For a mobile trading card simulator game, Pokemon TCG Pocket started out fairly simple. Players could open packs daily and make decks to battle for a bit of fun, with collecting as the app’s main focus. Even as additional features have led to a growing metagame, not much has disrupted the collector aspect of the digital TCG. There have been a few questionable additions, like the new Deluxe Pack EX, that seem like they’ll cause trouble for players immediately. One part of the formula that didn’t seem like it’d be an issue right away was the addition of Shiny Pokemon cards to Pokemon TCG Pocket.
What Made Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Shiny Rarity So Promising At the Beginning
Originally introduced in March with Shining Revelry, unique cards that feature the coveted Shiny Pokemon were the pack’s entire titular focus. This pack in particular introduced a brand-new Pokemon TCG Pocket rarity that consisted of only Shiny Pokemon cards. This made a point clear early on that future packs could include shiny variants that didn’t get in the way of the expansion’s usual expected EX and other chase cards, and they’ve been included in every set since.
Shining Revelry may have introduced shinies to Pokemon TCG Pocket, but it also made a problem emerge rather quickly. The shiny critters were the highlight of the pack itself, denoting them as the prominent chase cards for players. These cards come in at a low 0.714% pull rate, and it decreases for EXes at 0.333%. For reference, two-diamond cards can be pulled as the fifth card in a pack at 89.000%. Getting the chase cards in Shining Revelry wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t anything worth betting on for any set number of packs.
Once shinies were no longer the cards on the pack, the stars of the expansions, these cards turned into a fun bonus that could be found while chasing other cards. That doesn’t stop players from desiring and going after the shiny cards regardless of the rates, though. While fans are free to chase after what cards they want, the rates aren’t great, and with the way Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Pack Points work, players will have to open 270 packs of one specific set to get the two-star Shiny through Pack Points exclusively.
The Trouble With “Shiny Hunting” in Pokemon TCG Pocket
In truth, it’s understandable as to why Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s shinies work this way. Apart from their introduction in Shining Revelry where they were the face of the expansion, they’re meant to reflect how Shiny Hunting works in the mainline Pokemon games. The true issue arises in that shiny hunting in Pokemon games is a worthwhile endeavor from many different angles. Some players like finding full-odds shinies, others enjoy using rate-boosting methods when hatching, and others enjoy finding shinies to trade with others or give away as presents to friends.
For those who dare to chase after their dream shiny in Pokemon TCG Pocket, their only option is to pull from packs to get lucky or build up the Pack Points needed to get it through the “pity system,” a term coined by many mobile gacha players. Shinies can’t be obtained through Wonder Pick, and if players manage to strike gold and get a different shiny, they can’t trade it for the one they want through restrictions. This hurts the grind even further as players can see the rainbow boarder in a pack, hope that they have finally got their chase card, and have it come crashing down as they got lucky, but for a duplicate shiny they already have.
The shinies in Pokemon TCG Pocket have mostly been reprints so far, likely so they can be easily replaced with a regular variation in Wonder Pick. That means that these shinies are only worth bragging rights when being used in a deck, as they don’t work any differently than the non-shiny versions.
Opening packs to get duplicates and the wrong chase card is a standard affair with any trading card set, and it’s a hard truth many have to accept in the hobby. However, the game openly encourages players to exchange cards they want in person for other desired cards or even money, and that creates community. Pokemon TCG Pocket seemed to be breaking uncommon ground with its built-in trading system when it first launched, but now between the monthly expansions and now time-limited packs, Pokemon TCG Pocket all but openly asks players to spend money for the promise of another chance at their chase cards outside the Hourglass and Pack Point grind. Unfortunately for shiny fans, even the Deluxe EX Pack comes with alternative methods like Wonder Pick, which even gives Hourglasses as a replacement for the fifth card. With a hefty cost of 270 packs at most for many shiny EXs, the shiny rarity earns its place as Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s worst feature by far.
- Released
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October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
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DeNA, Creatures Inc.
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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Yes
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