Pokemon developer Game Freak’s weirdest game gets a Switch remaster today

❘ Published: 2024-02-21T14:45:14

A screenshot from Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! shows a jockey riding a bright yellow horse

Game Freak

An often overlooked 3DS classic made by the people behind Pokemon is making a comeback, as Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! brings horse racing and solitaire together in one wild package.

If you’re a big fan of the Pokemon games, you may be forgiven for thinking that developer Game Freak makes nothing else. With so many Pokemon games out on Nintendo Switch and beyond, surely they don’t have time for much else?

Well, if you ever owned a Nintendo 3DS, you may be aware of one of Game Freak’s other franchises, and while this one also features animals, it’s a very different type of game from the veteran developer.

Thankfully, for any fans out there, this long-forgotten series is now getting a remaster, and in even better news, it’s releasing on NIntendo Switch today, alongside a demo.

Game Freak announces Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! for Switch

Text reads "Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! Available Today

A remaster of the 3DS original, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! was announced during the recent Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase and Game Freak confirms this is an expansion of the original release, not a full sequel.

The new version of Pocket Card Jockey features remastered graphics, some quality-of-life improvements, and even online races.

Anyone eager to return to the franchise, or to try out one of Game Freak’s smaller franchises, is in luck, as Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! has been confirmed to release for Nintendo Switch immediately, as well as a lengthy demo that carries save data over to the full game.

A mixture of horse racing and solitaire, Pocket Card Jockey is an adorable and addicting little title that blends two different elements perfectly. Players can take care of their horses, breed them, and then use solitaire skills during races to get ahead of the pack.

The franchise hasn’t been quite as successful as Pokemon, but it’s a welcome addition to Game Freak’s catalog of work and a fantastic way to spend an afternoon for anyone interested in card games. Still, hopefully it’ll get some Ponyta DLC at least.