Pokemon TCG Online Beta is LIVE

Earlier this month, The Pokemon Company International announced that you’d be able to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) online against other players in a program known as “Pokemon TCG Online”. Well, as of now, the beta is now live! You will need a free Pokemon Trainer Club account, which you can create here, and then you can access the beta at the official website (www.pokemontcg.com). Here’s a description of the beta from the website…

“Be among the first Pokémon fans to try the Pokémon Trainer Challenge, a new online way to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game! Get ready to compete against all 14 computer opponents in three Leagues using three theme decks. As you play, you’ll earn achievements for doing well and progressing through the Leagues. Plus, you can customize your personal in-game avatar, and then save an image of it to your desktop so you can use it anywhere! In addition, the new Pokémon Trading Card Game forums are now open: come in to discuss strategies, share ideas, and talk about all things Pokémon TCG with other fans!”

What is nice is the simulator has all the rules built-in so it’s all automatic. It only lets you do things that you’re allowed to do, so nobody can cheat. The Pokemon TCG gets some rule changes every now and then, and it appears this simulator will follow the new Black & White rules that will go into effect with the release of the Pokemon Black & White TCG sets on April 25th. Right now, you can only battle against computers, but this Fall the Pokemon TCG Online program will be updated to included more cards and online player vs. player matches. And yes, it’s all free.

Note: You might get a message saying Pokemon TCG Online is offline for maintenance, but just keep checking back because it should be up soon.

[PokeBeach]

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