“Take a Hand in Solving the Mysteries of The X-Files.”
In late 1996, when this game launched, the X-Files was still a pretty strong brand. The show was going well, the movie hadn’t happened, and fans of the show continued to go out there and buy up lots of collectibles. That meant that merging trading card games with The X-Files led to some strong sales for the X-Files CCG (find at Amazon.com*), and even today the game demands decent prices when you can find it for sale. I have a starter and a handful of sealed boosters; I should rip a few packs open and check out the game again.
Related articles
- 1995 Ad for Topps’ X-Files Magazine (battlegrip.com)
- X-Files: The Board Game Overview Video (battlegrip.com)
It’s funny how there was a time after the success of M:TG and a few others that EVERYTHING seemed to start getting a CCG. It died off, but then Pokemon happened and the whole thing exploded again. There must be whole landfills now home to abandoned CCGs that just didn’t take off, or ended when the franchise they were based on wrapped up.
I do remember the WWE one having quite enjoyable mechanics, even though I wasn’t a massive wrestling fan by the time I played it.
For me, the most enjoyable form of licensed CCG were the ones that captured the feel of the property rather than just slapping familiar pictures on cards. My favorite was the Star Trek: TNG CCG. It played exactly like you were picking crews for your ships, going on missions and encountering obstacles along the way. At least the first edition did; the second edition made the game more generic, IMHO. Highlander was another good one. You played through the motions of having a sword fight to the death!
For me, the most enjoyable form of licensed CCG were the ones that captured the feel of the property rather than just slapping familiar pictures on cards. My favorite was the Star Trek: TNG CCG. It played exactly like you were picking crews for your ships, going on missions and encountering obstacles along the way. At least the first edition did; the second edition made the game more generic, IMHO. Highlander was another good one. You played through the motions of having a sword fight to the death!
For me, the most enjoyable form of licensed CCG were the ones that captured the feel of the property rather than just slapping familiar pictures on cards. My favorite was the Star Trek: TNG CCG. It played exactly like you were picking crews for your ships, going on missions and encountering obstacles along the way. At least the first edition did; the second edition made the game more generic, IMHO. Highlander was another good one. You played through the motions of having a sword fight to the death!