My First Booster Box

Last week, I did something that I said I would never do, which was order a Booster Box of trading cards.  In the past, when I played Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, the temptation was always there to buy cards, but I always reasoned that it was better to use money on single cards I wanted, than use lots of money to buy cards I didn't want.  Not to mention, I never knew if it was worth it to use lots of money on something I only play part time.  I love Pokémon and grew up with it, but as I get older, there's less of it in my life, besides when my friends have arguments about it.  All these things were on my mind as I was contemplating buying the booster box, but in the end, I went with it since I had some money to spare, and I never treated myself, so why not do it this one time?

I ordered my booster box off Ebay and received it in 2 business days, which I was extremely happy about.  When it came in the mail, the first thing that caught my eye was how small it was.  From box openings and reaction videos I've seen of others opening the cards, the box seemed so much bigger, but that could have just been because of the camera.  Still, I was concerned, so I kept wondering as I walked to my friend's place if I had been gypped.  Luckily, I hadn't because when I opened the box, there were 36 packs as advertised.

It's funny how you wait so long for something, and then in an instant, it's over.  That statement can be applied to anything in life, and applies to these cards as well.  I agonized over buying the cards for so long, and then waited for them to come, but in less than 25 minutes, my friend and I had ripped off the plastic of all 36 packs.  Sad, I know.  All in all, I think the box was worth it.  We didn't get the top EX Pokémon in my opinion, which was Mew, or the Ho-Oh card I wanted, but I got the other 4 EX's, so in the end, I got at least 3-4 ultra rares.  I wish I had gotten the specific cards I wanted, but I think looking back, this purchase was worth the price.  Not just for the cards I did get, but the experience of opening packs of cards like a child again, and doing it with friends.  I don't know if I'll be buying any cards again in the future, but if I do, I'll certainly be less hesitant.   

Buying A Booster Box?

The more I've been playing Pokémon cards, the more I've been wanting to buy packs of them.  I've always traded and bought single cards, but it's not always easy trading, and after awhile, paying a lot for rare single cards is just too expensive.  That's why recently, I've been looking at booster boxes of cards.  In Pokémon, their boxes usually cost around $100 for 36 packs, which sounds like a lot, but when you consider that normally a pack costs between $4-5, the savings adds up.  It's just such a huge investment, and for someone like me who is a casual gamer and low on funds, I wonder if it is worth it?  Part of me says no, but a large part of me is excited at the possibility of opening so many packs.  Especially if I decide to get the Plasma Blast box or the Wild Blaze box, which isn't coming out till May.  The Plasma Blast set has Genesect EX and Virizion EX, two of the best and rarest cards, that I would want if I made a grass themed deck, but if I got the new one, I'd have a chance of getting the new Charizard EX cards, which I could add to my deck.  A tough decision for sure, but what would you guys suggest I do? 

A booster box might be in my future, but which one should I get?

My Favorite Generation I Pokémon

Recently, I've been getting back into Pokémon in more ways than I ever imagined.  I always played the games, but with no 3DS, I had to find some other alternative, which is why I've been getting into the trading card game. As a child, it seemed complicated with all of its coin flips and damage counters, but now, I know it's a pretty simple game to play.  Yesterday, I bought some cards online (showing my addiction to the game), but like all card games, it gets expensive because I always want to buy collectable/older cards.  Sure, I could buy newer cards (and I have), but I grew up with the first two generations of Pokémon the most, so I want those cards in my deck.  Plus, I just like/know most of the Pokémon in general.  That got me thinking though, when it came to the first generation, what were my favorite Pokémon?  I looked back on my main party from those games, but those weren't accurate, since they just represented Pokémon that were there for convenience.  Let's be honest, we all had a Pidgeot, but it was never one of our favorites; it was there just because we didn't want a Fearow or legendary.  So with this question on my mind, I thought long and hard about which Generation I Pokémon were my favorites.  It took awhile, but after thinking about it, I think I have my answer.

Criteria for my favorite Generation I Pokémon is judged by a mix of variables.  I chose some of them based on my use of them in the video games, card game, and my sentimental memory of them.  It's safe to say if I could ever have a main party with these 6, I would.  Without further ado, my favorite Generation I Pokémon are...

Honorable Mention

• Scyther: My friend Phu is going to kill me for this because he loves Scyther to death, but here me out.  I love Scyther now as a Pokémon, sometimes even more than Scizor, but back as a child, I couldn't stand Scyther.  It was a bug Pokémon, which I don't even really like, since like Misty, I just hate bugs.  And back then, it was so hard to get because you could only get it in the Safari Zone or the game corner, which took forever.  Sure, it might have been worth it, but back in Generation I, it didn't have a great move set, and its only real use was to cut trees, which is why it's an honorable mention.

6. Porygon: You'd think Porygon would be in the same boat as Scyther since it could only be gotten at the game corner, and it cost even more coins, but unlike Scyther, I was never afraid of Porygon.  Yes, it had the unfortunate seizure incident in Japan, but that wasn't its fault; that was because of high flashing animation.  Porygon might be weak, but I always thought it was cool that it was made out of cybernetics/technology, and I loved its annoying move set with the Conversion moves and Tri-Attack!

5. Snorlax: Snorlax is here because it's fat, eats, and sleeps a lot just like I used to.  And while I'm not that way anymore, I still remember those days.  They weren't always good times, but they were simpler because I wasn't always worrying about my health the way I do now.  In the old games, Snorlax was the sleeping Pokémon that you had to wake up using a PokéFlute, which I always thought was awesome.  It might not be the best at any specific stats, but I think it has an equal balance of everything.  Not to mention, it's versatile enough to learn HMs like Surf, and it's hard to knock out with its high HP and Rest move.  Considering I didn't like many water Pokémon besides Blastoise, Snorlax was a lifesaver.  

4. Marowak:  There's not much I can really say about Marowak.  In the original Generation, its main preference was that you had to kill it in the Lavender Ghost tower, so you could get by.  It was creepy, but an interesting plot to say the least.  Besides that, I love Marowak because it's different.  It has a skull on its head, always making me wonder how it looks underneath, and it throws a bone, which I always thought was cool since I liked boomerangs.  Its card in the trading card game leaves something to be desired, but there is one version I like that I want, so it still has a special place for me.

3. Pikachu: Being the mascot of the entire Pokémon franchise, Pikachu seems like an obvious choice here.  It has a lot of supporters, but it has a lot of detractors as well.  And I can understand why.  It's not strong, is the main Pokémon of Ash (who sucks as a trainer), and it always loses to other Pokémon in the series, but I like it because it's cute, and a Pokémon my dad and I really connected with.  Not to mention, once it has the light ball and Volt tackle, it's pretty awesome!

2. Dragonite: Dragonite reminds me of the cryptozoology I follow, which has to do with mythical creatures, folklore, etc.  There's stories about it, but you never really see it, unless you capture one.  That's never more relevant then in the anime series when Ash and the gang see the giant one, but in the game, you can't capture one unless you raise a Dratini all the way up to level 55.  I admit, that is tedious, especially since you don't get it until later in the game, which by that point, you probably already have your main party.  But if you're like me and love dragons, you have to love Dragonite; its look, moves, and strength, what's not to like?  Plus, you can fish for it or get it at the game corner, which is always helpful.

1. Charizard: Do I even need to explain this one?  Charizard is the best!  I know a lot of people who hate it because of its popularity, and stat and card game wise, it isn't the best, but I don't care.  I was always fascinated with it as a child because I always thought it was a dragon.  And even though I learned later on it was a lizard, it doesn't change the fact there's so much to love about it.  It's strong, it's orange (which used to be my favorite color), and it breathes fire.  You can't get much better than that, and I really want its EX card, so if anyone wants to give me a near mint one, let me know.

Pokémon Then And Now

Like many children growing up in the 90s, I grew up during the Pokémon craze/era.  When it first appeared on TV, I didn't understand it or think of it differently then any other show on at the time, but after a few episodes, I was hooked.  I probably should of tried watching Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing, or stuck to Monster Rancher, but I didn't have cable, and new episodes of cartoons were only on Saturdays, so I was stuck following Pokémon to death.  I collected cards and bought the toys, but nothing brought me more joy than the video games when they first got released on Gameboy  in 1998.  I still remember my sister getting the first red Gameboy Pocket and Red Version, which was a little over $100 (which would be a bargain now).  Back then, she never let me play it, but I still remember sneaking around and playing it when she was asleep.  Those were the days, and that was the time when most of my friends played Pokémon.

Of course, things change.  After not being able to play a game of my own, I got Silver version when it first it came out and treasured it, playing it endlessly and trying to become the best.  I don't know if I ever succeeded in it, but I think I held my own.  As I got older though, I started playing it less and less, and focusing on things that would become the focus of my life (family, friends, school).  Despite my distance, every now and then, I would find time to try and play the newest versions of Pokémon.  Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald were fun since I thought the play on elements was nice, as well as things such as diving.  FireRed/LeafGreen version were improvements from the originals, but that's all I thought they were.  As for Diamond/Pearl/Emerald version, they were okay, but nothing special.  Then Pokémon HeartGold/Soulsilver got released, which remade my favorite generation of Pokémon and did it so well, with its graphics, and incorporating the old and the new.  Obviously, it could never wow me the way Silver version did the first time because that was the first time you could call people on the phone, and deal with times of day, but it was great to revisit that again.  And lastly, there's Black/White version, which I barely played any of because I hated the Pokémon and the confusing storyline.  So as you can see, even though I am mostly detached from Pokémon, it's still a part of me.

That brings me to the new games coming out this week: Pokémon X/Y.  I don't know much about them besides from the videos I've seen and stuff I've researched, but it looks great.  The graphics on the 3DS look amazing, the new walking and battling should be fascinating, and some of the new Pokémon such as the mega-evolutions and tyrannosaurus Pokémon look absolutely bad-ass.  I always think of Pokémon as a game franchise that can never top itself, and for the most part I don't think they do (besides on rare occasions), but this game looks great, and could bring major interest from old and new fans if it hasn't already.  Pokémon may have come out over 15 years ago, but it's just as strong now to me with its new additions and technological improvements.  Although, America and the media aren't as into it as they used to be, I don't mind because it lets us true fans focus on the game we grew up with and love.

Now I wish I owned a Nintendo 3DS, but I don't, so I can just dream about the Pikachu one I want, and think about what it will be like when the game is finally released.  I usually don't get excited for games, but I can't wait for this one, something I haven't said since Generation 2.