VGA 90 Trading Card Game Factory Sealed

This Pokemon Trading Card Game listing is a factory-sealed Game Boy Color video game, graded VGA 90 NM+/MT — not a pack of cards. The sealed game sits inside a Video Game Authority acrylic case, and its case label names the platform and format: “1998 NINTENDO GAME BOY COLOR / GAME CARTRIDGE”. Certification number 75958024 appears on that label, together with the gold VGA hologram. The box front still carries its burst: “LIMITED EDITION POKEMON CARD INSIDE!”

A Pokemon Trading Card Game you play on a Game Boy

The game first launched in Japan on December 18, 1998, as Pokémon Card GB. North America then received it on April 10, 2000, so the “1998” on the VGA label is the game’s original release year, not a US release date. It recreates the card game as a handheld adventure instead of a paper product. Each sealed North American copy also bundled a limited-edition physical Pokémon card inside the box, although which card sits in this copy is not stated. Bulbapedia’s game article covers the release history in full.

What the VGA 90 grade means

VGA, the Video Game Authority, has graded sealed video games since 2008 on a 100-point scale. One combined grade covers both box and seal, so a 90 reflects the whole package rather than a part of it. A 90 sits on VGA’s Gold tier and carries the NM+/MT label; VGA describes scores at this level as extremely difficult to achieve. The case itself is custom-cut acrylic — tamper-evident and UV-resistant — so the seal stays protected as well as displayed. Browse our graded cards section for more professionally graded collectibles.

Pokemon Trading Card Game specs

• Product: Pokémon Trading Card Game video game (Game Boy Color cartridge)
• Grader: VGA (Video Game Authority)
• Grade: 90 NM+/MT (Gold tier)
• Certification no.: 75958024
• First release: December 18, 1998 (Japan, as Pokémon Card GB)
• North American release: April 10, 2000
• Packaging: factory sealed, encapsulated in a tamper-evident acrylic case
• Bundle: a limited-edition physical Pokémon card sealed inside (card not identified)

Frequently Asked

Is the Pokemon Trading Card Game graded here a card product?

No. It is the Game Boy Color video game of that name, factory sealed and graded as a video game. Only the bundled bonus card inside the box is a paper card.

Why does the label say 1998 if the US release was 2000?

The label carries the game’s original year: it debuted in Japan in December 1998. The North American release followed on April 10, 2000.