Who am I to complain about a game play mechanic? I'm actually a huge card fan...I just have a hard time having them integrated into a world in which the suspension of disbelief was attempted, and then completely thrown out the door. Take for instance the aforementioned 'Metal Gear Solid Acid Snake Raiden', in which our gun-toting hero now throws around cards instead of his tech-9 or the casual snap of the neck. It's not a card game...

Now, there are other RPG or card-based games in which a card battling system may be appropos, but you have to admit that there are times where it's just a litte too wonky. Can you imagine a GTA in which our young hero opens a car door and throws down the "Get out Car with a +10 neck grab and twist" and all the poor driver can do is throw out the "fight back with kick in groin" card in which there are only 2 in a 100 card deck? That actually probably describes the basic game mechanics of that entire ordeal, but yet, I don't have to see it, or bother having my world view interrupted by floating playing cards.

That's all i'm saying...I respect the game theory and game play that cards bring to the table. It's a great tangible abstraction to the basic game rules being tossed about in bits and bytes in the game code...but I don't like it when it interferes with my emersion in the game world.

But card games in general? Love 'em. In fact, Vastish has introduced a card game to me many a year ago that I hunger to play again. In fact, I hunger to play a video game of it. Maybe even write one. But we won't have Ryu in it, nor will we have Tiger Woods...we may have a small Anime characters here and there...(and if we get the nintendo license...well....you get the idea)