Tuff Stuff's Gamer Winter 1997 - 8 - X-Files CCG: Mention
* Heartbreaker Hobbies' "Doomtrooper"
introduced the bleak future of Target
Games' The Mutant Chronicles role-play-
ing universe to CCGs. In it, the Earth is
ravaged by pollution and indifference
from the ruling mega-corporations. Aban-
doning the depleted planet, the Bauhaus,
Mishima, and Imperial corporations con-
quer the rest of the solar system, leaving
Earth to the genetically scarred dregs of
humanity. After centuries, these survivors
fight to build a new civilization. Just as
they succeed, the corporations prepare to
re-inhabit their homeworld.
Dark Eden is what the corporations
now call Earth. It's also the name of the
new Mutant Chronicles trading card game
that arrives in stores this January. "'Dark
Eden' is the Chronicles back on Earth,"
says Heartbreaker art director Chris Bled-
soe. "Everyone thinks that everything's
dead on Earth. But actually it's not dead,
it's mutated."
Available in 15-card boosters and 60-
card starters, "Dark Eden" is a self-con-
tained game which is not compatible with
introduced the bleak future of Target
Games' The Mutant Chronicles role-play-
ing universe to CCGs. In it, the Earth is
ravaged by pollution and indifference
from the ruling mega-corporations. Aban-
doning the depleted planet, the Bauhaus,
Mishima, and Imperial corporations con-
quer the rest of the solar system, leaving
Earth to the genetically scarred dregs of
humanity. After centuries, these survivors
fight to build a new civilization. Just as
they succeed, the corporations prepare to
re-inhabit their homeworld.
Dark Eden is what the corporations
now call Earth. It's also the name of the
new Mutant Chronicles trading card game
that arrives in stores this January. "'Dark
Eden' is the Chronicles back on Earth,"
says Heartbreaker art director Chris Bled-
soe. "Everyone thinks that everything's
dead on Earth. But actually it's not dead,
it's mutated."
Available in 15-card boosters and 60-
card starters, "Dark Eden" is a self-con-
tained game which is not compatible with
"Doomtrooper." Target and Heartbreaker
will bridge the two games with the "Par-
adise Lost" expansion, due in March. "It's
all the cards that are compatible from
'Dark Eden' totally worked into the
'Doomtrooper' world," Bledsoe explains.
* Last year, Decipher Inc. handed out
thousands of free "Star Trek: The Next
Generation" Warp Packs to consumers.
Now the company has started distribut-
ing Jedi Packs for its "Star Wars" CCG.
Each pack contains 11 black-bordered
premium cards from the Dark and Light
sides of the Star Wars universe. Bad guys
get Dark Forces, Eriadu, Gravity Shadow,
Hyperoute Navigation Chart, Admiral
Motti, and Grand Moff Tarkin. The Rebels
get Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke's T-16
Skyhopper, For Luck, and Tedn Dahai.
You can grab a Jedi Pack for yourself
from the Rebel Leader Tour program,
squadron members who run "Star Wars"
tournaments, or from the directors of
sanctioned tournaments. Jedi Packs are
also available directly from Decipher.
Send $1 and a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to Jedi Packs, Decipher Inc., P.O.
Box 56, Norfolk, Va. 23501. From out-
side the United States, send a self-ad-
dressed envelope and an International
Reply Coupon equal to $1 U.S. more than
the cost of return postage.
will bridge the two games with the "Par-
adise Lost" expansion, due in March. "It's
all the cards that are compatible from
'Dark Eden' totally worked into the
'Doomtrooper' world," Bledsoe explains.
* Last year, Decipher Inc. handed out
thousands of free "Star Trek: The Next
Generation" Warp Packs to consumers.
Now the company has started distribut-
ing Jedi Packs for its "Star Wars" CCG.
Each pack contains 11 black-bordered
premium cards from the Dark and Light
sides of the Star Wars universe. Bad guys
get Dark Forces, Eriadu, Gravity Shadow,
Hyperoute Navigation Chart, Admiral
Motti, and Grand Moff Tarkin. The Rebels
get Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke's T-16
Skyhopper, For Luck, and Tedn Dahai.
You can grab a Jedi Pack for yourself
from the Rebel Leader Tour program,
squadron members who run "Star Wars"
tournaments, or from the directors of
sanctioned tournaments. Jedi Packs are
also available directly from Decipher.
Send $1 and a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to Jedi Packs, Decipher Inc., P.O.
Box 56, Norfolk, Va. 23501. From out-
side the United States, send a self-ad-
dressed envelope and an International
Reply Coupon equal to $1 U.S. more than
the cost of return postage.
ANIME
* "ANI-MAYHEM" COLLECTOR'S ALERT!
North Carolina video distributor Anim-
Eigo is giving away rare "Ani-Mayhem"
cards with the purchase of its Japanese
animation tapes. "It's primarily a con-
sumer-oriented promotion," explains Al-
bert Price, AnimEigo's vice-president of
sales. "Anybody who orders anime direct-
ly from AnimEigo, while supplies last,
gets free rare cards inserted in the outgo-
ing package. If you buy five videos or five
laser discs, you get five rare cards."
"Ani-Mayhem" publisher Pioneer Video
and game designer Anime Cafe delivered
the 5,000 rare cards to AnimEigo as part
of a licensing agreement. AnimEigo holds
the American distribution rights to the
Bubblegum Crisis video series, which is
featured in the game.
* "ANI-MAYHEM" COLLECTOR'S ALERT!
North Carolina video distributor Anim-
Eigo is giving away rare "Ani-Mayhem"
cards with the purchase of its Japanese
animation tapes. "It's primarily a con-
sumer-oriented promotion," explains Al-
bert Price, AnimEigo's vice-president of
sales. "Anybody who orders anime direct-
ly from AnimEigo, while supplies last,
gets free rare cards inserted in the outgo-
ing package. If you buy five videos or five
laser discs, you get five rare cards."
"Ani-Mayhem" publisher Pioneer Video
and game designer Anime Cafe delivered
the 5,000 rare cards to AnimEigo as part
of a licensing agreement. AnimEigo holds
the American distribution rights to the
Bubblegum Crisis video series, which is
featured in the game.
Each month, AnimEigo will also
award an uncut "Ani-Mayhem" sheet to
one lucky customer. "We will take the
dollars spent in the calendar month by
the consumer," Price says. "If you spend
$10, you get 10 chances. Then, using
some kind of random generator, we'll
pluck out one person. We'll contact him
by e-mail, phone, or mail, let him know
that he's the winner, and ask him what
his favorite character or card is. We'll do
our best [to get] him an uncut sheet with
that card or character on it. We can't
guarantee it will happen, but we'll try."
SPORIS
* Is your game baseball? Hockey, per-
haps? Then run (or skate) to your local
hobby shop and grab a couple of decks of
"Team Out! Baseball" and "Team Out!
Hockey." These new card games from
Ultimate Line-Up Inc. allow gamers to
assemble teams of real-life superstars.
Both non-collectible games come in
60-card decks-containing all the
games' cards-priced at $9.95 apiece.
Each "Team Out! Baseball" deck con-
tains 23 Action and Protection cards fea-
turing humorous cartoons and player
caricatures. The remaining 37 cards fea-
ture photos of popular major leaguers
like Greg Maddux, Albert Belle, Frank
Thomas, and Cal Ripken Jr. "Team Out!
Hockey" decks offer 30 pro icemen, in-
cluding Mario Lemieux, Paul Kariya, Eric
Lindros, and Patrick Roy.
award an uncut "Ani-Mayhem" sheet to
one lucky customer. "We will take the
dollars spent in the calendar month by
the consumer," Price says. "If you spend
$10, you get 10 chances. Then, using
some kind of random generator, we'll
pluck out one person. We'll contact him
by e-mail, phone, or mail, let him know
that he's the winner, and ask him what
his favorite character or card is. We'll do
our best [to get] him an uncut sheet with
that card or character on it. We can't
guarantee it will happen, but we'll try."
SPORIS
* Is your game baseball? Hockey, per-
haps? Then run (or skate) to your local
hobby shop and grab a couple of decks of
"Team Out! Baseball" and "Team Out!
Hockey." These new card games from
Ultimate Line-Up Inc. allow gamers to
assemble teams of real-life superstars.
Both non-collectible games come in
60-card decks-containing all the
games' cards-priced at $9.95 apiece.
Each "Team Out! Baseball" deck con-
tains 23 Action and Protection cards fea-
turing humorous cartoons and player
caricatures. The remaining 37 cards fea-
ture photos of popular major leaguers
like Greg Maddux, Albert Belle, Frank
Thomas, and Cal Ripken Jr. "Team Out!
Hockey" decks offer 30 pro icemen, in-
cluding Mario Lemieux, Paul Kariya, Eric
Lindros, and Patrick Roy.
All the player photos are licensed by
Major League Baseball or National Hockey
League Enterprises as well as the corre-
sponding players' associations. "You will
not get the uniform without the logo,"
says Brian Theriot, Ultimate's vice-presi-
dent of marketing.
The games share the same basic rules:
Two to six players draw from a single deck
and attempt to fill the positions on their
teams. "Team Out! Baseball," players look
for pitchers, catchers, infielders, and out-
fielders. With "Team Out! Hockey," players
search for wings, centers, defensemen,
and goalies.
"The first person to assemble a team
'teams out,'" Theriot says. The player
who "teams out" first gets the most
points. The other players garner points
for the positions they filled.
Major League Baseball or National Hockey
League Enterprises as well as the corre-
sponding players' associations. "You will
not get the uniform without the logo,"
says Brian Theriot, Ultimate's vice-presi-
dent of marketing.
The games share the same basic rules:
Two to six players draw from a single deck
and attempt to fill the positions on their
teams. "Team Out! Baseball," players look
for pitchers, catchers, infielders, and out-
fielders. With "Team Out! Hockey," players
search for wings, centers, defensemen,
and goalies.
"The first person to assemble a team
'teams out,'" Theriot says. The player
who "teams out" first gets the most
points. The other players garner points
for the positions they filled.
"You can play more than one hand and
keep accumulating points. Just because
you finished second or third doesn't mean
you don't get any points. Shuffle the deck
and it's time to rock'n'roll again."
