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Digivolve your PlayStation controllers and prepare to shuffle your way through the most wonderfully confused identity crisis in gaming history, because this week on Play Comics we’re tapping into the pixelated card-battling chaos that is Digimon Digital Card Battle for the PS1! Released in 2001 when every entertainment franchise on Earth was racing to cash in on the trading card game gold rush sparked by Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, Bandai decided their digital monsters deserved a piece of that sweet, sweet card-slinging action. The twist? They didn’t just adapt the existing Digimon trading card game – oh no, that would be far too simple. Instead, they created an entirely NEW card game exclusively for this PS1 title, because apparently someone at BEC thought “You know what kids collecting physical cards really need? A completely different set of rules that only exists in digital form!”

What emerged was a gloriously polygonal fever dream where Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon became your partners in a card-battling odyssey through Battle Arenas, all while you sacrifice Digimon from your hand like some kind of digital monster cult leader gathering “DP” (Digivolve Points, not whatever your brain just went to) to evolve your creatures into increasingly ridiculous forms. It’s rock-paper-scissors meets card game mechanics meets “please stop making me grind the same battles 300 times to unlock the secret final boss.”

Joining us for this digivolved discussion is the phenomenally talented Sahoni from Bramble Wolf Games! When they’re not busy crafting games that actually mean something or channeling their Queer and Indigenous (ᏣᎳᎩᏱ ᏕᏣᏓᏂᎸᎩ) storytelling magic into unforgettable tabletop experiences, Sahoni brings their narrative expertise to help us understand how this PS1 oddity somehow convinced an entire generation that carrying around 30 digital cards was infinitely more practical than the hundreds of physical ones weighing down their backpacks.

So crack open that PS1 jewel case, practice your best “I’m going to pretend I understand these Support Card effects” face, and prepare for an episode more entertaining than watching the same Digimon battle animation for the 47th time. We’ll explore whether this card-game-that-never-was actually honored the spirit of the Digimon franchise, or if it just left us wondering why we couldn’t trade our digital cards with friends like we could in literally every other TCG game of the era!Continue Reading

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This week on Play Comics, we’re taking you on a high-speed tour through Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space, a PS2 classic that’s equal parts thrilling dogfight simulator and love letter to Universal Century lore. From piloting iconic mobile suits to reenacting pivotal battles from the One Year War, this game has everything a Gundam fan could ask for—except ground-based combat (but hey, who needs dirt when you’ve got asteroids?).

Joining us for this cosmic adventure is George from Shortbox Summary, who brings his signature wit and deep knowledge of pop culture to the discussion. Together, we’ll explore what makes Encounters in Space stand out among Gundam games, share our favorite moments from its sprawling story modes, and maybe even speculate about Zeon’s questionable interior design choices. Strap in—it’s going to be a bumpy ride through the stars!Continue Reading

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Greetings, fellow gamers and digital explorers! Today, we’re strapping on our Digi-Devices and venturing into the world of Digimon – because why catch ’em all when you can DIGITIZE ’em all? W e’re peeling back the nostalgic layers of the PlayStation classic, Digimon World 2. A game where the monsters are digital, the challenges are real, and the memory card space is always at a premium. But wait, there’s more! We’re not content with just battling in virtual arenas and exploring digital dungeons. At least not by ourselves.

Joining us on this wild Digivolutionary ride is none other than Andrew Young, cohost of the podcast Behold! This gaming aficionado is here to share his insights, drop some knowledge bombs, and maybe even settle the age-old debate of Agumon vs. Gabumon. Brace yourselves, because we’re about to unravel the digital mysteries, level up our nostalgia, and possibly discover if Digimon ever learned to change a lightbulb.Continue Reading

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Eventually we had to take a look at the world of kids and little monsters that fight. For a lot of people this was their first foray into the world of manga and anime. But we didn’t know that, and we probably wouldn’t have cared at all if we did. There were kids just like us that got to play around with these amazing creatures that we all wish we could have as a pet.

That’s right, we’re talking Digimon with Michael Shea from The Basement Lounge about that show I definitely didn’t try to make you think was that other anime about monsters fighting each other. Which I’m realizing now doesn’t narrow things down enough at all.Continue Reading