Redakai. Finally a trading card game that my boys actually want to play rather than just collect the cards to look at. That being said, these cards are absolutely stunning. I was first introduced to Redakai at the 2011 Toy Fair, when we were shown an uncut sheet of the cards with what Spin Master called Blast3D technology along with some other product. They also spoke about how there is going to be a show to go along with the product coming to the Cartoon Network.
Redakai is already a hit in our house with our two boys (almost 6 and almost 8), as they really had a great time playing with the Redakai Start Pack and the Redakai Championship Tin sent by Spin Master. I had opened the product and read the instructions on the Basic Game, and right off the bat I knew this was going to be the first trading card game that would both be fun for them and limit any sort of discrepancies in gameplay.
The basic game is played by picking your Character Card and then making up a mix of Monster and Attack Cards to play with. You then play the Attack Cards on your opponent’s Character Card and the Monster Cards on your Character when it is your turn (that is, when you pick off your deck). If your Attack Card type number is higher than what the Character Card is showing, you can place it on your opponent’s Character Card and hopefully damage them. Here is the great part–this is all visual as the cards have transparent overlays, so it is possible to see when you lose all of your energy when the three damage bars are full. When you play a Monster Card on your Character Card, it may boost some stats or heal you! Depending on the amount of cards you decide to play with, this game can be either very fast game or more drawn out. I enjoyed the ability to play a quick game when we only had a few minutes as well as play longer games when we had more time. There is also an Advanced Rules Set, so that Redakai can grow with your children.
There are many positives about the cards themselves–I mean, they have 3D and animation effects, which floored me when I saw them the first time. Another positive of the cards is their sturdiness, as they are made out of plastic rather than paper. How many trading cards in your house have been ripped accidentally (or on purpose!)? These cards will hold up much better, which means less worrying from the parents’ end. It also means you can feel comfortable taking them places with you or throwing them in your pocket for the park.
On the Press Release Disc we received, they had one episode of the Cartoon and two very neat applications. I watched the cartoon episode, and I am very impressed. It was not something thrown together to get it out there with the product; it was some solid animation, as well as really giving the characters life. I let my older son watch the show, and he is already looking forward to the rest of the season. The way that they put the show and game together worked out perfectly, with neither of them seeming to be an add-on. They could both stand as great products (show/game) by themselves, but when you put them together you really have something special. The other really neat thing with this disc were the two applications that show you how to play the game in a graphical format. They explain both the basic and advanced way to play the game so that anyone can understand, and the instructional is even something you can show to the kids to help them learn to play.
My boys love trading cards, but Redakai transcends that a bit, because they also enjoy playing the game, as well. I also am pretty happy with the price point of the Power Pack, which gives you 11 X-Drive Cards. I think this is going to be something on every one’s Holiday List, and for Stocking Stuffers you can’t get much better. Once we get to see more Cartoons and we get to see these Action Figures that allow more interaction with the X-Drive Cards, we will be fully immersed in Redakai – Conqure The Kairu goodness. Not only do they have the kids hooked already, but I am also looking forward to the next game with the kids.
You can see more pictures I took of the two products below:
Note: The Redakai – Conquer The Kairu sets were provided for review from Spin Master
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