My kids have Nintendo DS’s so they can play their Pokemon games. I rarely see them playing any other titles. That’s often the case with portable gaming platforms: once the novelty of one game franchise has worn off, there isn’t any further need for that platform.

The people behind the Pokemon franchise apparently are trying to break away from their Nintendo-centric gaming platform, and are breaking into the smartphone arena. According to a translated article, Pokemon.co.jp is forecasting the release of a “card-based” Pokemon game for Android 2.1+ and iOS 4.3+ later this summer.

What’s more, the game should be available free in the Android Market. No word yet on iOS pricing.

Source: Pokemon.co.jp