Every few years when I go back to Japan to visit, I am always fascinated by something new that wasn't there the last time. This year there were a couple of things. First was the interactive arcade game called Sangokushi Taisen (三国志大戦). The general premise of the game is you have cards that interact with the video game. Each card represents a military unit: calvary, archers, swordsmen, etc...and as you move these cards around the battle field the video game senses it and moves the units on the video screen. It is a real-time strategy game so how many units and types you use as well as attack points all matter. I was unsuccessful in getting some cards while in Japan so I bought some online to see what they looked like. I wasn't brave enough to interrupt anyone, let alone ask anyone if they had a few extras they could lend a foreigner, but I did ask at the card shops and got the "that is a video game card" answer. Evidently, I was looking in the wrong place to buy. It looks like this game has been out for a while in various iterations, but all the arcades we went in to all the machines were full. I must have stared at kids playing for an hour or so. There was an interactive terminal that you also could pay money and manipulate your card....I guess to add abilities or level it up. Possibly even keep in in your online collection...I am guessing at this point. Here are a couple of YouTube videos of the screen action as well as the cards being manipulated on the game board:
Here are 8 of the cards that can be used on the game...I really have no idea of they are good, strong, weak, etc or if they are even made recently. I have no ideal what it all means on the back....my Japanese isn't that technical and I haven't had time to study it all, but I assume it is all the technical abilities the card unit has: speed, defense, offensive, attack distance. I imagine the game board reads the back of the card and determines what unit your are playing with. I don't see any RF sensor in the cards...at least that I can tell.
The artwork on these is pretty amazing!
Does anyone have anymore information on these?