Keep in mind, this review as written as I've completed most of the game's content except for the big final race.
Pocket Card Jockey is a true gem of game design. On the surface, this is a game about doing races over and over again. However, the roguelike-esque mechanic of retiring horses after a certain number of losses, combined with a calendar system that makes so you can miss out on certain races means that the stakes are always incredibly high.
This allows the player to create their own personal narratives with each horse, filled with training arcs, underdogs and redemption. It might as well be the best Pokémon game on the 3DS, as far as I'm concerned.
Pocket Card Jockey is a true gem of game design. On the surface, this is a game about doing races over and over again. However, the roguelike-esque mechanic of retiring horses after a certain number of losses, combined with a calendar system that makes so you can miss out on certain races means that the stakes are always incredibly high.
This allows the player to create their own personal narratives with each horse, filled with training arcs, underdogs and redemption. It might as well be the best Pokémon game on the 3DS, as far as I'm concerned.