At RM35 for 50 cards, the Ultraman Card Game: Starter Deck comes in two variants, (SD01) Heroes of Hyperspace and (SD02) The Bonds of Zero. Both decks were released on (2024) November 25.

The packaging looks plain, with no security markings or hologram stickers to tout authenticity. The bottom of the box is blank, and there are no windows to preview what’s inside. Only the quality of the box, the crispness of the printing, and the Japanese style of product information in English say the product is genuine. It is made and printed in Korea.

The box opens from the top. Inside is a cardboard-back plastic tray that holds the cards and a play mat that doubles as an instruction manual. The deck is held together with a plastic band. Both the band and the tray are reusable. 

Like foil cards in other collectable card games, the foil cards (the shiny ones) are curved right out of the box. Unless every booster pack has foil or comes in a tray, this could be an issue, as buyers could check how springy a booster pack is to guarantee a foil. 

Because the cards do not have borders, their colours can show through on the side, which means they can be identified during play. This probably means that sleeves are compulsory in serious play. 

The cards are high-quality and look plain at first. The card stock feels thicker than Magic: The Gathering Cards and Pokemon cards but thinner than Yu-Gi-Oh cards. The back looks simple and bare, but a closer look shows that it is textured and has some swirling spot glossy printing. 

The face of the cards has a lot of space for the art, a mix of photographs and artist’s renditions of the characters. The holographic cards are notable for their spot-glossy print and texture. They feel and look premium. However, the font and symbols used for the game elements look uninspired.

Both Heroes of Hyperspace and The Bonds of Zero decks share no cards and are very simple to use. However, cards from Heroes of Hyperspace are more deck-specific. Many refer to the deck and the cards in the deck specifically. On the other hand, the effects in the Bonds of Zero deck rely significantly on the opponent’s character types, and its monster cards seem weak. 

Ultraman Card Game is designed to be simple for younger players. Still, there is a lot of space for newer and more complex systems to be introduced, so there is a lot of potential. At the same time, the cards themselves would appeal to collectors, even those who do not plan to play the game.

At RM35, these decks are affordable, provide fun even to those who do not plan to expand the decks using booster packs, and are collectable. However, finding a deck at the official retail price could be challenging as scalpers have swooped in for quick profit. They ensure the game fails unless Tsuburaya prints more decks and makes sure they are readily available. 

I recommend them only at the suggested retail price. Printed cardboard is supposed to be fun, collectable, and affordable. 

Here is a YouTube playlist on how to play the Ultraman Card Game. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLgOopoJW_fWqCB7HZAx0o2ka3xF8WJx2