Captain Tsubasa is a game for two players. It comes from a famous Japanese comic and cartoon series with the same name. That series started in the 1980s. People love it in Japan and many other places. The story is all about soccer. In this game, you have a soccer match between two main teams from the story. They are Nankatsu and Toho. It uses cards, and you get to see lots of characters from the show. If you like the series, you will enjoy this game a lot.
The game splits into two halves. Each half has six rounds. Each player has their own stack of cards. You draw from your stack. At the beginning of each round, both players pick one card from a shared group of cards. In every round, one player attacks and the other defends. Players take turns putting down cards. You stop when nine cards are out or both say no more. The cards do different things. Some give power for attacking, passing the ball, or defending. You can also get markers for those three areas. When the card playing stops, the attacker picks if they want to try for a goal or just keep the ball. The attacker checks their attack or pass power against the defender’s defense power. They add markers to boost those powers. Then they roll dice to add more. If the attacker has more total power, they score or keep the ball. Keeping the ball means no goal but you attack again next round. If a goal happens or the try fails, the other side attacks next.
There is no game board or little figures on a field. The cards show the story characters and their powers. Cards for goalies let you save a round you might lose. Some special attack and defense cards work like rock-paper-scissors to beat each other.
The game has ups and downs just like a real soccer game. You switch who attacks. You work to get the best chance by using your cards smartly. Luck plays a part, not just from dice but also from which cards you get. I like that because it makes things thrilling. Soccer should feel that way.
You build your card stack a bit during play. Your stack is small. When it runs out, you mix up your used cards to make a new stack and keep going. In the game, you can throw out some cards. You can also add new ones. This gives you plans for the whole game. You can make your soccer team your own way.
This game is easy to pick up. It moves quick and keeps you on your toes. You make smart moves with your cards. Luck adds to the fun. If you know the original show, you will have a great time with it. That was a soccer joke.
