Move over Yu-Gi-Oh!, Duel Masters is gaining fast

By Stephanie Dunnewind
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Parents of elementary-school-age boys can expect their sons' allowances to support yet another trading-card game: Duel Masters.

In the tradition of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, the two-player game features battling fantasy creatures and requires — of course — regular infusions of new cards.

It was a huge hit in Japan before making its U.S. debut in March. The card packs, developed jointly by Renton-based Wizards of the Coast and Japan's Shogakukan and Mitsui & Co., were the best-selling toy in Japan for most of last year.

In the U.S., the official Duel Masters fan club already boasts 16,000 members, said brand manager James Szubski. The card game is accompanied by a Duel Masters television show on Cartoon Network and a GameBoy Advance game.

Wizards of the Coast, known for the teen-skewing Magic: The Gathering card game, targets the 8- to 12-year-old tween market with Duel Masters. (It also recently introduced Star Sisterz, a card game aimed at girls with collectible charms.)

Duel Masters games can be played in five to 10 minutes, allowing kids to play several rounds with different friends during recess, Szubski said.

The characters include armored dragons, sentient robots, warriors, wizards, killer plants and giant insects. "If you're an 8- to 12-year-old boy, it pretty much covers all the bases for you," he said. "They're all packing serious fire power."

But don't worry, parents: The battle zone is a magical area and "nothing ever dies," he assures.

The game's starter set sells for a suggested $9.99 with 10-card booster packs at $3.50. The company releases new cards every quarter, with the next batch slated for August.

Joe Louie, manager of Bigfoot's Cards & Comics in Edmonds, expects the game to take off as more kids discover the new option. "Yu Gi Oh is starting to tail off," he said. "I think this game has a lot more strategy and depth."

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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