Updated on June 17th, 2021 by Josh Davison: As the Pokémon TCG continues to reach new heights of popularity and attention, it's tempting to go back and look at some of the game's missteps over the years. Several cards were printed that were unusable in the competitive game, or needed editing for one reason or another. Over the years, The Pokémon Company has chosen to ban or alter several cards for reasons ranging from them being completely unfair in competitive play to censoring controversial art for Western audiences. Much like every other corner of the franchise, the Pokémon Trading Card Game was no stranger to ruffling the feathers of parents, religious groups, and even their own fans. Of course, some Pokemon fan games float to the surface more than the others, but the ones that due are true gems. The proof of that is in the endless pool of fan-made games out there. The episodes that never aired were withdrawn due to natural disasters occurring in the real world that have similarities with content in the episode. However, with massive cult-like popularity often comes controversy. It just so happens that a lot of Pokemon fans are aspiring game designers, and Pokemon is just as much of a creative outlet as much as it is a game franchise. Some episodes of Pokémon have been removed from rotation or, as commonly referred to, banned from the original lineup of episodes. RELATED: Pokémon Snap: 10 Easter Eggs Only Hardcore Fans Caught Changes made to the cards for their release outside Japan all helped to fuel the hype surrounding the massive franchise. Between the massively popular video games, the anime, and of course the Pokémon Trading Card Game, it was almost impossible to avoid getting swept up in Pokémania. If you grew up in the '90s, it's a near certainty that you spent some portion of your formative years obsessing over Pokémon.