Hello, my name is Matt
and I have a problem. "Um sir, I think you want the room down the hall."
How do you know?
"Well, considering your wearing a custom made Cardfighters Clash T-shirt, carrying four copies of the game and two Neo Geo Pockets, in, well, your pockets, I'd think you'd need more help than AA can give."
So then, what do recommend?
"CFCA, down the hall, room 714, third door on your left."
Hence ends my saga of Cardfighters Clash. I read about it, denied that I actually wanted to play it, and finally came across it one week ago to this very day. I now am fully aware that if I continue down my current path, this game will not only consume my soul, but my very life as I know it.
I've never really got into the whole "card game" thing. I played a bit of Magic and a few other knock offs, but I never really got it. Maybe it was the complexity of it all, but this game... this is something different. This is the single most addictive video game, ever. It simple enough to pick up and play within a matter of minutes (and thanks to the always available glossary, it's made even easier).
Your deck consists of
50 cards, the standard set begin issued to you when you begin. To find opponents, you'll
travel around in a coloful RPG style world, talking in the style of other RPG's. Some
people may offer info, some will challenge you. There are tournaments, casual players,
battles that will only happen once no matter how long you play, secret areas, and of
course multi-player in which you can challenge how well you've stacked your deck against
your freind.
Playing cards isn't the only thing do in this world however. There are so many ways to kill time, it's practically disgusting. You can use your doubles in slot machines to earn more, use risky trade machines, trade cards, play a crane game, and even check out a few arcade games. No, you don't really play them, but check out some of the music. It's all been ripped out of different Capcom and SNK games (the Chun-Li tune is one of the best remixes). Some of the buildings are based off games from both of the companies, and a few off real life locations.
Enough about the distractions, onto the cards. Each player can drop three cards into the playing field at once. You can attack or defend depending on the situation. Attacking ends your turn, but you can also pass if you choose to take no action. You'll also have an assortment of Action cards that perform various evil deeds to your opponent. Without getting too deep into the standard gameplay (this isn't a FAQ), you just need to be aware of how simple-yet-effective (and of course addicting) the basics of this game are. More cards are earned by beating any opponent or doing special tasks strewn throughout the game.
Character cards are gorgeous and could be worth it to someone who (gasp!) doesn't enjoy the game. The RPG style world is filled with basic three color sprites, but the backgrounds are littered with details. The music, much like the above mentioned Chun-Li track, is great. A few of themes can be repetitive, but the stirring battle themes can't be turned down... they're simply that good.
If there is any flaw
(and it's really hard to find one), it's the menu system when creating your deck. The font
used is a bit on the small side and using the option button to look at the cards is a bit
annoying. However, note that this IS nitpicking and it will not destroy your enjoyment of
this game in any way.
Seriously, if you're ever in a state of denial, the "I don't like card games" kind of denial, take this reviewers opinion to heart. This, along with Match of the Millenium, is the best game on the console. There is literally a near infinite amount of replay value and even when you've managed to collect all 300 cards, you'll be back. It's one of those games you may very well buy two copies of simply so you can introduce someone else to it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.
Note: The difference between the SNK and Capcom version of this game are minimal. The two main characters are different, a few different cards are included, and some other oddities are the only differences.
Tip: Yosiki shares the same deck your using. Yep, whatever 50 cards you have, he has. Be prepared going in and maybe even create a seperate deck to take him on.
