The newly announcedPokemon Trading Card Game Liveis only the latest entry in an ongoing trend. Digital trading card games are more common than ever, and they don’t show any signs of showing down.Hearthstonecontinues to be a major part of Blizzard’s brand, whileMagic: The Gathering Arenaoffers an excellent way to play Wizards of the Coast’s genre-defining trading card game online. ThePokemontrading card game already followedMtGonline withPokemon TCG Online,but it seemsPokemon TCG Livewill expand on that.Pokemonfans don’t know just yet when they’ll be able to pick upPokemon Trading Card Game Live, but there’s no doubt that it’ll play an important role as a new way to experience the card game.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Livewill be available on quite a few platforms, including PC, Mac, and mobile devices, giving fans plenty of options on how to play. However, it’s extremely surprising to see no sign of a Switch version in the app’s announcement.Pokemonis a crucial part of the Nintendo brand, and the Switch is the ongoing hub for all things Nintendo, so it seems like the new trading card app and Nintendo’s console would go hand in hand. Ideally Game Freak has another version of the app in development. The Switch is the perfect platform for Pokemon TCG Live.
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The Switch is Great for Simulating a TCG
There are lots of basic Switch features that make the console great for emulating a trading card game. For one thing,the Switch has a touch screen, meaning players could move around cards by hand just like they would by playingPokemon TCG Liveon mobile devices. Lots of Switch games and apps don’t make use of the Switch’s touchscreen, so it’d be smart for Nintendo and Game Freak to arrange a Switch version of the game that supports both handheld touch screen players and docked players who use a cursor controlled with a joystick.
The core concept of the Nintendo Switch also lends itself really well toPokemon TCG Live.When the Switch was first revealed, Nintendo made a big deal out of its modular design, which allowed players to carry it around and easily play games with friends. Trading card games traditionally function in the same way; it’s easy for fans to carry a deck around and start playing a game at a moment’s notice. PuttingPokemon TCG Liveon Switch would make great use ofthe Switch’s modular design. Local multiplayer in handheld mode would be fantastic forPokemoncard game fans on the go.
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Pokemon’s Ongoing Transformations on Switch
The context in whichPokemon TCG Livegot revealed also makes a difference. Right now, thePokemonIP seems to be in a new era of experimentation, delivering all kinds of surprising titles, fromNew Pokemon Snaptothe MOBAPokemon Uniteto the upcoming open-worldPokemon Legends: Arceus.All of these experimental games use the Switch as their hub, so it only seems right thatPokemon TCG Livejoins them, making all of thePokemonbrand’s big experiments available in the same place. That would be both a significant convenience for fans and a valuable piece of history, helping to establish the Switch as a place wherePokemongrew.
Even thoughPokemon TCG Onlineis already available, one imagines thatPokemon TCG Liveintends to be very different from it. Odds are that, ifLivegenerates a reliable fanbase, it’ll receive regular expansions and updates until it’s completely incomparable toOnline.Ideally, that’ll include adding in someOnlinefeatures thatLiveis missing, like trading, and then improving on those features over time. Whatever else the developers are planning for the long term, though, it’s certain that a Switch version is a must-have forPokemon TCGLive.Pokemonand the Switch are both too important to Nintendo’s brand to keepPokemon TCG Liveand the Switch apart.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Liveis in development for Mac, mobile devices, and PC.
