It’s a great time to be aPokemonfan right now, but maybe not for the reasons some fans might think. Despite how there are plenty of things to be excited about on their own, likePokemon Legends: Z-Aand the upcomingSwitch 2 upgrades toPokemon ScarletandViolet, the way the franchise has made a name for itself on the mobile market is hard to ignore.
As of this writing, there are 11Pokemonmobile games that fans can enjoy. BetweenPokemon Cafe ReMixandPokemon GO, there is a diverse set of options that embrace something different about the franchise. Fans who adore the many characters inPokemonwill find themselves at home withPokemon Masters EX, competitive players looking for something new with the same iconic creatures would likely enjoyUnite, andPokemon Smileis still helping kids brush their teeth.Pokemon TCG Pockethas managed to go beyond the expectations for itself and apps about collecting as a whole, though, and this may be a sign that the retiredPokemon Duelcould make a comeback.
Pokemon Duel May Thrive in Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Wake
What is Pokemon Duel?
Pokemon Duelwas a free-to-play mobile board game that launched in 2017 and shut down in 2019. Fans would use figures obtained through agacha systemto move across the board, aiming to get to the other player’s side before they do. One of its draws was the artful designs of the digital figures players could get as they could break limitations that its inspiration, the physicalPokemon Trading Figure Game, could not.
Duelwas most certainly ambitious in its endeavors, but that may have been its downfall. The game was met with an incredibly mixed reception, being criticized for how its pull rates of powerful (and power-crept) figures made the game feel very pay-to-win. The fact that moves were chosen by a roulette wheel during battles was a great idea on paper, but panned by players in practice, making entire rounds ofDuelfeel dictated by luck rather than strategy. On top of that, the way it wore its association with thePokemon Trading Figure Gameon its sleeve may have confused potential players into thinking they needed to purchase the physical toys to play. These flaws could be worked out in a more modern game, especially if a newer title learns fromPokemon TCG Pocket’s success.
A Focus on Collecting May Be What Pokemon Duel Was Missing
Collecting isPokemon TCG Pocket’s main focus, and that simple switch in perspective ended up being a game-changer. Yes, deckbuilding and battling solo or against other players is still part of the experience, but it’s secondary to opening packs, getting rare cards, and showing them off.Pokemon TCG Pocketencourages this by allowing players to open at least two packs per day for free. If players were allowed to gather the figures they like casually, just likeTCG Pocketdoes with its cards, the old flaws with the system may not bother players as much as they used to. Of course, the issues should still be reanalyzed and reworked, but that’d come naturally by flipping the script from battling to collecting anyway.
Having an easy-going game where players gather gorgeous figures of their favorite Pokemon and only have to play the board game if they want to might be welcome afterPokemon TCG Pocketshowed that a mobile game like that can be possible. Changing the game itself to embrace the luck aspect as part of the fun, rather than a battle against the app’s power creep, would work well with this new direction. As previously mentioned, though, there are quite a lot ofPokemonmobile gamesto choose from and manage right now, so maybe a figure-collecting title likeDuelwill need to wait for a less cramped window of opportunity to make its return.
