(LAST UPDATE: 6/24/2009)
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Developer(s): SNK
Publisher(s): SNK
Platform(s): Neo
Geo Pocket
Release Date(s): October 21st 1999 (
),
November 30th 1999 (
)
Characters: The
Mask
Related Games:
Card
Fighters Clash 2, Card Fighters
Clash DS
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Review: Card Fighters' Clash is a "collect-em all" style card game, featuring hundreds of Capcom and SNK personas (300 in all). The object of the game is to challenge other players as you roam around the different landmarks (based on Capcom and SNK) looking for a challenge. You can enter shops to buy new cards, or gain new cards by defeating other card fighters.
You can create and save up to 3 custom decks, with the ability to use a variety of different angles and strategies to attack, all depending on the cards you use, and more specifically how you set up your deck of 50 cards, properly balanced with Character and Action cards. In my opinion, CFC is way more strategic than the likes of poker, or nearly any familiar casino game you could think of. With an equally skilled human opponent, it's always challenging, and it's actually fun.
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If you've never played Card Fighters, here's a quick crash course. You create a deck of 50 cards, balancing out "character" cards and "action" cards to the best of your ability. Too many action cards and you'll be short a character card to put down, unable to defend yourself. Too many character cards and your playing style will feel stiff and leave you open for other attacks. (Character cards give out a certain amount of "SP" when they are placed on the table, and "SP" is needed to use action cards).
Certain character cards have abilities that mix up the game, and can ultimately lead to dominating the board and winning the game. Triangle based cards have abilities that are used as soon as the card is placed down on the playing table. Circle based cards have a constant effect once placed down, and square based cards' abilities can be used the turn after the card was placed down, activated by the player. You use also character cards on the table to defend against oncoming attacks from your opponents characters, and if you can't defend, you'll get hit, causing your HP to go down. Lose all your HP and it's GAME OVER!
You can also lose by running out of cards from your pile of 50 cards, and on that note, certain action and character cards "discard" your opponents cards from their pile (so they run out faster). So you don't exactly have to win by knocking down your opponents HP. With so different ways to win a card battle, it takes quite a long time to fully understand and master the card game. Card Fighters, along with a memorable soundtrack and style, is brilliantly put together and highly addicting if you have a friend or two who also know how to play (and have a Neo Geo Pocket and a link cable).
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The gameplay is solid for the most part, although the computer AI is quite dumb, and usually very easy to beat with even an average deck. Obviously the two player game is where it's at, and when two advanced players go at it, it's all about strategy and taking chances. There is actually one "infinite" in this game that some may consider game-breaking, but it's kinda hard to pull off and requires some rare cards. It's definitely the cheapest move in the game, and is probably the only real flaw in the gameplay.
The graphics are done very well for the technology available at the time, featuring cleverly designed cards with Capcom and SNK characters in the super-deformed-chibi style... The artwork is awesome actually, and to see so many characters in one game adds a lot of nostalgia to us fighting game enthusiasts. When the cards battle, the unique hit effects enhance the action, adding to that "ouch" factor found in fighting games (well, you have to use your imagination).
The actual
human characters within the CF world are made up of maybe 15 pixels
at the most, but even at that they hold their own in the personality department,
and probably have more character than those you'll see in the crappy mainstream
movies of today. Especially their cute dialogue, misspellings and all...
It gives the game a brilliant spark of humor and enjoyment, for those of
us whom can appreciate such things. Those of you who like RPGs or card games, AND you're a fighting game buff, you
simply can't miss this.
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9.5 / 10 |
Closing Comment:
Well it
is a fighting game after all, you just fight with cards
instead of fists! Heh, none the less, CardFighters is "TFG
worthy" due to it's countless fighting game references and character
cameos... While it's not for everybody, I'd recommend this game to anyone
who calls themselves a Capcom or SNK fan. It's pretty much a must play/must have
if you're a fan of either franchise and like card games... Don't let the cutesy
look fool you, this thing is deep.
The true enjoyment of this game comes if you ever manage to find
someone else who has this game (and can play well). I've had hundreds upon
hundreds of epic battles with 2 good friends of mine, and it's easily the
most fun card game I've ever played in my life. Playing Neo Geo Pocket Color in
public, complete with a bright blue link cable, is also a
"chick-magnet". Yes, I'm totally serious... 
This
game will get you girls too. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG