The POP series begins with Nintendo Black Star Promos in October 2003 (40 cards) and then continues with nine POP sets, POP Series 1 in September 2004 through POP Series 9 in March 2009. Each POP set is a 17-card checklist, released about every six months, with no cards past the printed number. That makes every set in this series short enough to finish in one sitting, which suits a first checklist.
POP sets by release date
| Set | Released | Numbered cards | Secret rares |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nintendo Black Star Promos | Oct 2003 | 40 | — |
 POP Series 1 | Sep 2004 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 2 | Aug 2005 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 3 | Apr 2006 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 4 | Aug 2006 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 5 | Mar 2007 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 6 | Sep 2007 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 7 | Mar 2008 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 8 | Sep 2008 | 17 | — |
 POP Series 9 | Mar 2009 | 17 | — |