Why are trading cards so popular? Chatting online about a special edition
card and placing an ad on a trading board is fun, but it’s collectible
cards’ artwork and their colorful characters, as well as dueling against
an opponent, that spur the imagination.
Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards
Japanese Please
Japanese animation has influenced many of the most popular cards worldwide,
including Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards (ToyDirectory),
which began as a comic strip in Japan in 1996 (You may have seen them
in a Mighty Kids Meal at McDonalds earlier this year as well.). The new
Joey and Pegasus Starter Decks ($10.99 each or $24.99
for the deluxe edition decks) move competition up a notch with new dueling
monsters. The hero, Yugi Motou, continues to refuel his extraordinary
powers with magic and trap cards.
Pokémon Expedition Pack
Another commanding choice is the new series by Nintendo (ToyDirectory),
the Pokémon Expedition Pack ($3.49) featuring Pokémon
Powers (Poke-Powers and Poke-Bodies). This base set is designed to be swiped
through a Nintendo e-Reader for great video game action
on the Game Boy Advance. Other decks in this series include
Pokémon Expedition Echo Theme Deck ($14.99), where
the goal is to keep an opponent surrounded with Psychic and Colorless Pokémon
characters, and the Pokémon Expedition Electric Garden Theme
Deck ($9.99), where Grass and Lightning Pokémon mow down
opponents. If this isn’t enough action, Wizards of the Coasts’ Professor
Oak, the “leading authority on these monsters says, “There are currently
150 documented species of Pokémon” and plenty of other cards to keep
you entertained.
Ghost in the Shell Trading Cards
DragonBall Z Trading Cards
Lego Bionicle Card Game
Ghosts and Dragons
Also from Japan, the stylish Ghost in the Shell Trading Cards ($4.98)
based on Masamune Shirow's cult-classic anime film, Ghost in the Shell,
are printed in chromium with full-color images from the film. The base set
includes 64 sleek cards.
Inspired by the Lego Bionicleaction figure, the Lego
Bionicle Card Game Bohrok Swarm Starter Theme Deck ($12.99) gives
the evil Makuta control of a swarm of Bohroks. It’s up to you to protect
the Toa with this 30-card single-player deck.
Fire-breathing dragons appear in the DragonBall Z Trading Cards
Series III by Funimation ($2.99). Each pack includes
villains and heroes, nine regular cards and one gold metallic card as part
of the new 86-card series.
Magical Heroes
Lord of the Rings Starter Decks
Magic: the Gathering Trading Card Game
Mech Warrior Dark Age Starter Kit
Magic: the Gathering Trading Card Game
Lord of the Rings Starter Decks ($9.99-$10.99)
and Lord of the Rings Booster Packs ($3.29) by Decipher (ToyDirectory)
let players protect the Fellowship of the Ring from the dark lord Sauron.
As they attempt to demolish the One Ring, the cards can lead the heroes
to the heart of Mordor on top of Mount Doom. Many other cards that support
the movie trilogy are also available.
WizKid’s Mech Warrior Dark Age Starter Kit(ToyDirectory)($19.95)
gives players all the ammunition they need to save the planet from the Mech
Warriors trying to annihilate it. Magic: the Gathering Trading Card
Game Onslaught Pack ($2.79), a 15-cards-per-game booster pack,
allows magical creatures to morph during battle. Also new, Magic: the
Gathering Core Game 10th Anniversary Edition ($19.99) includes two decks
of cards, a 14-card pack for advanced play, a collectible premium card,
two playmats and a CD-ROM containing the Magic Online program.
Writers Bio: Tamara Halbritter has been
teaching creative movement and dance to children for over 15 years. As
a professional dancer and freelance writer, she puts plenty of playtime
into her schedule. Currently, she is writing a book about a gifted pair
who see other people’s dreams.
