It has been recently suggested that games in which the primary strategic element is based on card mechanics is, well, dumb. Now, to be clear, we're not talking about rummy, poker, or the king of all card games -- spades. No, rather this is about those brave quixotic little video game gems that dare to shirk convention by creatively adapting one of the oldest game systems known to man.

Some titles for you to ponder before we go on. Baten Kaitos a card-based RPG of some acclaim. Metal Gear Acid helped sell the world Sony PSPs as a launch title in March 2005. For me, this was the first game that broke through my out-of-hand dismissal of the admittedly silly sounding card based action game. But let me assure you it's not just me who appreciates the genius at work here, and perhaps it would help if you read the opinions of someone more respected in the industry. Be my guest. I'll wait.

What I find interesting about those who cannot tolerate these games because of the cards is that the card system is really just an arbitrary metaphor for how to interact with the game. Final Fantasy's collection of weapons, spells, and potions are just a collection of things that do things within the rules of the game. The manifestation of the these objects could have been anything. It just so happened that Square went with the most obvious choice at the time, owing largely to (in order) fantasy fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, and Dragon Quest I.

But cards are no less apt a choice. They are the ultimate expression of what should be the heart and soul of any good game -- luck and skill. Indeed the use of cards as a gameplay mechanic is the quintessential evolution of how far games themselves have evolved. Game design has matured to the point that it has begun to eat its own tail.

We find ourselves, then, back at the beginning. And this is not a bad thing. If hip-hop as taught us anything, it is that wonderful things can emerge when we remix old ideas. And if that wasn't too much of a stretch for you, then you should be getting very excited at the prospects of re-imagining the mechanics of play when Nintendo adds how you move into this heady mix.

-Vastish