Pokemon TCG 30th Anniversary Set - Hands-On Review

The Pokemon TCG's 30th Anniversary Set Is The Most Refreshing In Years Photograph by Sam Woods. Published Sep 30, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Sam Woods is TheGamer’s Senior Reporter. He’s been in games journalism since 2020 and has undertaken a variety of roles in that time. These have included roles such as SEO Editor, Managing Editor at DualShockers, and Global Head of Gaming, and he's also been seen on the BBC. He was promoted to the Senior Reporter position in 2025 following a series of high-quality reports and exclusives for TheGamer. Since 2020, Sam has written over 3,000 articles and specializes in telling the stories of the people behind the games. He’s interviewed the biggest game directors, some of the industry’s top talents, told the stories of how indie games came to be, and spoken to players about what really makes them tick. He’s also interviewed some of the world’s biggest musical artists to find out how the medium has inspired their work, and TV and Film actors about their roles in video game adaptations. He even hosted a PAX panel in 2021 and made a documentary in 2024 surrounding the creation of a Disney game. Alongside this, Sam focuses on breaking news. He got the scoop on Perfect Dark’s cancellation, provided context on some AI drama, and revealed that Lady Dimitrescu’s actress would love to step back into the character’s giant shoes. These articles have been picked up by the biggest gaming sites, including IGN, GameSpot, and PC Gamer. He also loves to dive into the numbers behind the games. Sam’s journey in games journalism has taken him all over the world. He’s covered Gamescom in Germany, Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, and Tokyo Game Show in Japan, each on three occasions. He’s been learning Japanese since 2024 with the intention of identifying and translating Japanese-language news and bringing it to English-language audiences first, something he’s done countless times. Sam’s first review was 2020’s Battletoads reboot, and he’s since reviewed games in The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Pokemon franchises. As a lifelong Pokemon fan, I found it surreal to be in Tokyo for the Trading Card Game’s 30th Anniversary Celebration expansion launch. Every Pokemon Center in the city was adorned with signs expressing that products wouldn’t be sold to those who hadn’t entered lotteries, and it was nigh on impossible to find a box for less than 3x RRP at independent stores. Of course, I obliged, before caving and buying a near-full set of SARs because the prices of the cards were so reasonable, something that has severely upset scalpers. When I got home, a selection of products from The Pokemon Company was waiting for me to check out the expansion myself. It’s safe to say that, if you can get your hands on some, the 30th Anniversary expansion is a delight to open. Pokemon’s 30th Anniversary Celebration Expansion In A Nutshell Photograph by Sam Woods. Where do you even begin to summarize this set? It has so many facets that make it one of the most exciting to rip in the TCG’s long history. Each pack contains significantly fewer cards—five, compared to the usual ten—but each card is, in some way, a little special, and the expansion has so many different subsets. As a minimum, every card in the set is holographic. This is fine in principle, but it means you end up with a ton of holographic bulk. You also get your regular range of ex cards, including fan favorites like Pikachu, Gengar, and Umbreon, along with 18 fantastic ARs, but the set gets even more exciting beyond that. First, every pack includes one of 30 different Pikachu cards. These cards are full of personality and are designed by a plethora of the TCG’s most iconic artists, including Ken Sugimori, the lead designer who put the finishing touches on Pikachu’s design. Photograph by Sam Woods. The expansion also reintroduces the “Classic Collection” seen in the 25th Anniversary expansion. This subset pays homage to the TCG of old, revamping some of its most notable cards from different eras and framing them with a pretty gold border. As you might expect, it also includes a smattering of stunning SARs and two new rarity types. The FUR cards designed by Yoshirotten feature both Mewtwo and Mew, lean heavily into a futuristic abstract style, and the RGB rarities evoke that feeling of mystery and discovery from when the games first launched. They’re not included in any promotional materials and have exceptionally tough pull rates, which makes finding them a joy. Naturally, that rarity also makes them extremely expensive. Opening Every Pack Feels Exciting Photograph by sam woods. In recent years, the Pokemon TCG has had some brutal pull rates. I’ve seen people open 50 packs of a standard set and walk away with nothing more than a couple of ARs, and I’ve had some pretty rough openings myself. This new expansion does everything it can to keep you from that disappointment. A sparkly Pikachu in every pack and multiple different subsets to hit mean you never feel too far away from your next banger—something I found in my recent opening. I was graciously given 21 packs from The Pokemon Company for this opening and got a hit from every 2.3 packs, excluding the Pikas. Six of the hits were ARs, including two of the Legendary Birds. I also got two cards from the Classic Collection and one SAR, probably my chase, the Gengar. I was delighted. Alongside the packs from The Pokemon Company, I also had 55 that I’d purchased waiting for me on my return, and I found similar success. Seven ARs, five Classic Collection cards, two SARs, and a fabled FUR Mew. This was closer to one hit in every four packs, but the hits were higher quality. Photograph by Sam Woods. Should You Buy It? Photograph by Sam Woods. Plenty of 30th Anniversary stock is available if you can beat the scalpers, and you should do everything you can to get your hands on it. It’s one of the most refreshing openings I’ve had in a long time, and while most cards are worth under $100, you’re almost guaranteed to get some pulls. With Pokemon opening new printing facilities, here’s hoping future sets are as easy to come by and as full of hits as this one. Franchise Pokemon Original Release Date October 20, 1996 Player Count 2 Age Recommendation 6+ Length per Game Variable Franchise Name Pokemon