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{{Infobox game |colorscheme=blue|bordercolorscheme=tcg
|name=Pokémon Trading Card Game
|jname=ポケモンカードＧＢ
|boxart=TCG EN boxart.png
|caption=Boxart of Pokémon Trading Card Game
|jbox=TCG JP boxart.png
|jcaption=Japanese boxart of Pokémon Trading Card Game
|platform=[[Game Boy Color]]{{tt|*|also playable on the original Game Boy, but with several features disabled}},<br>[[Nintendo 3DS]] ([[Virtual Console]])
|category=Strategy
|players=2 players simultaneous
|link_method=[[Game Link Cable]], [[Infrared]]
|developer=[[Hudson Soft]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|gen_series=[[Generation I]] [[Spin-off Pokémon games|side series]]
|cero=A
|esrb=E
|pegi=3
|acb=G
|oflc=G8+
|release_date_ja=December 18, 1998 <small>(GBC)</small><ref>[http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gbc-gb/ Pokémon.co.jp] (Japanese)</ref><br/>December 24, 2014 <small>(3DS VC)</small><ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/qbbj/ Nintendo.co.jp] (Japanese)</ref>
|release_date_na=April 10, 2000 <small>(GBC)</small><ref>[http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-trading-card-game/ Pokémon.com (US)]</ref><br>November 13, 2014 <small>(3DS VC)</small><ref>[http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/q-_odTxvSXW6AVesSiQazTQhq2lKENNc Nintendo.com (US)]</ref>
|release_date_au=April 7, 2000 <small>(GBC)</small><ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20000620224849/http://www.nintendo.com.au/games/gameboy/games/pokemon_tcg.html Nintendo of Australia (archive)]</ref><br>July 11, 2014 <small>(3DS VC)</small><ref>[http://www.vooks.net/nintendo-download-update-117-pokemon-trading-card-game/ Vooks - Nintendo Download Update (11/7)]</ref>
|release_date_eu=December 15, 2000 <small>(GBC)</small><ref>[http://www.pokemon.com/uk/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-trading-card-game/ Pokémon.com (UK)]</ref><br>July 10, 2014 <small>(3DS VC)</small><ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2014/July/Weekly-download-news-903436.html Nintendo Europe weekly download news]</ref>
|website_ja=[http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gbc-gb/ Official site]
|website_en=[http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/pokemon-trading-card-game/ Official site]
}}
{{StrategyWiki|Pokémon Trading Card Game}}
{{bulbanews|game}}
'''Pokémon Trading Card Game''' (Japanese: '''ポケモンカードＧＢ''' ''Pokémon Card GB'') is a Pokémon spin-off video game for [[Game Boy Color]] based on the card game [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]]. Despite being a Game Boy Color game, it can also be played on the original [[Game Boy]], but with some features disabled. It was released in Japan on December 18, 1998, North America on April 10, 2000, Europe on December 15, 2000, and Australia on April 7, 2000. It was released on [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Virtual Console]] worldwide in 2014.

Pokémon Trading Card Game was followed by a Japan-exclusive sequel, [[Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!]].

Copies of the Japanese version included a promotional {{TCG ID|Pokémon Card GB|Dragonite|promo}} card, whereas copies available outside Japan included a promotional {{TCG ID|Wizards Promo|Meowth|10}} card.

==Plot==
The player begins their adventure at [[Mason Laboratory]], where {{TCG GB|Dr. Mason}} gives the player the choice of taking along one of three different Pokémon Trading Card Game decks: {{TCG|Charmander & Friends Deck|Charmander & Friends}}, {{TCG|Squirtle & Friends Deck|Squirtle & Friends}} or {{TCG|Bulbasaur & Friends Deck|Bulbasaur & Friends}}.

The [[player character]], {{TCG GB|Mark}}, has an ambition of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Trading Card Game player, but his rival, {{TCG GB|Ronald}}, has a similar goal. Ronald duels the player at certain points in the game to test the player's cards; being defeated by Ronald is an indication for the player to improve his or her deck, whereas victory results in the player receiving a {{GB|1|Promotional Card}}.

The object of the game is to defeat eight [[Club Master]]s (comparable to the [[Gym Leader]]s), earn their [[Master Medal]]s (comparable to [[Badge]]s), and then defeat four [[Grand Master]]s (comparable to the [[Elite Four]]) and the {{pkmn|Champion}}. The Club Masters' decks correspond to the {{TCG|type}}s of Trading Card Game cards; however, because there are eight Club Masters but only seven distinct types in the game, two of the types are repeated: {{TCG|Fighting}} and {{TCG|Grass}}, split in the form of a "Rock" and a "Poison" user, respectively.

==Blurb==
Based on the hit [[Wizards of the Coast]] card game...<br>The greatest [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]] players of all time – the [[Grand Master]]s – are looking for one player worthy of inheriting the four rare, [[Legendary Cards|Legendary Pokémon Cards]]! Build new decks with the Auto Deck Machine, hone your skills on the Challenge Machine and test your ability in [[Challenge Hall]]. Expand your card collection, duel your way through 8 [[Club Master]]s and earn the right to challenge the Grand Masters in the [[Pokémon Dome]]! Shadowy figures, wise instructors and powerful opponents await in the ultimate trading card game adventure!

* Includes over 200 of your favorite Pokémon Trading Cards, plus new cards exclusive to the Game Boy game!
* Learn how to play the card game, build and manage decks and duel with other card players in step-by-step tutorials.
* Duel a friend using the Game Link cable (sold separately) or generate new cards using the Infra-Red Card Pop! feature (available with Game Boy Color only).
* Basic reading skills are needed to fully enjoy the story.

==Features==
[[File:Pokemon Trading Card Game.jpg|thumb|200px|The Pokémon TCG [[ROM cartridge|game cartridge]]]]

===Overworld===
* The "{{OBP|Deck|GB}}" option in the [[menu]] can be used the manage the player's decks. There is also a [[Deck Save Machine]] where the player can save custom deck configurations.
* The [[PC]] can be used to view a list of cards owned.
* Each [[Club]] has a Battle Center and a Gift Center. The Battle Center allows dueling against other players via [[Game Link Cable]]. The Gift Center allows sending and receiving cards and deck configurations to and from other players.
* The player status screen displays the player's name, the number of non-repeated cards owned, their play time, and their [[Master Medal]]s (similar to the [[Trainer Card]] in the [[core series]] games).
* The player [[save]]s by writing on a Diary (similar to the Japanese version of the core series games, where the player writes in a [[Report]]). The player's location is displayed on the main menu before loading a save file.
* The player can run by pressing B. (This feature was later used in the core series games with the debut of the [[Running Shoes]] in {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}}.)
* Dr. Mason sends the player e-mails over the course of the game, sending fifteen in total. Each message contains at least one booster pack.
* There are ten [[Auto Deck Machine]]s which allow the player to build predefined decks if they have the corresponding cards. One is available from the beginning, eight require Master Medals (one Master Medal for each machine) and the other is found at the end of the game.
* There is the Challenge Cup tournament held in the [[Challenge Hall]], where the winner receives rare {{GB|1|Promotional Card}}s.

===Duels===
{{main|Duel (TCG GB)}}
* The duel screen shows only one Pokémon card on each side of the field at once, displaying its name, HP, and number of {{TCG|Energy card|Energy cards}}. Additionally, the number of cards in the deck and on the Bench are also displayed.
* Various commands are found below the duel scene.
* When the player wins a duel, they usually receive two {{TCG|booster pack|booster packs}}. Winning against the rival Ronald awards a {{GB|1|Promotional Card}} instead.

===Clubs===
There are eight Pokémon Clubs on Trading Card Game Island, each with their own type affiliation. Three different [[Club Member]]s duel the player inside each Pokémon Club. The Club Masters are {{TCG GB|Nikki}} ({{TCG|Grass}}), {{TCG GB|Rick}} ([[Grass (TCG)|Poison]]), {{TCG GB|Ken}} ({{TCG|Fire}}), {{TCG GB|Amy}} ({{TCG|Water}}), {{TCG GB|Isaac}} ({{TCG|Lightning}}), {{TCG GB|Murray}} ({{TCG|Psychic}}), {{TCG GB|Gene}} ([[Fighting (TCG)|Rock]]) and {{TCG GB|Mitch}} ({{TCG|Fighting}}).

===Grand Masters===
There are four [[Grand Master]]s located at the [[Pokémon Dome]]. The Grand Masters are {{TCG GB|Courtney}} ({{TCG|Fire}}), {{TCG GB|Steve}} ({{TCG|Lightning}}), {{TCG GB|Jack}} ([[Water (TCG)|Ice]]) and {{TCG GB|Rod}} ([[Colorless (TCG)|Dragon]]); the {{pkmn|Champion}} is {{TCG GB|Ronald}}, who has a deck of mixed types.

===Pokémon cards===
The game contains every card released in the real Trading Card Game's {{TCG|Base Set}}, {{TCG|Jungle}}, and {{TCG|Fossil}} expansions, except for the Base Set's {{TCG ID|Base Set|Electrode|21}} and Fossil's {{TCG ID|Fossil|Ditto|3}}. (This only includes cards released in the Japanese expansions, so no normal counterparts of Holofoil cards are included.) Additionally, the first 14 tournament-legal {{TCG|Unnumbered Promotional cards}} are included (not counting glossy/non-glossy reprints). The game also features 18 game-exclusive cards which weren't produced for normal play, though some were released later on. The game emulated the experience of the actual Trading Card Game very closely.

The game contains the data for 228 cards. Despite this, not all Pokémon are available to the player through normal gameplay; [[Card Pop!]] must occur between players in order to complete their album without the use of cheats.

Cards can be obtained through booster packs from four expansion sets including {{GB|1|Colosseum}}, {{GB|1|Evolution}}, {{GB|1|Mystery}}, and {{GB|1|Laboratory}}, or by defeating specific challengers (for example, each defeat of the Grand Masters will award the player with a set of Legendary {{TCG ID|Promotional Card|Moltres|P02}}, {{TCG ID|Promotional Card|Zapdos|P10}}, {{TCG ID|Promotional Card|Articuno|P03}}, and {{TCG ID|Pokémon Card GB|Dragonite|promo}} cards). Among the aforementioned four expansion sets is a fifth set, the {{GB|1|Promotional Card}} set. However these cards can only be attained by defeating players such as {{TCG GB|Ronald}}, [[Tomoaki Imakuni|Imakuni?]], and the [[Grand Master]]s, defeating three [[Challenge Hall]] opponents in a row, trading with [[Ishihara]], and [[Card Pop!|Card Popping]].

==Connectivity==
Pokémon Trading Card Game allows players to send and receive cards and deck configurations or perform a [[Card Pop!]] between two cartridges via [[infrared]]. The Japanese cartridge has a built-in infrared feature, while the American and European versions use the infrared communications port of the [[Game Boy Color]].

Pokémon Trading Card Game allows players to duel each other using their own decks via the [[Game Boy]] [[Game Link Cable]].

Pokémon Trading Card Game cannot communicate with [[Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!]]. All multiplayer features are disabled in the [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Virtual Console]] release.

===Card Pop!===
{{main|Card Pop!}}
Card Pop! is a two-player feature that randomly generates a card for each player. When the infrared ports of two Pokémon Trading Card Game cartridges are connected, each player will receive a random card. A player cannot Card Pop! with the same game again until both players have used the feature with so many others that their partner's ID is overwritten in both games. This feature is the only way of obtaining the [[Phantom Cards]] {{TCG ID|Promotional Card|Mew|PXX}} and {{TCG ID|Wizards Promo|Venusaur|13}}.

Card Pop! cannot be performed between Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!. Attempting to do so can result in [[glitch]]es such as a [[game freeze]] or a loss of save data in Pokémon Trading Card Game.<!--even the Japanese version-->

==Regional differences==
===European languages===
There are two European versions of this game, each with three languages. One of them is playable in English, French, and German. The other is playable in English, Italian, and Spanish. When the player boots either of the European versions for the first time, the list of languages appears before the game starts. The list of languages is also available at the [[options]] screen.

This screen appears when the player boots the game for the first time:

<gallery>
File:TCG Deutsch Français.png|English<br/>Deutsch (German)<br/>Français (French)
File:TCG Español Italiano.png|English<br/>Español (Spanish)<br/>Italiano (Italian)
</gallery>

===Graphics===
* Booster pack images were changed between localizations to reflect the art style used for booster packs by region.
* The title screen was changed between the Japanese and international releases.
* The [[Super Game Boy]] border in international releases removes the writing of ''Pokémon • Trading • Card • Game •'' on the Poké Balls.
* The back of Pokémon cards was changed in international releases to the design used on the back of cards outside of Japan.
* In the Japanese version, the symbol for a {{DL|Special Conditions (TCG)|paralyzed}} Pokémon are two vertical jagged lines ([[File:TCG GB paralyzed JP.png]]). In the American and European versions, the symbol is a horizontal jagged line ([[File:TCG GB paralyzed INT.png]]).
* The artwork for {{TCG ID|Base Set|Jynx|31}}'s face was changed from black to purple in international releases to avoid further [[Jynx (Pokémon)#Controversy|controversy]]. The background of the card was also changed from dark purple to light purple in the [[Virtual Console]] release.
* When the player tries to save an unnamed {{TCG GB|deck}} in the Japanese version, the player name is included in the default deck name. In all other languages, the player name is not included. For instance, if the player is named "パーク" ({{TCG GB|Mark|Park}}) in the Japanese version, the first default name used for an unnamed deck is "パークの００１デッキ" (Park's 001 Deck). In the English version, the first default name is simply "001 Deck"

<gallery>
File:TCG1 B37 Jynx.png|Dark purple Jynx
File:TCG1 B37 Jynx VC.png|Light purple Jynx
</gallery>

===Virtual Console differences===
This release is locked in [[Game Boy Color]] mode; it cannot be played in [[Game Boy]] monochrome mode or with the [[Super Game Boy]] borders.

Due to the [[Nintendo 3DS]] not emulating Game Link functionality ([[infrared]] and the [[Game Link Cable|Game Link cable]]), several features were disabled in the Virtual Console release.

[[Card Pop!]] is disabled, making the two [[Phantom Cards]] unobtainable and the {{TCG|Mysterious Pokémon Deck}} impossible to obtain normally. The Mysterious Pokémon Deck is still included in the Legendary Auto Deck Machine in certain versions of the Virtual Console release, making the [[Auto Deck Machine|Legendary Auto Deck Machine]] the only possible way to see those cards. Due to Card Pop! being disabled, a bookshelf in [[Mr. Ishihara's House]] is disabled, as the bookshelf refers to the Phantom Cards from Card Pop!.

Due to Game Link cable functions being disabled, clerks at [[Club]]s who would normally be spoken to for the Battle Center or Gift Center do not interact with the player.

Due to this release lacking compatibility with the [[Game Boy Printer]], the "Print" function, which is accessible from [[PC]]s, has been disabled.

==Staff==
{{main|Staff of Pokémon Trading Card Game}}

==Gallery==
===Title Screen===
<gallery>
TCG GB opening.png|Title Screen
</gallery>
===Super Game Boy borders===
<gallery>
File:Pokemon TCG JP SGB Border.png|Super Game Boy border (Japanese)
File:Pokemon TCG International SGB Border.png|Super Game Boy border (international)
</gallery>
====Unused Borders====
<gallery>
File:Pokemon TCG JP Unused SGB Border 1.png|Unused border 1 (Japanese)
File:Pokemon TCG JP Unused SGB Border 2.png|Unused border 2 (Japanese)
File:Pokemon TCG International Unused SGB Border 1.png|Unused border 1 (international)
File:Pokemon TCG International Unused SGB Border 2.png|Unused border 2 (international)
</gallery>

==Trivia==
* The promotional {{TCG ID|Wizards Promo|Venusaur|13}} card that appears in the game (and can only be obtained by using [[Card Pop!]]) was included with the ''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game: Official Nintendo Player's Guide]]'' in North America and with the ''[[Pokémon Card GB Official Guidebook]]'' in Japan.
* The {{TCG ID|Wizards|Surfing Pikachu|Promo 28}} with artwork featuring Mt. Fuji and a bullet train was released in Japan but not in English. The card was printed in English, but never with that artwork.
* This game, along with its sequel, are the only [[Spin-off Pokémon games|spin-off games]] to share overworld sprites with the, at the time, [[core series]] games.
* In the American version, the two available {{p|Ninetales}} cards ([[Ninetales (Base Set 12)|the card from Base Set]] and [[Ninetales (Laboratory D12)|the card exclusive to Game Boy]]) have their name misspelled as ''Ninetails''. However, the correct name "Ninetales" is found in the description of Base Set Ninetales's Fire Blast attack. This was fixed in the European versions.
* There is an inaccessible room behind the duel room in Challenge Hall; it has a basic layout but is otherwise empty.
* The internal files of the game contain two unused Super Game Boy borders, the second one was used for testing purposes.<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Pok%C3%A9mon_Trading_Card_Game#Unused_Super_Game_Boy_Borders Pokémon TCG article on The Cutting Room Floor]</ref>
* In the American version, the game text is displayed in all-caps in normal play. However, the characters are internally stored in mixed case.
** Specifically, the {{OBP|character encoding|TCG GB}} for letters and numbers is the same as [[wikipedia:ASCII|ASCII]] (which is mixed case), except for some special characters such as "É". There are also various other characters added for special symbols and images.
** In the internal game data of the American version, there are some words written in all-caps, including some character names and Pokémon species such as "[[Grand Master]] {{TCG GB|Courtney|COURTNEY}}" and "{{TCG|Squirtle & Friends Deck|SQUIRTLE & Friends Deck}}", but at other times they are inconsistently stored in mixed case such as "Courtney" and "Squirtle" nonetheless.
** Some abbreviations are exceptions, shown in mixed case in all games, such as "Lv" and "No" on Pokémon cards. In Japanese and some European languages, m (meters) and kg (kilograms) are also displayed in lowercase.
** In the European versions, the game text is not only displayed, but also internally stored in all-caps. The codepoints for ASCII small letters are instead used to display some special characters and letters with diacritics, such as Á, Ñ, and Ü.

==References==
<references/>

{{Spin-off series}}<br>
{{DoubleProjectTag|Sidegames|TCG}} 

[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Color games]]
[[Category:Pokémon Card GB|*]]
[[Category:Pokémon Trading Card Game video games]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[Category:Nintendo 3DS games]]

[[de:Pokémon Trading Card Game]]
[[es:Pokémon Trading Card Game (videojuego)]]
[[fr:Pokémon Trading Card Game]]
[[it:Pokémon Trading Card Game (gioco)]]
[[ja:ポケモンカードGB]]
[[zh:宝可梦卡牌ＧＢ]]