CGC Cards is thrilled to have certified some of the most exciting Pokémon TCG collectibles known to the community—hundreds of prototype and test Pokémon cards! These proof-of-concept, prototype, playtest, and preview cards represent the very beginning of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
CGC Cards was able to work closely with Takumi Akabane, one of the original Pokémon TCG developers, to verify the authenticity and history of the cards. “I helped CGC Cards identify and authenticate these test cards – I remember marking some up to correct them,” Akabane said. “I was also the one who created the original back design.”
As Pokémon card collectors are some of the most dedicated and meticulous fans in the world, CGC Cards is excited to share these certified cards with our audience. CGC Cards used every tool at our disposal to help document and authenticate these cards, gathering vast resources to compare against future submissions. A very thorough process has been put in place for the authentication and grading of these cards using those verified by Mr. Akabane. Several cards were also signed by Mr. Akabane, with a CGC representative present to witness the signatures before encapsulating each card with CGC Cards’ Signature Series label.
The beginning of the Pokémon TCG
Pokémon was the brainchild of Satoshi Tajiri and Tsunekazu Ishihara, and the initial concept was mass-marketed through the world of video games with the release of Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Green Version on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996. These games, including the original 151 Pokémon we all know and love, took years to develop. Tajiri was responsible for the formation of Game Freak, while Ishihara was responsible for the development of Creatures, Inc. Both of these companies still own the original rights to Pokémon, alongside Nintendo.
Ishihara enjoyed trading card games like Magic: The Gathering and wanted to develop a Pokémon-themed game. Three other developers (Takumi Akabane, Koichi Oyama, and Akihiko Miura) joined Ishihara to develop the Pokémon trading card game concept. While Pokémon's history had already been covered by the games and the longer development period, creating a cohesive trading card game that offered both fun gameplay and collectibility was a whole new hurdle.
Starting from scratch with a trading card game always begins with concept and playtest cards. These are cards created for the sole purpose of providing feedback to the creators on the trading card game's path to final production. Some cards are created for the specific purpose of demonstrating aesthetic appeal, while others are used to make sure the cards "play nice" with each other. The cards illustrated in this article will show the entire progression of the trading card game.
The first card created to showcase the idea of a Pokémon-themed trading card game was a Seadra. It was illustrated with a Game Boy-style frame and included basic card data. The back was a copy-and-paste of the Pokémon Red Edition Game Boy cover art. To CGC Cards' understanding, only about three of these proof-of-concept cards were made, with two versions of the back (the other featuring the Pokémon Green Edition cover art). The historical significance of this card cannot be understated, as it is the oldest currently known Pokémon TCG item.
Alpha Prototype
Alpha Prototype cards were released for the second phase of the TCG's development. These cards make up a set of just 26 cards, intended to further illustrate the game's potential. They were used as building blocks to shape the TCG's gameplay features and further expand the project. Alpha Prototype cards feature Pokémon's Game Boy sprites and are printed on thick card stock. CGC Cards is aware of six examples of a single card, indicating that at least six sets of these early prototypes exist.
Alpha Game Test
The alpha test cards feature many more details than previous prototypes. These cards are in full color, including the background and colored images of the Pokémon. Featuring a more attractive design, the cards also have more abilities and more developed mechanics. This group of alpha test cards includes all of the Pokémon that would be included in the base set, including Trainer cards. The cards also feature the back design that would ultimately be used in the final release, illustrated by Takumi Akabane.
Some of the alpha test cards certified by CGC Cards have been marked with annotations from the testers who handled them. Some of the cards were marked by Akabane himself during development, to indicate changes that would be made for the next round of test cards.
Beta Game Test
Alpha Phase cards soon followed the Beta Phase. The developers expanded the set to include all 151 Pokémon that are now beloved by collectors. This set took the changes established with the Alpha Phase and combined them with many more conceptualized abilities. The card art was updated to include illustrations from Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version, while removing some of the illustrations from Pokémon Green Version. Other subtle changes can also be noticed, including changes to the text font and design details.
An easy way to tell Alpha Playtest cards from Beta Playtest cards is to check the line beneath the card's abilities. The line on Beta Playtest cards is significantly thinner than that of their Alpha counterparts. Another feature of Beta Playtest cards that sets them apart from Alpha Playtest cards is a glaring error: Ken Sugimori's name is misspelled as "Sugimorori" on all of the cards he illustrated.
As with all prototypes and test sets, CGC Cards has certified very few cards from each beta test set. However, CGC Cards has had the pleasure of certifying at least one of each card from the 151 beta test set, which is quite a sight to behold.
Delta Game Test
The latest certified playtest Pokémon cards from CGC Cards are the Delta Playtest cards, which are starting to look a lot like the final product featured in the Pokémon TCG. This Charizard card features an illustration by Mitsuhiro Arita that is very similar to how it appeared in Base Set. The design of the Delta Playtest cards is similar to their Beta Playtest counterparts, but the Pokémon's box art has a full-color background.
Alpha Presentation
Presentation pieces like this Charizard were produced for the sole purpose of promoting the upcoming TCG in publications like CoroCoro Comics. They feature full-color art with an illustrated background and energy symbols, and each card has a blank back.
Beta Presentation
The Beta Prerelease cards are nearly identical to the Beta Play Test cards with a few subtle differences. Energy Symbols, like their Alpha Prerelease counterparts, are fully illustrated, and the background art for each Pokémon's box is fully illustrated and colored. The Beta Prerelease cards have illustrated backs identical to those used in the Beta Play Test. Unlike the Beta Play Test, the Beta Prerelease cards have Ken Sugimori's name spelled correctly.
