Pokémon Battrio

Overview

Pokémon Battrio is a collectible card-based turn-based strategy game developed by Takara Tomy (along with AQ Interactive) and released by Takara Tomy for arcades in Japan on July 14, 2007. It was later discontinued on July 14, 2012 in favor of its successor, Pokémon Tretta.

The first collectible card-based arcade spin-off of the Pokémon series of RPGs, Pokémon Battrio has players earning real-life plastic "pucks" (4 cm in diameter), each representing different Pokémon, and using them in three-on-three battles.

As the name is a portmanteau of "battle" and "trio", two players participate in Pokémon team battles by maneuvering the three different pucks on their designated scanner playfield (similar to some other card-based arcade games at the time, such as Sangokushi Taisen) and then taking turns attacking/defending with their chosen puck. Earlier versions of the game have attack and defense buffs for creating specific puck formations, while later versions either have special "power zones" or removing the pre-battle phase altogether in favor of collecting berries scattered throughout the playfield.

In addition, players can purchase a separate plastic device (called a "Memory Key") to customize their trainer information and and track their stats. While these are meant to be plugged-in to a special slot on the arcade machine, they also have a LCD display that allows the user to view certain stats and can be plugged-in to a separate handheld game device.

The game later received four major revisions (Plus, Super, Zero, and V), some of which drastically change the game's puck positioning and battle phases, damage calculation system, and in-game interface while adding new game modes and mechanics. It also received numerous minor "expansion sets" that added new selections of pucks to acquire. In 2012, the game was discontinued and replaced by its incompatible successor, Pokémon Tretta.

Revisions

• Pokémon Battrio Plus - Released on March 20, 2008. Stylized as Pokémon Battrio +.

• Pokémon Battrio Super - Released on July 17, 2008. Stylized as Pokémon Battrio S.

• Pokémon Battrio Zero - Released on July 16, 2009. Stylized as Pokémon Battrio 0.

• Pokémon Battrio V - Released on July 14, 2011.