That is, until I realized that the particular game I was interested in was under a Bandai arcade card system known as Carddass. I mean, how cool is that? I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been tempted to buy cards for one of the Gundam-themed trading card arcade games over there as souvenirs for my younger cousins. Did I mention that I love Akihabara? The best part, though, was seeing them use actual physical cards and placing them on the arcade machine, which were then replicated on the screen. The players included little kids, high schoolers and even grown men lugging large paper bags filled with gashapon capsules.
After seeing the interesting arcade game machine and its mix of white and blue plastic panels with colorful buttons, I found myself just standing there watching as folks played one after another. And no, I’ve never visited a maid cafe.īut I digress. What was I doing in Akihabara, you ask? I mean, what else does anybody do in Akihabara? Actually, I was checking Gundam models and new and used video games, which is what I mostly do when I’m over there. I still remember the first time I saw it during a trip to Akihabara in Tokyo several years back. And by that, I mean it literally first came out as an arcade game back in 2010 in Japan.
Are you a trading card game purist? Or do you like playing an unconventional card game with arcade mechanics? At its heart, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is actually an arcade game. Otherwise, trading card game fans who wade into this kamehameha blast expecting Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic the Gathering mechanics will be in for a surprise.Īs to whether that surprise ends up being a pleasant one or not depends on your preferences, really. I think that’s the most important distinction to note when mulling whether Super Dragon Ball Heroes is a game for you.
While the Budokai-style visuals might feel like comfort food for folks who have a soft spot for that particular Dragon Ball fighting game series, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is undoubtedly a card game.Īt the same time, it’s not your typical trading card game either. For starters, it most definitely is not a fighting game - at least not in the classic sense of the word.