14 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TECH
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2002
Collectible card games can be addictive
By Jordan Tucker Jayplay writer
In 1993, CCGs were born with the venerable Magic: The Gathering. After gobbling up the patents for what would come to be one of the biggest gaming industries ever, Magic, with its tight system, infinite customization and multiple choices of play style, set the standard for the future of card flopping games.
First try, put out one to pay for later. You know, you can get a Black Lotus for free. Don't use it yet, though. You should have a better plan. Alright, next try, tap that one saved from earlier, burn the Lotus ... Looks like you have a bad case of Juzaam on the second try. Not bad — 5/5 on the second time around ... not bad at all.
Above is the banter of someone with a problem: an addiction to CCGs, collectible card games, affectionately referred to by card nerds as "cardboard crack."
CCGs (or TCGs—Trading Card Games) are fairly simple in theory. You buy yourself a pack of cards, not unlike baseball cards, and construct yourself a
Magic is huge worldwide, hosting world tournaments with cash prizes of thousands of dollars.
"deck" to play with. In the packs, using Magic as an example, you get a mix of creatures and spells divided into groups of five colors to make your game the way you like it. Black is the rot and decay of black magic, red is fire and damage, white is healing and protection, blue is counteraction and control, and green works with elves and pixies.
Other companies decided to jump on the bandwagon and cook up their own CCGs. There is a game for everything, from the TV show Survivor (yes with the old, naked guy and everything), to Xena: Warrior Princess, to NFL Football, to X-Files. But alas, not all CCGs are good. Most aren't even decent.
Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast, 1993)
Magic is the original, and still the best CCG, in the land. This is the only 100 percent nerd game that I've been able to get even my roommates and a significant other hooked on. Nerd Rule No. 1: If a girl will actually play it, it's A-frickin'-OK. However, what is going to kill this game — if it
Packs run about three or four bucks each, too demanding that you whip out the wallet like Daryl Strawberry in Colombia.
hasn't done so already — are the chaining-gun-like expansions. They put out a new expasnion approximately three times a year. Packs run about three or four bucks each, too, demanding that you whip out the wallet like Daryl Strawberry in Colombia.
Legend of the Five Rings (Alderac, 1995)
If you like your card games more like chess games, this is the one for you. Pick a clan, such as the Crane or Scorpion, based loosely on East Asian mythology and put together some dirty tricks. You can even have sword duels between your and your opponent's key players. The multiplayer option is great but lengthy, because one-on-one usually lasts about an hour. Final verdict: Take the time to do it. The playing population on this one is rather scarce, but building.
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (White Wolf, 2002)
I'm a huge fan of the Vampire: The Masquerade novel series and, yes, I can name all the justicars and archons. The game characters, powers and terminology are straight from the literature. This CCG, however, has gone through incarnations under a number of names and keeps popping up out of nowhere every few years like some undead freak.
Pokemon (Wizards of the Coast, 1999)
OK, let your kids play it some day. It teaches lessons in math, logic and strategy. But I'll tell you, there's nothing more depressing than hearing a 40-year-old man get mad at a 6-year-old playing at Hastings' Pokemon tournament: "No, my Psyduck had you with that Psychic Blast, I know he did!"
Marvel Recharge (Marvel, 2001)
Survivor (Upper Deck, 2001)
Can you add? Can you subtract? OK, you have what it takes to play this one. This one is disappointing for a comic book geek. Much of the card art is gorgeous, though.
Not so good. Old, naked guy. And I think he's smiling at me. Enough said.