KID STUFF: Yu-Gi-Oh! For Moms

Yu-Gi-Oh!
TRADING CARD GAME

What is it?

Yu-Gi-Oh!, most simply, is another Japanese marketing phenomenon, complete with cartoons, a full-length feature on VHS or DVD, a complete line of licensed merchandise, including clothing, lunch boxes, school supplies, games, puzzles, action figures, party supplies, and the foundation, or perhaps the destination of it all: The Trading Card Game. The TCG is a mix between the most complicated version you could imagine of the playing card game WAR and the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons, with all the characters, powers, battles and magic.

Who?

Yu-Gi-Oh! has captivated the eight- to ten-year-old boy market, replacing Pokemon, Bionicles and Beyblade in popularity and obsession. The craze is not limited to the elementary males, however. At a recent tournament, in a group of 35 - 40 duelists, there were a couple of girls, several older boys and even two adult men (one was a parent, the other was just kind of strange, in my opinion--I kept an eye on him.). Although Moms, for the most part, don't have a clue what's going on, there are always Moms like Vicki, my fellow Rebel Housewife, who is a game enthusiast and all-around Cool Mom, who already has her own Yu-Gi-Oh! deck and participates in the trade-offs and battles with the neighborhood kids. (She has her own Beyblade, too.)

Where?

Toys R Us, of course. Although Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and products can be purchased at any (and I do many ANY) store, Toys R Us is milking the cash cow early by sponsoring weekly tournaments, in association with the manufacturer of the playing cards, Upper Deck.

Although the tournaments are free, Toys R Us and Upper Deck aren't losing any money on the deal, with the players' enthusiasm for the $12.99 starter packs (about a dozen versions) and $3.99 booster packs (even more), conveniently displayed near the tournament area.

I took my son, Zach, and his friend to our very first Toys R Us Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament recently...and it was really fun! The kids had a great time, and although I didn't know what to expect and didn't have a Yu-Gi-Oh! clue yet myself, I had a good time too, sitting with the other Moms, chatting and watching the kids have at it. My biggest worry before taking the boys to the tournament was that they would somehow get suckered out of all of their cards and be disappointed, but they don't battle for the cards, so they don't lose anything. In fact, they get a free card for attending, and they earn more special cards by winning duels, teaching and bringing friends to the tournament, "matching the monster" (I don't know what that is) and assisting the duelist leader (in our case, a very cool Toys R Us employee named Dwight, who was very involved with helping the kids and was very patient and helpful with clueless Moms!).

When I asked Dwight about the schedule for the tournaments, he said they had only three weeks to go at our location (metro Atlanta), and then Toys R Us corporate would reassess the impact of the tournaments (on sales, I gather) and decide whether or not to schedule another series of tournaments. He said most likely it would prove to be as popular and successful as the Pokemon tournaments, which ran for several years. So there you go--at least I know where my kid (and I) will be on Saturday mornings for the foreseeable future!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Pros:

1. No batteries!
2. Portable and compact entertainment.
3. Improves reading, math, memory and strategy skills.
4. Very cooperative play, older kids help younger kids.
5. The kids know the game, teach and help each other.
6. In the months my kids have been playing, I haven't had to intervene or referee, ever. (Fortunately--because I don't get it!)
7. Great motivation for chores--they need the $$ to feed this habit.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Cons:

1. $$ as mentioned above, not to mention accessories and related stuff.
2. Cards all over the house--everywhere!
3. Cards do not wash and wear well (check pockets!).
4. Addiction and obsession tendency of boys to go overboard.
5. Strange older guys hanging out with boys, playing kid games.
6. I've read the "Official Rule Book", researched the Internet, read the Yu-Gi-Oh! collector's magazine--and I still don't get it!

I finally decided, after spending an entire day trying to figure out how to play Yu-Gi-Oh!, that some secrets are better left for the kids to enjoy. They don't want to know how I get the laundry done, I don't need to know how to duel, just the overall basics and the pros and cons mentioned above. The kids are happy and having fun, I'm happy. I'll still keep an eye on those strange older guys--