Rumors of an official Pokemon iPad game leak, with a Twitter pic to boot.
Is there an official Pokeman iPad game in the works? Fans of the highly-addictive, rock-paper-scissors game have been clamoring for a smartphone port of the franchise, and it looks like the wish is about to be granted.
Nintendo has kept its Pokemon games exclusively released to flagship consoles, proven to be most successful in the mobile ports (Gameboy, Nintendo DS). Nintendo breaks from tradition if the leak of smartphone ports is confirmed.
The Pokemon World Championships kick off at Washington D.C. over the weekend, and a Twitter leak shows a new Pokemon game demo on a white iPad. As far as the leak goes, the game is not an emulation of an already existing game.
"It looks like Pokémon TCGO is in works for the iPad! Should be a huge way to expand the game. #PlayPokemon"
Developing a new Pokemon iPad game is a surprising move for Nintendo, especially a playable trading card game. An online version is available for some time, and hardcore fans have exhausted the Easter eggs hidden in previous versions, played in consoles or using emulators.
This is the first smartphone or tablet app for the game, and if the leak confirms the game plays similar to the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online, then it'll likely be a free release, with redeemable codes to boot.
A representative for the game's company insists the rumors are true, but won't go so far as to confirm a release date.
Note that the iPad port isn't the catch-'em- raise-'em game of the consoles, but a trading card version similar to Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: the Gathering. The version is a departure from the traditional dynamics, but should be promising, considering the success of Hearthstone, previously released on the Apple's staple tablet.
Confirmation (or otherwise) of the Pokemon iPad game should be revealed after this weekend's Pokemon World Championships wrap up.
