Pokemondeveloper Game Freak is releasing a Nintendo Switch remaster of its 3DS and mobile game Pocket Card Jockey today.
Dubbed ‘Ride On!’, this remaster actually first launched onApple Arcadelast year for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. It’s since been pulled from the 3DS store amidst its closure, but now you can pick it up and give it a try on Nintendo hardware again.
“Giddy up for a fusion of solitaire and horse racing in this remastered version of Pocket Card Jockey,” the Direct narrator announced. “Take cards to create a sequence of numbers and build up power during a race. Check the positions of other horses, spend power to move around the course, and grab special cards to gain the upper hoof. Win events to get new horses and breed them to raise the next generation of ideal steeds. You can even race online against other players.”
The original Pocket Card Jockey was released in 2013 for 3DS, iOS, and Android. In the game, you take on the role of an unnamed jockey, male or female, the former of whom wants to take over their father’s orange farm, and the latter of whom wants to get married and have kids. Not only is it built on Solitaire, but you also play Golf (the card game, not the sport) to clear cards from the field.
While Game Freak is mostly known these days for Pokemon, it has branched out now and again over the past few years. In 2015, it released a game called Tembo the Badass Elephant, followed by Giga Wrecker in 2017 and Little Town Hero in 2019. It also has a new game in the works called Project Bloom, but little is known about it at this time.
The Switch version includes “new rules that allow for more strategic play, as well as racing segments reborn in glorious 3D”. You can also play it “comfortably with [a] Joy-Con”. And as before, you can go at it alone or compete with players across the globe online, breeding the strongest horses to win races or collecting the cutest you can find.
Pocket Card Jockey launched to favourable reviews, garnering an average score of 83 on Metacritic. Reviewers praised its art style, blend of card game mechanics, and comical plot. You can pick up the remaster right now on the eShop for $23.
