In the mid-1990s, the masterminds behind Pokémon were building a powerful trifecta. It was one of the few role-playing adventures for Nintendo’s Game Boy, a physical card game, and an animated children’s television show about the adventures of a one-year-old boy and his best friend. , Pikachu. Those were the early days of one of pop culture’s most beloved and enduring series, an enchanting combination of cute, colorful creatures and a jingle-friendly demand to collect them all.
Even as physical media becomes obsolete, the strong imperative to “catch it all” remains. When I was a kid, I kept my Pokemon cards in laminated sleeves. Now, thanks to the Pokemon trading card game Pocket, they’re stored on my phone. In Pocket, players can collect digital cards and use them to fight just like they used to use physical cards.
Released on October 30th for iOS and Android, Pocket ditches physical binders and booster packs in favor of a sleek mobile version that hits your wallet faster than you can finish a match. Like Pokémon Go, the hit game that grew into a global phenomenon, Pocket has legs. The game was downloaded over 30 million times in its first week. On Monday, the game was nominated for Best Mobile Game of 2024 at The Game Awards. This is notable considering it’s been playable for less than a month.
The hype surrounding this game is widespread, from YouTube to X to everyone’s favorite Bluesky. In a video on TikTok, Kinda Funny host and producer Blessing Adeoye Jr. describes how much he enjoys playing the game, from opening a pack to combat, calling it “ridiculous.” “I’m so obsessed with it that I don’t think I can do it anymore,” he said in the video. “They caught my ass.”
Adeoye said Pocket will serve as a jumping-off point where players can feel like they’re experiencing the Pokemon card craze from the beginning. Since there are only three types of packs, everyone ends up collecting the same cards. “It’s a special feeling to open a full-art Pikachu or Mewtwo EX card with unique animations,” Adeoye told WIRED. “There’s a common experience happening right now. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you open a pack of Pokemon cards for the first time as a kid.”
Of course, the goal of Pocket is to get more people into the Pokefold. Just as Go used the appeal of a pop culture powerhouse to get people into augmented reality gaming on their smartphones, Pocket’s appeal lies in putting a slice of its ’90s fan base in the palm of its hand. Go wants you to catch your own collection of little monsters. Pocket wants you to recreate the feeling of going to the store, opening a pack, and winning a rare card. Just like a trip to a comic book store, your chances of getting something interesting depend on how much you spend. (The game is said to have made millions of dollars since its release.)
