Pokémon, the game franchise that I love more than most real things in the actual world, is coming to the iPad. I would weep for joy were the news not watered down somewhat by the fact that the first game arriving on Apple’s devices isn’t the actual monster collection and battling game that makes up the core franchise, but is instead the Pokémon trading card game.
Now I own some Pokémon trading cards, and they’re fine, but this is kind of like getting a Mars bar when what you want is a Snickers; I’ll eat the damn chocolate bar, and I’ll enjoy it, but I’ll only enjoy it around 70 percent as much as I’d enjoy the Snickers.
Polygon first reported the news of the game’s arrival on iOS, which was leaked originally by Pokémaniac Josh Wittenkeller on Twitter. The blog confirmed with The Pokémon Company that the leak was indeed legit and that the game was coming to iPad, but didn’t provide any solid info on when it would arrive.
It looks like Pokémon TCGO is in works for the iPad! Should be a huge way to expand the game. #PlayPokemon pic.twitter.com/SPlx3QZaTC
— JWittz (@TheJWittz) August 15, 2014
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is already available on Windows PC and Mac, so bringing it to mobile devices isn’t a huge leap, but this is the first time we’ve seen an actual, proper Pokémon game (not the Pokédex app, which is a cruel tease) make it to an Apple portable device, so it’s understandably making waves in the community of adult professional tech journalists like myself who enjoy this video game designed for children.
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A parting request to The Pokémon Company, which is a subsidiary of Nintendo (which has resisted bringing its IP to actual games for iOS and Android, despite flagging fortunes): Bring the main franchise to the iPad and iPhone soon and you can have all my money and I will build a (small) temple to your everlasting greatness.
