The Pokémon Trading Card Game video game originally appeared on which handheld?

The Pokémon Trading Card Game video game originally appeared on the Game Boy Color.

Developed by Hudson Soft and Creatures and published by Nintendo, the game was released in Japan in December 1998. It adapted the tabletop Pokémon Trading Card Game into a role-playing adventure, sending players around a world to challenge Club Masters and collect cards.

The digital version used 60-card decks and simulated the core rules of the physical game. Players could battle using Link Cables and trade cards through the Game Boy Color’s infrared feature. The game included 226 cards, drawing from the first three tabletop sets while also containing cards made specifically for the video game.

The title is sometimes confused with Pokémon Card GB2: Great Rocket-Dan Strikes Back, its Japan-exclusive sequel. The sequel arrived in 2001 and was also made for Game Boy Color, but it was not the original adaptation. The first game later returned through Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online releases.