Pokémon’s first playable card game debuted in Japan in October 1996, just eight months after Pokémon Red and Green. Interestingly, Bandai had actually released non-game Pokémon "Carddass" cards the month before. In the TCG, players build decks around Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards, taking Prize cards by knocking out opposing Pokémon - a basic structure that has remained recognizable even as the game has evolved dramatically. (Cards are shipped in a sleeve and plastic top-loader for free.)