The CGC Cards' Guide to Prototype, Playtest and Presentation Pokémon Cards

CGC Cards is thrilled to have certified some of the most exciting Pokémon TCG collectibles known to the community — hundreds of prototype and playtest Pokémon cards! These Proof of Concept, Prototype, Playtest and Presentation cards represent the very beginning of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

CGC Cards was able to work very closely with Takumi Akabane — one of the original developers of the Pokémon TCG — to verify the cards' authenticity and history. "I helped CGC Cards identify and authenticate these test cards; some I remember having marked for corrections," Akabane said. "I was also the one who created the original back design."

With collectors of Pokémon cards being some of the most dedicated and meticulous hobbyists in the world, CGC Cards is excited to share these certified cards with our audience. CGC Cards utilized all the tools at our disposal to help document and authenticate these cards, compiling vast resources for comparison with future submissions. A very thorough process is in place for the authentication and grading of these cards using ones verified by Mr. Akabane. Several cards were also signed by Mr. Akabane, with a CGC representative present to witness the signatures before each card’s encapsulation with the CGC Cards Signature Series label.

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The Beginning of the Pokémon TCG

Pokémon was envisioned by Satoshi Tajiri and Tsunekazu Ishihara, with the initial concept mass-marketed through the video games hobby 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've all come to 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 companies still hold the original rights to Pokémon, along with Nintendo.

Ishihara had been fond of TCGs such as Magic: The Gathering and wanted to develop one for Pokémon. Three other developers — Takumi Akabane, Koichi Oyama and Akihiko Miura — teamed up with Ishihara to develop the concept for the Pokémon TCG. While the lore of Pokémon had already been covered by the games and increased development period, creating a cohesive TCG that offers fun playability and collectability was a whole new hurdle.

Starting from scratch with a TCG always begins with concept and playtest cards. These are cards made for the sole purpose of providing feedback to the creators on the TCG's journey to final production. Some cards are made with the specific purpose of demonstrating aesthetic appeal, while others are used to make sure the cards "play nicely" with each other. The cards illustrated in this article will show the entire progression of the TCG.

Proof of Concept

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The first card created to show 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 box art from Pokémon Red Version for the Game Boy. To CGC Cards' understanding, only about three of these Proof of Concept cards were made, with two back versions — the other showing the box art for Pokémon Green Version. The historical significance of this card cannot be understated, as it is the oldest Pokémon TCG item currently known.

Alpha Prototype

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Alpha Prototype cards were released for the second phase of the TCG's development. These cards make up a set of just 26 cards, meant to further illustrate the game's potential. They were used as building blocks to shape the gameplay features for the TCG and further expand the project. The Alpha Prototype cards all show the 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 there are at least six sets of these early prototypes in existence.

Alpha Playtest

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The Alpha Playtest cards feature significantly more detail than the earlier prototypes. These cards are in full color, including background and color images of the Pokémon. Showcasing a more attractive layout, the cards also sport more abilities and fleshed-out mechanics. This group of Alpha Playtest cards includes all of the Pokémon that would be featured in 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 Playtest cards certified by CGC Cards have been marked with annotations from the playtesters who handled them. Some of the cards were marked by Akabane himself during development, to note changes that would be made for the next round of playtest cards.

Beta Playtest

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Beta Playtest cards soon followed the Alpha phase. The developers expanded the set to include all 151 Pokémon that are now near and dear to collectors. This set took the changes established with the Alpha Playtest and combined them with many other conceptualized abilities. The card art was updated to include artwork from Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version, eliminating some of the artwork from Pokémon Green Version. Other subtle changes can also be noted, including changes in text font and design details.

An easy way to tell Alpha Playtest cards from Beta Playtest cards is to check the line below the card's abilities. The line on Beta Playtest cards is significantly thinner than their Alpha counterparts. Another feature of the Beta examples that sets them apart from the Alpha Playtest set is actually a noticeable error: Ken Sugimori's name is spelled incorrectly as "Sugimorori" on all of the cards he illustrated.

Much like the other prototype and playtest sets, CGC Cards has certified very few of each card in the Beta Playtest set. However, CGC Cards has had the pleasure of certifying at least one of every card in the 151 Beta Playtest set, which is a true sight to behold.

Delta Playtest

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The latest playtest Pokémon cards certified by CGC Cards are Delta Playtest cards, which start looking very close to the final product introduced in the Pokémon TCG. This Charizard card shows artwork illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita that is very similar to how it appeared in Base Set. The layout of the Delta Playtest cards is similar to their Beta Playtest counterparts, but the Pokémon's art box has a full-color background.

Alpha Presentation

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Presentation pieces such as this Charizard were produced with the sole purpose of teasing the upcoming TCG in publications, such as CoroCoro Comics. They show full-color art with a background and illustrated energy symbols, and each card has a blank back.

Beta Presentation

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Beta Presentation cards are nearly identical to Beta Playtest cards with some subtle differences. The Energy Symbols, like their Alpha Presentation counterparts, are fully illustrated, and the background of each Pokémon's art box is fully illustrated and colored. Beta Presentation cards have illustrated backs identical to the ones used in Beta Playtest. Unlike Beta Playtest, Beta Presentation cards have Ken Sugimori's name spelled correctly.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media types of home media, including Betamax tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.