text: This invention relates to card game toys. More particularly, the invention relates to a card game toy to be used in a card game for playing a battle game using cards having a predetermined battle ability against opponent cards. Winning or losing involves competition to reduce the power of an opponent card to zero.
  Card games such as xe2x80x9cPOKEMON CARDxe2x80x9d (commodity name), which is produced and sold by applicants"" assignee, are well known. A card game POKEMON CARD is a card game which includes monster character cards as battle cards and energy cards showing the particular energy required for the monster card to make an attack on the opponent. The offensive player is allowed to take a monster or energy card out of a card group comprising a predetermined number of monster and energy cards. The monster card is summoned as a battle card into a battlefield so that a predetermined energy card is put on the monster card in order to attack an opponent monster card thereby damaging the opponent card. By damaging an opponent card at a predetermined number of points or higher, the opponent monster card may be defeated. Thus, a player who is first to defeat the opponent""s monster cards by a predetermined number wins the game.
  In the conventional card game, however, a battle is waged with cards that have been selected by the respective players on a one-to-one basis. Accordingly, there is little freedom in choosing a monster card for attacking or an opponent monster card to be battled against. Consequently, even where an energy card is unavailable in the card hand for making an attack with a player""s own monster card or where an opponent monster card to be defeated is not present in the battle field, the player is forced to battle against the opponent card. Thus, there are situations where the battle must take place despite a player being aware that a card battle result would be not in favor of the player.
  Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments to provide a novel card game toy.
  Another feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a card game toy where a battle game is played between a plurality of cards within a battle field so that the player has increased freedom in selecting a battle card thereby enhancing game interest and strategy.
  A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a card game toy where strategy is enhanced by introducing the concept of position or distance between battle cards.
  A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a card game toy where the rules of a game are simplified by making a single medium xe2x80x9cstonexe2x80x9d into an energy source required to summon a monster card or use a magic card.
  A further feature of the exemplary embodiments is to provide a card game toy where, even when the monster card is attacked by an opponent and reduced in power to zero, tension can be provided in a game due to an increased difference in master-card power value by returning the xe2x80x9cstonexe2x80x9d to provide an energy source.
  A card game toy according to the exemplary embodiments is a card game using at least a first card representative of a first attribute and a second card representative of a second attribute. The first card includes the following respectively formed on one main surface: a first character display region to depict a figure showing a first character representative of the first attribute; a first physical-power indicating part formed in a region excluding the first character display region which indicates first physical-power information on the first character; a first ability indicating part formed in a region excluding the first character display region which indicates first ability information on the first character; and a first range indicating part formed in a region excluding the first character display region which indicates first range information indicative of a range over which an ability of the first character covers. The second card includes the following respectively formed in one main surface; a second character display region to depict a figure representative of a character showing a second attribute; a second physical-power indicating part formed in a region excluding the second character display region which indicates second physical-power information on the second character; a second ability indicating part formed in a region excluding the second character display region which indicates second ability information on the second character; and a second range indicating part formed in a region excluding the second character display region which indicates second range information showing a range over which an ability of the second character covers.
  Specifically, the word xe2x80x9cFrontxe2x80x9d is shown in the first range indicating part to show the first card is to be positioned in a forward position and the word xe2x80x9cBackxe2x80x9d is shown in the second range indicating part to show the second card is to be positioned in a backward position.
  In an embodiment, the first and second cards are both monster character cards wherein the first card is a forward positioned monster and the second card a back positioned (backward) monster. The forward monster is positioned in the forward position in the battlefield to exert an attack power on an opponent""s forward monster positioned in an opponent""s forward position. The backward monster is positioned in a backward position and can make attack on an opponent""s forward monster positioned in an opponent""s forward position. Furthermore, the backward monster, in some cases, can attack an opponent""s backward monster positioned in an opponent backward position. By thus using the first and second cards which are different in their attributes (i.e. range of attack), it is possible to have a novel battle different from a conventional card game. Accordingly, the card game can be played with enhanced strategy.
  If the first card and/or second card is formed with a physical-power indicating part for change depending on a character level or an ability information indicating part for change depending on character level, it is possible to play a card game using the first card and/or second card changing in physical power or ability depending on a level.
  Also, if at least one card of the first card and/or second card indicates information about a physical power or ability of a character, it is possible to use one card in two ways.
  In one aspect of the exemplary embodiments, the card game toy further comprises a third card different in use and purpose from the first and second cards and exhibiting a third attribute used as a representation of a player. The third card forms a third character display region to depict an illustration of a character representing the player. In a region excluding the third character display region, depicted are physical-power information associated with the third character and ability information associated with the third character. In this embodiment, the third card is a master card. In this aspect of the exemplary embodiments, the player uses two kinds of monster and master cards to play a card game.
  In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the card game toy further includes a fourth card representative of a fourth attribute. This fourth card, if in the embodiment, is a magic card wherein the first and second cards are monster cards and the third card is a master card. The card game toy according to the exemplary embodiment is a card game toy for playing a game using a plurality of each of at least three kinds of cards, i.e. first attribute cards, second attribute cards and third attribute cards. The first attribute card forms a first attribute character display region to depict an illustration specifying a kind of a first attribute character. In a region excluding the first attribute character display region, depicted are physical-power information of the first attribute character, ability information of the first attribute character and further first range information indicative of a range over which the ability of the first attribute character covers. The second attribute card forms a second attribute character display region to depict an illustration specifying a kind of a second attribute character. In a region excluding the second attribute character display region, depicted are physical-power information of the second attribute character, ability information of the second attribute character and further second range information indicative of a range over which the ability of the second attribute character covers. The third attribute card forms a third attribute character display region to depict an illustration a character representative of an other self of a player. In a region excluding the third attribute character display region, depicted are physical-power information of the third attribute character and ability information of the third attribute character. A card game toy is thereby obtained that can be played using two kinds of monster cards and one kind of master card.
  A card game toy according to an exemplary embodiment is a card game toy for playing a card game describing game information on one main surface and using a plurality of each of at least four kinds of attribute cards, i.e. a first attribute card, a second attribute card, a third attribute card and a fourth attribute card. Indicative objects, such as stones, are used in this embodiment.
  In this preferred exemplary embodiment, two players place master and monster cards in the battlefield and, as required, prepare stones as an energy source. One player selects a magic card from the card hand to use magic to the player""s own monster card or an opponent""s monster card, selects the player""s own monster card to attack an opponent""s master card or monster card. Such attack is alternately made by the players to alternate between offense and defense. A player who reduces the opponent""s master-card-physical-power value to zero is the victor, and the game ends.
  According to the exemplary embodiments, a battle is waged between cards in the battlefield thereby providing the player with a wide range of battle card selection to enhance game interest and game strategy.
  Also, the card-game strategy can be further enhanced by introducing the concept of position or distance between battling cards.
  Furthermore, game rules can be simplified by reducing master-card physical power, monster-card level and energy source required in summoning a master card or using a magic card into a single medium of xe2x80x9cstonesxe2x80x9d.
  Also, even when the monster card is attacked by an opponent and reduced in physical power to zero, the xe2x80x9cstonesxe2x80x9d thereof can be returned as a player""s own energy source. This can provide tension in playing with proper timing due to the difference in physical value between the master cards.