The Pokémon Trading Card Game (ポケモンカードゲーム, Pokemon Kādo Gēmu?, "Pokemon Card Game"), abbreviated as PCG or Pokémon TCG is a collectible card game, based on the Pokemon video game series, first published in October 1996 by Media Factory in Japan. In the US, it was initially published by Wizards of the Coast, the company that produces Magic: The Gathering, in December 1998. Nintendo eventually took over publishing the video games in June 2003.
It is one of Nintendo's last remaining strong links to its heritage as a playing card company.
Pokémon Platinum Version (ポケットモンスタープラチナ, Poketto Monsutā Purachina?, lit. Pocket Monsters: Platinum) is a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pearl and Pokémon Diamond in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald, which were remakes of Blue and Red, Silver and Gold, and Sapphire and Ruby, respectively. It was released on September 13, 2008, in Japan; March 22, 2009, in North America; May 14, 2009, in Australia' and May 22, 2009, in Europe. The developers made Platinum with the intent of making it a stronger version of Diamond and Pearl, which they described as the "ultimate" Pokémon titles.
In Platinum, players control either a male or female child character and start off with one of three Pokémon - Chimchar, Turtwig, or Piplup - from Professor Rowan. The mascot Pokémon is Giratina, who plays a central role in the game's plot. While it only had one form in Diamond and Pearl, it is given a new alternate form alongside a new area called the Distortion World, which features altered physics from the normal land of Sinnoh, where the game takes place. The gameplay stays true to traditional Pokémon mechanics. Players explore a large area, which ranges from mountains to bodies of water, grasslands, populated areas, and snowy expanses. Similar to previous titles, players have their Pokémon fight turn-based battles against other Pokémon.