| Mail |

You might also like: WoW Insider, Massively, and more

More Sites You Might Like

Pokemon Trainer Challenge brings the trading card game online

by David Hinkle on Feb 15th 2011 11:30PM

The problem with trading card games is that you have to have friends around to play them -- and, a lot of times, that means you actually have to leave the house. In a video game, roaming the world in search of Pokémon may be relatively safe, but out in the real world, there are certain dangers that need to be taken into consideration. Bears, diseases and cosplayers are all real threats.

That's why we're excited about the Pokémon Trainer Challenge, a new Flash version of the TCG coming to the internet near you this April. Using three pre-constructed decks, you'll be able to face off against 12 virtual trainers across three leagues in the online game, hopefully learning enough to keep you from embarrassing yourself at the next Saffron City Social.

Pokémon Trainer Challenge will require a free Pokémon Trainer Club account to play. You can find more details on Pokemon.com.

Pokemon Trainer Challenge

Source: Pokemon.com

Tags: ds, flash-game, nintendo, pc, pokemon, Pokemon-Black-and-White, Pokemon-Trainer-Challenge, tcg, The-Pokemon-Company, trading-card-game

Reader Comments (38)

Didn't even see this on the main page. Cool though.

Nothing will beat the Pokemon TCG on the Game Boy, if they made another one for the DS/3DS, I'd buy it instantly

@RCizzle65 Agreed.

I hope they do something more with this, it's kind of lame as is. Like, PvP? Deck Building? Flesh it out some.

@RCizzle65 Same here. My class in school had 10 kids and it was me and one other dude that played pokemon. The TCG was awesome.

@RCizzle65 Wouldn't be surprised if they made that for the 3DS, plus an Augmented Reaily Pokemon game.

Wait...so there's actually a game you can play with the cards? All I did was collect them.

@drmoeller

What did you think all of the text on those cards was for?

@drmoeller - Ohhhhhh, so THAT'S what the "game" part meant in "trading card game"! That explains a lot!

/sarcasm

I'm unashamed to say that I was in a Pokemon TCG league for a while, until I owned everyone and got my shiny badges. I played at school as well. Pokemon was probably the first and only game that had any widespread popularity at my school, and that was socially acceptable to play.

I loved collecting the cards, but never really enjoyed the game itself. Magic and Yugioh were far better imo. And the preconstructed decks isn't helping, but it's free, so I'll try it.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1920933

This is why the Pokemon TCG is awesome...

When I was 23 I got into a huge fight with my roommate about Jiggly Puff's sleep spell and how it was to be used properly in a game. I used it the same way he did to me the night before but he got pissed and threw all his cards down and then threw all the beers, cigs, ashtray and whatever junk we had at the time down on the ground off the table. This pissed me off to no end, thus I began to punch in his mouth. He charged me into me and my back went through the dry wall as we continued to pummel each other. On top of this a female friend entered out apartment and thought we were killing each other and she started screaming bloody murder. This was about 6:30 on a Friday night when we were all about to go out. My face a bloody mess when all was said and done and I had to put on new clothes. Ah Pokemon cards......good times.

@Revving Injuns

Riveting tale, gent.

@Revving Injuns "I began to punch in his mouth"
????
An image of a 4-inch man getting mad playing Pokemon and then jumping in to the other person's mouth and repeatedly punching him inside of his mouth appears!

@Revving Injuns

http://cajolable.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/what-you-talking-bout-willis.jpg

@Revving Injuns stories like these are why i love the internet

@StevieJanowski
I believe he meant to type "INTO his mouth".

@Revving Injuns I meant to write punch his mouth in. But I did punch-in his nose ;)

@Revving Injuns Should of used Thunder Punch, it would of been super effective.

"The problem with trading card games is that you have to have friends"

=(

@tophat I know... I feel that I need a hug too...

@tophat Forever Cubone =(

@tophat
Except when you have siblings who also like Pokemon.
I used to play with my brother and sisters.

Anyone remember the Wizards Pokémon TCG PC game?
It was a glorified flash game too

That fail-cosplay link, I couldn't stop laughing. I had to send it to everyone I know... It's just too hilarious! It makes me a horrible person to laugh at others in such a way... but... COMMON! REALLY?! It's just askin for it.

I'm shocked over Pokemon having PC functionality lately versus other Nintendo platforms. First Black/White and now the TCG? I'm also shocked that there's customizable trainers in this, yet I can't get it in my Pokemon RPG titles. Only reason Battle Revolution was any good.

BTW, A 3DS Pokemon TCG game would be awesome, especially with the 3DS's augmented reality.

@Master Marik Umm, there were a boatload of reasons the console Pokemon games (that tried to be more than a Stadium game) weren't good...

I can't wait wait to play this. Something like this is a dream come true for me. I fondly remember the GBC game as well. I haven't played the real life game since Fossil came out though.:O

@OrangeGamer

boy are you going to be disappointed then. Read the description more carefully.

A) 3 preconstructed decks
B) no PVP, only a set number of rivals to play against
c) no badass music like the gameboy version had
d)awful awful "customizable" avatars. They couldn't look more boring/unpokemon-like. I'm just not sure what they were thinking.

@zuluedison
It is only a beta, I imagine more features will become available and if you buy the new physical Black & White decks coming in April, you get a code to use them in the game too. I think that's better than buying digital cards.

I agree about the avatars though, the Pokemon website already lets you create a custom trainer and they're a lot more Pokemon like.

Was interested till I heard it was pretty much a single player game you play online.

God, I clicked on the link of the cosplays... my eyes are completely destroyed now...

This is going to be bigger than Farmville (eventually) when it is released. Mark my words.

@gregarine Not quite. Integrate it into FB though and they'll have themselves a winner.

The way it was played in my youth was you flip a coin. Winner gets to choose an attack, repeat until someone wins. Some people played for keeps, which obviously would bring controversy in cases where a noob loses a precious card in battle and cries to mommy about it.

at least they are not card games on motorcycles

One step closer to Pokemon MMO.

It would be nice if they made this player vs player, releasing expansions with coded cards that allow you to register them online and build a digital deck, which would also give you the option of using them in real play.

oh well

I meant to write punch his mouth in. But I did punch-in his nose ;)

Breaking News

Pokemon Black / White

Pokemon Trainer Challenge brings the trading card game online

Pokemon Trainer Challenge

Reader Comments (38)

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 6:03PM mikec89 said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:36PM RCizzle65 said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:40PM hxczuner said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:43PM Treythalomew said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:10AM gregarine said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:38PM drmoeller said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 1:03AM Heffer Wolfe said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:52AM BananaBoat said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:42PM Rhamsey said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:51PM liquidsoap89 said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:56PM Revving Injuns said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:44AM Xlnt said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:49AM StevieJanowski said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 1:00AM The Radio Waves Were Like Snow said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:51PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:56PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 11:02PM Revving Injuns said

Posted: Mar 25th 2011 1:20PM SuperKing11 said

Posted: Feb 15th 2011 11:57PM tophat said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:56AM AmethystHarp said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:08AM PS1 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:53PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:00AM mko said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:47AM ShadowOp814 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:52AM Master Marik said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:08AM gregarine said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 12:56AM OrangeGamer said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 1:33AM zuluedison said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:03AM Snowblind said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:50AM TheMysticalNinja said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:57AM AmethystHarp said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:00AM gregarine said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 9:15AM PS1 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:07AM PS1 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:58AM RedFishFire said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 1:02PM Elranzer said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 2:09PM DrDrew Pinsky said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:51PM Revving Injuns said

Pokemon Black / White Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Super Joystiq Podcast 004: 38 Studios meltdown, Gravity Rush, Civilization 5: Gods & Kings, Dragon's Dogma

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW