Cardozo Sees the Comeback of Pokémon Trading Cards, With a Twist

Looking back on our childhoods, one thing that many teens can remember are trading cards. Collecting them and trading them with friends is a memory many enjoyed.

Pokémon, the classic animated TV show, were one of the brands of trading cards kids loved to pass around and collect. Many teens have watched the show, growing up with beloved characters like Pikachu. Over the years, the show transformed into trading cards and video games. But, now, Pokémon has come back in a way that suits the new generation’s needs — via smartphone. 

Now, thanks to Pokémon TCG Live, with a press of a button, users can rip open Pokémon trading card packs online, trade, collect, and build. Recently, the popularity of the new mobile game arrived within the Cardozo community, and various students from different grades have shared they are immersed in the world of mobile TCG.

Edwin Velasquez, a sophomore, expressed, “I like that I can collect cards without losing them.” He originally installed the game to challenge one of his friends to a Pokémon battle. He shared that he enjoys getting new cards as was happy to have obtained a Charizard ex, which is one of the rarest cards in the game.

However, he did mention that this game is not for everyone, “I’d recommend it to a specific crowd, because some people don’t like the style of the game.” 

Isis Irizarry, a Cardozo junior, voiced, “I downloaded this app mostly because I enjoy the thrill of gambling but without the risk of losing actual money. The art seemed nice and I saw some of my friends play it.”

She continued by stating how she likes the idea of having a game filled with chances and opportunities to test luck. “I love seeing how good my luck can be, especially if I can pull a super rare card with a 0.0038% chance. It’s perfect that I can just keep trying over and over without wasting money.” 

Richard Vidair, another junior, echoed this idea of playing for free, stating, “No money is required and chances of getting certain cards are definitely more diverse and interesting than what I have seen in newer collections recently.”

 He explained that he found his liking to the game 10 years ago, however he saw his friend playing, and decided to start playing again. “At the start of the game, I would play for 20 minutes a day, but now it’s more intermittent like twice a week,” he confessed. 

Vidair added one thing he would change is the language barriers. “I wish I could change the ability to switch the language, because the Japanese cards have some different designs,” he said.

Though these students have found a liking to the game, an anonymous sophomore uninstalled the game, and does not play anymore. “I don’t really play the game because it’s mostly daily gambling and the gameplay features it does have, just lets you gamble more.”

He furthered his opinion by stating that he does not like how often gambling is featured in the game and prefers to play other mobile games. 

Although the app was originally released in Oct. 2024, Pokémon trading cards have been around since the late ’90s. However, with the new generation constantly relying on their cell phones for entertainment and gaming, bringing the classic nostalgia of trading cards to iOS and Android was a no-brainer.