Neverland Card Battles Review: It’s In The Cards

Written by 2.o | November 24, 2008

One of the great things about video games is that, no matter what your interests are, there’s a game for you somewhere out there. Of course, for more traditional gamers, there’s your standard fare – sports, shooting, and platformers, but what if you’re not looking for something as commonplace as the new “Gears of War?” Say you really want to merge two different kinds of “gaming” together – video and card – and then mix in a bit of a tactics twist to the game, what do you do then? That recipe, while it may only appeal to picky eaters, really results in just one gaming concoction, “Neverland Card Battles.” It’s an extremely unique title which takes on the tactics meets card battles gameplay mechanic, and while “Neverland Card Battles” isn’t for everybody, it’s definitely for somebody.

Over the last few years, there have been more than a few trading card inspired video games that have been released, which draw on their real-world counterparts like Magic the Gathering to outline how to play the games. These games allow players to compete using cards for their characters and attacks, and stat crunch to see who is the victor. While traditional gamers may look like the “cool kids” to trading card gamers, those games are wildly popular, and people really do enjoy them. These are the people that really need to give “Neverland Card Battles” a try.

The story is fairly simple; Neverland is in peril, as a god called Hellgaia is on the verge of breaking out the tomb where he has been exiled. If he escapes, he will attempt to take over Neverland, and it’s up to the Dominators (characters that hold a mystical deck of cards) to keep him locked up, and save Neverland. See… simple.

The gameplay in “Neverland” is centered around a deck of cards that each characters carries, and uses in battle. You play as the character Galahad, who has inherited his cards from his Grandfather, and has suddenly been thrust into the journey towards vanquishing Hellgaia. On this adventure, he meets other Dominators, and challenges them to one-on-one battles pitting deck of cards vs deck of cards. The first Dominator to eliminate the challenger’s HP wins.

As you progress through the game, the cards take on a life of their own; essentially your deck becomes a constantly evolving “weapon” that is essential for taking down your challengers. There’s an entire range of cards that can alter every aspect of battle, which is great, because it makes every altercation unique, even if you have to challenge the same dominator over and over again.

As unique of an experience as “Neverland Card Battles” is, it suffers from a few debilitating problems. First of all, the gameplay is complex, and will instantly alienate anyone looking for a fast paced portable game. A standard turn, early in the game, can take as much as 10 minutes, and significantly more later in the game. Each move has to be well thought out, and analyzed. Then, once you’re ready, there’s a whole range of steps that you have to go through in order to complete your move, before your opponent can take their turn. It’s a little tedious, but people that really enjoy digging into stats, and putting thought into their moves on the board, should really enjoy it. In the end, I felt like it played out more like a game a chess than a trading card game. Like I said, it’s not for everyone.

There is one flaw that might not appeal to anyone, and mostly has to do with the platform the game is on. The PSP is a portable device; it’s meant to be taken with you. However, “Neverland Card Battles” was not. It was originally released a few years ago as a Japanese PS2 game called “Cardnial Arc,” and while the PSP version retains the enjoyable graphics and audio from the original, it also retains the same gameplay, which is more suited to sit-down gaming, than on-the-go gaming. Battles can rage on for much longer than your average subway ride, and it puts a significant break in the flow of the game. In short, the gameplay doesn’t seem to fit the platform very well, and it’s likely to hinder one’s experience with the game. On the plus side, you can always just put your game to sleep, or halt gameplay in the middle of the match, via the pause menu.

Personally, my last problem with the game is something that a lot of other people might actually find enticing – it’s crazy hard. I will personally guarantee that anyone who buys this game will absolutely get their money’s worth in terms of the hours they will invest in the game. After the first level’s tutorial stage, “Neverland” ramps up the difficulty right away, so much so, that it’s very possible that some gamers are likely to get frustrated. However, gamers that like a challenge should be all over this.

All in all, “Neverland Card Battles” isn’t a bad game, but the gameplay is so niche, that there’s a chance it might too far outside the realm of your average gamers interest. Try it if you’ve ever enjoyed “The Eye of Judgement,” anything that could even be remotely considered a trading card game, or anything with the word “tactics” in the title, otherwise it might not be for you.

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