If you’ve had the chance to check it out, you’ve probably realized that the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, XY—Evolutions, is a little bit out of the ordinary. The cards look completely different from the rest of the XY Series, instead resembling the original Pokémon TCG: Base Set. These cards have been selected to represent the exciting history of the Pokémon TCG and to celebrate nearly 20 years of epic battles. Nearly every card in XY—Evolutions uses the original artwork seen in classic expansions, and you’ll even find that the cards do very similar things as their predecessors. However, these are not exactly the cards you may remember from all the way back in the ’90s—they’ve been updated for today’s standards. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at how these new cards stack up against the old ones.
When you think of the Base Set, the first card that comes to mind for many players is the iconic Charizard. This was the card to have back in the day, and it’s probably still one of the most discussed and desired cards out there. Charizard had it all: a monstrous 120 HP, a massive 100-damage attack, and breathtaking artwork. These days, Charizard has stepped up its game. Not only does it boast a bigger 150 HP, but its Fire Spin attack now does 200 damage! Everything else is practically the same, right down to its Energy Burn Ability (originally known as a Pokémon Power). Don’t miss another chance to be the coolest kid (or adult) on the block by getting your hands on this Charizard card.
Charizard might bring a lot of nostalgia to longtime Pokémon TCG players, but with the game’s growing popularity, more people might have actually gotten their hands on this foil Machamp, which debuted a short while later. The original 2-Player Starter Set (which is very similar to today’s
Trainer Kit) included one of these beauties, making it one of the most memorable Base Set cards. Machamp must have been working out since the ’90s, because now it does twice as much damage with its Seismic Toss attack for less Energy. Its Counterattack Ability also hits three times as hard as the old Strikes Back Pokémon Power, retaliating against an Attacking Pokémon with 3 damage counters instead of 1. And if you really want to beef up Machamp, check out Machamp BREAK and its 190 HP!
Clefairy might not be as iconic as the Base Set Charizard or Machamp, but its updated version perfectly illustrates how the times have changed. Nearly everything about Clefairy is the same…except for three symbols that might be unfamiliar to those who haven’t kept up with the Pokémon TCG in a while. Instead of being a Colorless-type Pokémon, Clefairy is now a Fairy type, first seen in the Pokémon TCG: XY Series. It has Weakness to Metal instead of Fighting, and Resistance to Darkness instead of Psychic. None of these three Pokémon types—Fairy, Metal, and Darkness—existed when the Base Set came out.
Regular Pokémon aren’t the only ones to get the Base Set treatment! Pokémon-EX and Mega Evolution Pokémon-EX both have the look and feel of the classic cards. You might recognize Blastoise-EX and Mega Venusaur-EX from their original versions in the XY expansion, but now they’re returning with a slightly different look. All of the Pokémon-EX in this expansion receive the same graphical treatment, from Mewtwo-EX to Dragonite-EX. In fact, the only cards in the entire expansion that have the “normal” look of the rest of the XY Series are the Pokémon BREAK.
Trainer cards are no exception to the old-school makeover, either. Misty’s Determination has a new (or old, depending on your perspective) look, gaining the artwork of the first Misty card from the Gym Heroes expansion. Timeless cards such as Potion and Switch also feature their old artwork. Perhaps the most exciting Trainer cards are the long-awaited Spirit Link cards for the first partner Pokémon from Kanto: Blastoise Spirit Link, Charizard Spirit Link, and Venusaur Spirit Link. And let’s not forget about the Energy cards! For the first time ever, Darkness Energy, Metal Energy, and Fairy Energy debut in the Base Set style. Now, no matter what type of Pokémon you’re using, you can make it feel like 1999 all over again.
Bilingual Exeggutor and Imakuni?’s Doduo are both cards filled with rich history, but these secret rare cards in XY—Evolutions mark the first time they’ve been released in an expansion outside of Japan. Exeggutor was originally given to players at the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle event, one of the Pokémon TCG’s first truly international competitions. Dr. Ooyama, the illustrator of this historic card, is depicted on the card as well!
And then there’s Imakuni?’s Doduo. You may have seen the unusual Imakuni? in the Generations expansion, and now his Doduo makes its worldwide debut as well. Tomoaki Imakuni has been involved with the Pokémon TCG for approximately 20 years in various forms, including illustrating the original Porygon card that returns in this expansion. You might even remember him as the strange character that you could battle in the Pokémon Trading Card Game video game for the Nintendo Game Boy Color. Imakuni? has had quite an influence on the Pokémon TCG, and his legacy lives on through Imakuni?’s Doduo. Just make sure not to throw it too hard when it uses its Frenzied Escape Pokémon Power to retreat, or you might not be able to find it!
There are plenty more fun cards to discover in XY—Evolutions, including full-art and secret rare cards. Whether you’re a hardcore player or a casual collector, it’s exciting to find these classic cards updated with a modern feel. Any expansion that includes Imakuni?’s Doduo is certainly one for the history books!
