Pokemon Go (opens in new tab) has grown a lot since the summer, but it still lacks possibly the most important aspect of the Pokemon experience: head-to-head competition. Beating up on Pokemon some other trainer left behind to defend a gym just isn't the same as facing off against a real, live rival in turn-based combat. That's what Pokemon Duel, a new mobile game from The Pokemon Company, is all about.
No, these online trainer battles aren't identical to the ones in the main games (you'll still have to buy Pokemon Sun & Moon (opens in new tab) if you want that). Instead, Pokemon Duel matches resemble a tactical board game, with both players trying to reach their goal while knocking out the opposition. You can collect new Pokemon to round out your team and customize their abilities, and it all sounds quite a bit more intricate than Pokemon Go's swipey-tap combat. Yes, even with the random-attack spinner.
Pokemon Duel is available for download now on Apple and Android devices. Just like Pokemon Go, it's free to play with optional microtransactions.
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