we get something like this for the Johto region? Who knows, I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

You can pick up your Pokémon TCG Classic on our website at Magic Madhouse.