MORE TO COME!
 
 
Preview
The Pokemon craze continues in the Game Boy conversion of the popular trading card game
We saw it with Magic: The Gathering, but who knew that little cuddly creatures would cause a much greater frenzy than fire-breathing dragons and arrow-shooting elves? The Pokemon trading card game from Wizards of the Coast (WotC) has caught on like wildfire, getting to such a fever pitch that kids are stabbing other kids in order to get their hands on the little pieces of cardboard. We don't understand the phenomenon much ourselves, but we do love Pokemon, so we can sort of understand how a little Charmander can bring emotions flowing to the surface.
Nintendo will cash in on the two biggest crazes with their Pokemon Trading Card game for the Game Boy. Not only is it another Pokemon game, but it also follows the rules and regulations of the trading card from WotC so precisely that it could inspire a whole new round of insanity. All of the cards are included in the cart, although because of the random delivery of the cards to players, the game will require players to trade with other players to get certain cards and unlock certain secrets.
The rules of the card game are pretty simple. Players draw seven cards, play them in such a way that the Pokemon that battle damage each other. Basically, a Pokemon can attack if it has enough power, and players "charge" the Pokemon by playing certain energy cards. There are also a variety of other cards for special actions that are too complex to describe. The basic idea, however, is to have two players battle their Pokemon, and every time a Pokemon is defeated, the victor can choose from a pile of four prizes. When the prizes are gone, the player with the most wins the bout. The prizes consist of cards drawn from each player's deck.
The game engine runs through the card game quite simply and makes it very accessible even to new players. It also helps that the very beginning of the game contains a pretty basic tutorial that lets players get the hang of things.
The Game Boy game isn't just about playing cards, though -- the storyline is a sort of mini RPG very similar to Pokemon Red, Blue or Yellow. The player controls a character that wants to become a card-playing champion. In order to enter the grand tournament, he must win bouts against several other masters. If that's not similar enough to the original game, there's even a rival who will periodically appear to taunt the player. However, unlike the Pokemon RPG, players can travel from place to place indiscriminately, as long as they build up their deck through a long series of battles. The storyline isn't quite as important to the game, but at least it gives players a reason to play hand after hand of Pokemon Card.
Players get cards fairly randomly, so it'll be a chore to try to get every card in the game, but, no doubt, many players will do just that. Unlike the previous Pokemon games for the Game Boy, however, there aren't different versions of the trading card game -- it's all about random chance. Players can trade using the Game Link cable, or they can utilize the Game Boy Color's infrared port to trade cards back and forth. The handiest feature of the game, however, is that during long, drawn-out card battles, players can simply shut off the Game Boy when they have to stop. Next time the game is turned on, players can pick up right where they left off in the battle.
While the game will certainly appeal to the fans of the real card game, it'll also have plenty of collectors drooling. We expect to see a flood of rabid kids hunting the game down come this February 7th. We recommend staying away from Toys "R" Us and KB Toys for fear of the trampling of tiny feet.
|