Pokemon Trading Card Game Online Beta Now Up!

Hands up if you remember how dangerous it was to own a Charizard card. For those of you who have no idea what I'm babbling about (good to see you after so long under that rock) the late Nineties saw school playgrounds worldwide go almost literally insane over Pokemon Trading Cards. There was hardly a week that passed where you weren't hearing about some poor boy in America who'd been beaten black and blue for his prized cards or a cynical parent-of-three grumbling that the hobby introduced a form of gambling into their vulnerable children's lives. That's correct, sceptics, there was a time when people would just about do anything for Pokemon cards. A time when owning them was, dare I use the Nineties expression, 'radical'. Of the hordes of juvenile collectors, a few people may remember actually playing the game itself: collecting energy cards to power up your Pokemon, evolving them, chipping off Hit Points in the form of coloured beads placed over the card... Well, good news to all you nostalgia-philes and curious new players alike: because the official Pokemon website has just put its official Pokemon Trading Card Game Online into Open Beta. The program is, in short, a simulation of the table-top game in its full and allows you to collect cards, build decks and earn tokens (which can be traded for prizes in-game or on the Pokemon website) through completing tutorials and games (win or lose). Never played before? Never fear, the program is easy to use and comprehensive, accommodating TGC noobs with open arms whilst allowing tough competitive play for the seasoned master. Best of all, however, is the ability to transfer cards from your real collection (if you have one) to your online deck. All new cards, from the Black and White-Emerging Powers booster packs onwards, will feature codes that allow players to do this. In a time where Pokemon cards are about as likely to be stolen from you as your socks, this is not such as scary idea at all. Though Open Beta has only just kicked off, it's hoped that tournament play and a leaderboard system will be (excuse the pun) on the cards in the future.