Icons on Pokemon cards have been a staple in the real-life Pokemon TCG for years, with promo stamps to note cards from special, themed packs. Mobile app Pokemon TCG Pocket is following suit, with special sets of Promo Cards in the game. These cards are earned through special events such as the Venusaur Drop Solo Battle event or Wonder Pick events. As exciting as more cards to collect may be, players have one big problem with these promo packs.
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You see, while the promo icon itself is all well and good to denote these special cards, the size and placement is another matter altogether. The promo icon appears squarely in the righthand center of the card, a prime location to get in the way of stunning artwork in cards such as the full illustration Venusaur currently on offer. In response to this irritating promo icon placement, players have begun joking around about just how big a promo icon can be.
In response to this original post, some players joined in on the fun by enlarging the icon even more so that it covers the entire card. While the actual icon isn’t quite this invasive, it does appear solidly on the middle of an otherwise peacefully napping Venusaur in the new promo card. And with such beautiful, soothing art, it does seem a bit strange to plop an icon right in the middle of it, taking away from player immersion in the world of the card.
These icons have been in that spot since the app launched, as a quick stroll through the promo card section of the Pokemon TCG Pocket card section will prove. And this placement does mirror promo icons from the physical Pokemon TCG, which places icon such as the Pikachu Halloween Booster pack badge at the bottom right corner of the illustration panel.
However, when it comes to full illustration cards like Venusaur, the large icon in its current placement stands out as a real eyesore. One player suggests a clear and obvious solution for where to move the badge on cards like this one, to help avoid interrupting the original artwork.
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But rather than move the icon to the bottom for these fully illustrated cards, the game leaves them in the same spot. Thus, what would normally appear in the corner for a small illustration panel becomes a random interruption in the middle of the card image. Here, it blocks part of Venusaur’s back and the comfortable spot where he’s napping.
When compared with other coveted illustration cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket, which come without the promo mark, the issue is pretty obvious. The promo badge, as currently placed, simply makes the cards less pleasing to the eye. Much like those who have binders of physical Pokemon cards, many collectors are here to look at the pretty pictures, and having these promo badges smack dab in the center of the illustrations is a bit of a weird move.
Though this may be a small complaint compared to other player gripes with Pokemon TCG Pocket, it is nevertheless valid. With so much interesting and unique Pokemon artwork to look at, players don’t want their enjoyment interrupted by less attractive badges that may prove a card’s rarity, but at the cost of its aesthetic.