Nintendo/Topps “Game Packs” 1989 cards

Nintendo retro trading cards and stickers.

I want to take you back to 1989, when nothing mattered more to me than Nintendo and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In fact, just writing this sentence makes me want to play TMNT II: The Arcade game on my NES. At that time, I was also a card and Panini stickers collector as well. I collected Star Trek cards, NHL hockey Cards, and of course TMNT cards (which included some wretched rock-hard gum). One time, on our weekly trip to the grocery store, I saw a pack of Nintendo cards. After some minor begging, my mom gave me some money so I could grab a pack or 2. And thus began another wonderful way to waste more of her money (thanks mom, I love ya!)

These cards were easily the coolest cards ever made for a kid – Each card was itself a scratch-card game! It was a brilliant way to incorporate gaming into collectable cards. Remember, this was before Pokémon and Magic the gathering. Sure those games were infinitely more advanced, but these were truly the first gaming cards I had ever seen and I was instantly hooked.

  

There were 60 cards in series one and they were based around 6 games (10 cards for each game). There was a second series of cards released after the success of the first series, but I never collected them but I probably would have, had I been able to find them. Thus my memories are limited to series 1: There was Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Double Dragon and finally Punch-Out!! (the post Mike Tyson edition, which was odd considering the cards came 1 year before the game). In addition to the cards, there were stickers for each of the games, 33 in total and on the back of the sticker card there was a game hint, which were surprisingly relevant and helpful.

  

Each pack included 3 cards and 2 stickers. Unlike many other card collecting packs sold at the time, it felt like there were no rare cards, you had a relatively equal chance of getting any given card. This was one of the few times that I was able to complete my collection before I ran out of interest and/or money.

 

I am not sure if everyone was the same as me, but when I was collecting hockey cards, I didn’t really care if I got a complete set, I just wanted to get all the cards from my favourite team (Pittsburgh Penguins.) I didn’t want to collect just for the sake of collecting; I really just wanted to celebrate my love for the Penguins. This specific collecting mentality carried over when I started collecting the Nintendo Game Pack cards as well – I really wanted to complete the Mario Bros, Zelda and Punch-out sets. I was usually disappointed when I got one of the Double Dragon cards. It didn’t happen that often, since there was only a 1 in 6 chance of getting one of them, but when I did, I was really disappointed. This disappointment usually lead to one of 2 extreme reactions: Either I buy another pack to ‘cleanse the palette’ or I swore to give up buying the cards all together. There were plenty of other things to buy. Sure it may have been extreme, but hell, it was 1989, I was young and foolhardy.

On each card was a picture of a game screen, inspired by the actual game. As previously mentioned, there were 10 cards/screens per game that you needed to complete in order (screen 1 -> screen 2, …) . The goal of each card was to defeat the enemy on the card and move on to the next card. To do this, you had and average of 10-ish silver circles (some had as much as 18!) that you could scratch (just like a lottery ticket) and reveal an icon. These icons would have different meanings, based on the game, but they all had some things in common – Some icons would hurt the enemy, others would hurt you. Furthermore, each screen was divided into 2 sections (left and right) where you needed to finish the left part of the screen before you could proceed to the right side of the screen. It was not enough that you defeated the enemy, but you had to get the arrow to move you to the right hand side of the screen as well in order to win. There were no limitations on how many turns you could take, you simply scratched away icons until either you win or loose. There is no fancy ending to completing the games or the entire set of games. Just the knowledge that you are the ultimate gamer, and let’s face it – that was worth something back in 1989.

Although I cannot prove this today without damaging the cards, I distinctly remember the icon placement was identical for the same cards. So, if you had a Mario Bros. 2 card with 4 traps, 3 arrows and 5 successful attack icons on them, every copy of that same card would have the same icons in the same location. Take this with a grain of salt however, memory of course is a little un-trustworthy, especially after so many years. I have ordered a few new packs from eBay to confirm this claim and will update this post when I get them. There was very little in way of original artwork, other than the background level art. Which was well made. The characters however were essentially ‘stock’ images of the characters. It was as though there were a grand total of 5 different pictures of Mario ever made and those 5 images were used over and over on every single Nintendo (licensed or not) product, including these cards. If you grew up with Nintendo, you have surely seen these images many times before. It doesn’t hurt the cards, especially since as a kid, it was rare to be looking at all of them at the same time, so it wasn’t as blatantly obvious as it is now, but yea… it is now and it is blatantly obvious. The greatest offender in this category is Super Mario Bros. 2, which is surprising, considering how much they must have wanted this game to succeed.

  

Although there was some artwork that was notably bland or bad, most of the cards were pretty cool looking, in particular the ‘audience’ in the Punch-Out!! cards could have been easily replicated for each card, but they didn’t take the easy way out and instead designed new audience artwork for each character. An honourable decision. The level design artwork really captured the look and feel of the game, and to their credit, they truly captured the exploration and wonder of the Legend of Zelda. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the cards. We will start with the classic that introduced a vast majority of us to gaming: Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros.

 

Screen one has Mario setting off on an adventure to rescue the princess, beginning with 2 expertly drawn little Goombas. Personally I would have added some green to the card, just to capture the colorful nature of the game, but otherwise it looks great. Reveal 3 flattened Goombas and the arrow to win, but 3 attacking Goombas will result in game over!

On screen two, Mario battles against some Spinneys in an ‘over world’ level. The cards deviate from the game here as in the original game Mario descends into an underworld cavern and Spinneys do not show up until world 4, but then again, does it really matter? You need to uncover 3 arrows to win, but if you reveal 3 “Ouch” icons, you loose.

   

The next screen has Mario in an under-water level as he does battle with the most adorable Blooper in existence. Reveal 3 of these adorable Bloopers and you loose, and again, 3 arrows allow you to continue. Seriously, can I get a plushy of this guy? Take my money!

Finally Mario goes underground for screen 4, where Mario lobs fireballs against a Koopa Paratrooper. Oddly enough, even with the fire flower, his costume doesn’t change, like it did in the game. Still a great looking card though, the expression on the enemy is great. Even if it looks like he is running in the wrong direction for his expression. AT any rate, uncover 3 arrows to win but if you uncover 3 Koopa Paratroopers, you loose.

My favourite enemy from Super Mario, the Buzzy Beetle, makes his appearance in screen 5. Uncover 5 of them and you loose, and like most of the cards up to this point, 3 arrows will grant you access to the next screen.

  

Screen 6 features a nervous looking Mario attempting to navigate the Piranha plants. I don’t blame him for being nervous, I never trusted them myself. Reveal 3 of them and you loose. Up to this point, the winning mechanism has been straight forward, but starting with this card, the distinction between the left and right hand of the screen becomes more important. In order to ‘win’ this card, you must begin with the left side of the screen (before the Piranha Plant) and reveal an arrow, which grants you access to the right side (after the plant) where you will need a warp zone icon to actually win.

Screen 7 adds a few new items to the mix, you once again need an arrow in the ‘1^st area’ (left of the Bullet Bill) to proceed to the second area, and you need another arrow to win. Watch out Mario – 3 Bullet Bills and you loose. There is also a ‘duck’ card that presumably means you have ducked the Bullet Bill and get to try again.

 

To win Screen 8, you need 2 arrows. However if you uncover 3 Cheep-Cheeps, you loose. I don’t care what anyone tells me, THESE are the original Angry Birds… Fish….

Screen 9 gets a little crazy – To get past the Koopa Troopa, you need an arrow from the left hand side, and then an ‘up’ arrow on the right hand side. That alone is not so crazy, but there are many ways to loose this card. Either uncover 3 Koopas or if you uncover a bouncing turtle shell, you instantly loose.

  

Everything comes to a head in the final battle with Bowser in his bright yellow castle. To be honest, I actually like the yellow background, as bizarre as it may sound. Scratch off an arrow on the left hand side to get closer to Bowser, and then uncover 2 switches to send him into the fiery pit below and rescue the princess. Uncover 3 fireballs and you loose. And there you have it, Super Mario Bros. A great game, a great character and great in this card-based incarnation as well.

The Legend of Zelda

  

Screen 1 begins our adventure into the world of Hyrule. We start, much like the game, in front of the cave where we are given the sword. In fact to win, you need to obtain 3 swords (as well as the arrow to proceed to the right). Uncover 3 Tektites and you loose.

I really love Screen 2, the rocks, water, bridge, trees and of course the dangerous (and annoying) Peahat. This screen really captures the beauty of the game landscape and features some great artwork of Link to boot. In order to win, you once again need an arrow and 3 swords but if you find 3 Peahats you loose.

I always thought the Moblins looked cute in the game (albeit somewhat scary when they start ganging up on you), but this artwork really showcases the ugliness of the Moblins. Remember kids – ugly is bad. To win screen 3 you need 3 swords and the arrow. 3 spears (being thrown at you) and you loose. If you however uncover a shield you get to try again

  

Screen 4 still has Link travelling the over world – this time facing off against some mutated demon thing. Wait? That’s an Octorok? Like hell it is! THIS is an Octorok

I know the cards are super old and the artist could care less what I think, but, damn son! I let the demon Moblin artwork pass, but this is unacceptable. This thing belongs in an Ed Wood film, not a Zelda game. Uncover 3 rocks (probably radioactive judging by where they came from) and you loose. 3 swords and an arrow to win, and once again, the shield will give you an extra turn.

We travel to the underworld (I can hear the music in my head as I write this) for screen 5. I assume this was meant to be Aquamentus since this is the first dungeon, but Aquamentus only has 1 head. Maybe it’s a Gleeok, but then again a Gleeok came in a 2-head and 4-head variety only. Did Link cut one of the heads off? The card doesn’t say what the name is (it usually does on the back), Maybe they didn’t know. Or maybe it’s just another freak Octorok. At any rate, 3 swords and the arrow you win, 3 fireballs and you loose.

Link is once again in a dungeon for Screen 6 as he battles with Patra. Somehow Link already made it to the 9^th dungeon and it looks like he is having a tough fight. As has been the case in every card to this point, 3 swords and an arrow will win, while uncovering 3 Patras and it’s all over.

 

I’m not sure how I feel about the artwork here, I presume a Digdogger is supposed to look like a giant eye, but I never pictured him this way. To defeat Digdogger you need 3 swords and the arrow, but revealing 3 Digdoggers will result in a loss.

Screen 8 and we are still stuck in the dungeon. I really wish they had another over world scene instead, especially since there were some great enemies near Death Mountain that I would have rather seen than a Lanmola. Even if we were to stick with the underworld areas, why a Lanmola, he’s a pretty forgettable enemy by my account. Take a guess how you win? What’s that? 3 swords and an arrow? Why yes! You have been paying attention. Bonus point if you know how to loose. Yes again! Uncover 3 Lanmolas. I love these cards, but by this point I am quite bored with the underworld. I hope the next cards is…

*Grumble *

I was told that “Dodongo Dislikes Smoke” but for someone who dislikes is so much, he looks like he has been a chain smoker for 40 some-odd years. Dodongo buddy, what did they do to you? Brace yourself – you need 3… bombs to win! This follows the game quite well and I’m glad they added some variety to the winning mechanism. The Super Mario cards seemed much more diverse than the Zelda ones, so it is nice to see some originality on these cards. Of course you need the arrow as well and 3 Dodongos will cause you to loose.

 

The last Zelda card, screen 10 – Time is up Gannon! I’m on my way…. Wait, what? You are not Gannon. A Manhandla? No… I’m not convinced that’s what you are either. I’m glad they included my favourite enemy, but I am surprised by both the artwork and the lack of Gannon. I guess Nintendo didn’t want any spoilers? … Other than Bowser from the SMB cards…. Once again, and for the last time, you need 3 Swords to win, 3 fireballs to loose and an arrow to move to the next half of the screen.

I must say, I was less impressed with the artwork in the Zelda cards, compared to Super Mario, both in terms of enemy selection and the actual ‘art’ used. I was also disappointed with the sheer number of underworld cards compared to the beautifully coloured over world ones. Regardless of how I feel now – I remember being very excited and happy with them in 1989 and that is how I choose to remember them: Beautiful, mysterious and another way to get close to the amazing game that was the Legend of Zelda.

Punch-Out!!

  

Let’s get ready to rumble! Put on your pink tights and remember to “Stick and Move.” Screen one pits Little Mac against Glass Joe, much as it did in the original game. Unlike the original game however, Joe looks a little more badass in the card. The card logic changes for this game, as there is no mandatory ‘get the arrow to proceed to the next half of the screen’ portion. These cards are all about boxing – the hits, the misses and the knockout punch. In fact every single card in the Punch-Out set carries the exact same logic:

– Uncover 3 “KO” to win.

– If you get 3 “Boxing gloves” (which are attacking out hero) and you loose.

– If you draw a “Low Blow” you are automatically disqualified (loose)

– If you reveal “2 boxing gloves hitting each other”, it is a draw and you need to try again.

– If you get a “star”, much like the game, this represents a stronger hit and each star is equal to 2 “KOs”. This means that you can win the game with one of these cards and a standard “KO”

Round 2: Von Kaiser. He looks like he escaped from mad science experiment; I swear the side of his head was shaven so they could place some electrodes on him. Beat him out of his misery!

 

In Round 3 our hero battles Piston Honda. In the audience, there is a reporter from WTZ, which apparently is an outlet that covers clearly racist boxing matches. If you look back on the Glass Joe card, you see it is not just WTZ that covers these matches; there is WRV as well, and in the Kaiser fight, WJB get’s front row access to the action.

  

Great Tiger makes an appearance for Round 4. I hated this guy in the game for the longest time. There is a small error on the card where his right armband is not coloured as it is on the left.

 

Round 5: Don Flamenco. Footloose and fancy free… very … very fancy. Compared to the game, in the card he looks more like Frankenstein’s monster considering all the pseudo-stitching on his arms.

Round 6: Bald Bull. Ugh, I can still hear him laugh from the game. Ugly son-of-a… He kind of reminds me of my history teacher. Mind you I came from a small town where our slogan was “The cradle of idiocy”. Of course it was spelled wrong on the town plaque, but that was another matter.

  

King Hippo squares off against our hero in Round 7 and once again a new outlet, this time WJZ, is on the scene to cover the fight. Fight on Little Mac! Hippo’s raccoon eyes and 3 chins are no match for you!

  

Round 8: Soda Popinski. Finally a character in this game that is not some racist caricature. What’s that? He was originally called Vodka Drunkenski? And he was Russian? Oh my….

  

Super Macho Man appears in Screen 9. Up until now, the order of the boxers matched the game quite well, however Super Macho Man was originally the final fighter in the Famicom Punch-Out game prior to Mike Tyson’s involvement. He was demoted when Tyson came into the mix, but until then, Super Macho Man was the World Champ. We know the last fighter is not Tyson in the card game, so what happened?

In addition to his placement, the card replicated an error from the actual game. In the previous arcade renditions of Punch-Out!!! and all subsequent versions that featured Macho Man, his hair was grey, however in the NES version, his in game graphic had black hair (due to NES limitations) while his profile graphic sported his correctly coloured… non-coloured… grey hair. The card artwork was clearly inspired by Macho Man’s (incorrect) in-game graphic

  

Round 10: Mr. Sandman. This one is for all the glory, everything is on the line – Do it for your family, Do it for Doc, Do it for that little girl dying in the hospital… um, hold on. Something seems a little off with his artwork….

Did he get a haircut?

Super Mario Bros. 2    

I remember Super Mario Bros as somewhat controversial; it was so different than the original that it hardly felt like a sequel. Right away I felt something was off, and sure enough, with the advent of the Internet, I discovered that this game was in fact not originally a Super Mario game. As many now know, it was originally Doki Doki Panic, and when brought over to North America, the graphics were altered to include our titular heroes, and it was renamed as Super Mario Bros. 2.

Screen 1 captures why I was so suspicious; the Eagle heads, the new terrain design and the Pidget, were all foreign and new. To win in the card rendition of this brave new world, you must once again collect the arrow to proceed to the right hand of the screen, and when you do, you must get the grab icon to latch on to Pidget and you need to uncover a Toss icon to throw him. If you get 3 ‘fall’ icons, you loose.

Of course many gamers adored the game, regardless of its origins and so the game was not only officially cannon for the legend of Mario, but gamers embraced it as cannon as well. The Shyguy we see in screen 2 was probably one of the more popular of the new cannon characters and in this case, is literally riding a cannon. Nothing quite ends a debate on Mario 2’s place in history like this image. This has to be one of the hardest cards to win – You need the ever-famous arrow in addition to 3 grab icons AND 3 throw icons! If you uncover 3 cannonballs, you loose.

In what must be the happiest battle ever, a smiling Mario goes up against a smiling Tryclyde. Two of Tryclyde’s heads are posing for the camera, while the 3^rd does his best stoic and heroic pose. I find this card pretty fun and innocent. To win, you must uncover the arrow, 3 mushrooms and 3 toss icons. If 3 fireballs hit you, you loose.

  

Screen 3 features Spark, a particularly obnoxious foe, but Mario doesn’t seem to mind, he is just pointing at it as though he is saying “Looka here! This piece of a-crap is-a gonna die.” Good. I always hated this guy. I wonder if this image was not originally based on Phanto, another real stinker of an enemy, since you need an arrow and a key to win, but if you uncover 3 Phantos – you loose. Misprint?

In screen 5, Mario is apparently drowning while moldy tootsie rolls are falling into grape juice. Sure, why not. You need 3 arrows to win, but you will loose if you uncover 3 miss icons

Mario’s encounters Birdo in screen 6, or at least what I presume is Birdo… the artwork here is rather terrible – Mario is farting into a crevice while a dead-eyed glitched Birdo throws her eggs at a cloud. Don’t get me wrong – I love these cards, but this one is far from the best of the bunch. You need an arrow, 3 eggs and a Bonk icon to win, if you get 3 ouch icons, you loose.

 

Shyguy is back in screen 7 and it looks like he has lost some weight – good for you buddy, keep up that diet of purple log seaweed, it’s working wonders! To win you must uncover 1 arrow, 1 turnip and 1 toss icon. Find 3 Shyguys and you loose.

Screen 8 – Battle with Mouser. Anyone who has played this game instantly recognizes Mouser and his cool shades. Great artwork on the card with some nice vibrant colours (read: less purple). As expected, this is a battle with bombs – Uncover 3 bombs, 3 grab icons and of course that arrow to win. 3 Boom icons and you loose.

Speaking of bombs, why did they include 2 Shyguy cards, but no Bob-Omb? The choice of characters seems a little odd, since these are essentially cards marketing the game to kids. Use the guys we like! So whom do we have for Screen 9? … Oh…. it’s Panser… Thanks’ for listening Nintendo… Forget the Bob-Omb and instead use a dollar-store version of the Piranha Plant. None-the-less, the card has great artwork and is probably my favourite of the Mario 2 cards. If Panser hits you with 3 fireballs, you loose, and to win, you need an arrow and 3 Shyguys? Another misprint perhaps?

  

The last screen in Mario Bros. 2 is against a sleepy Cobrat. Epic.

This time, you loose if you uncover 3 Shyguys (Seriously? What’s the deal with the Shyguys?). To win, you need an arrow, 2 toss icons and a kiss from Princess Toadstool. So, did we rescue the Princess? Wasn’t she a playable character?

Double Dragon

As previously mentioned, I was not really a big fan of Double Dragon, I really didn’t like the play control all that well, and although I was told countless times that I was wrong for not loving the game, I still couldn’t get past the stiffness of the games controls. Would the cards help change my mind? Nintendo hoped so.

I am going to look at these cards from a somewhat different approach. Rather than throw a comment on the card artwork or accuracy and describe how to win or loose (You need an arrow and a multiple amount of kicks or punches to win. 3 enemy icons and you loose. Standard stuff), I have decided to look at these cards with a fresh pair of eyes and see if based on the cards alone, I would be willing to give the game another try. Let’s test how effective Nintendo’s advertising was in the most unscientific way possible:

Screen 1

Well they sure like orange. The girl is cute and the hero has cool hair. I like cool hair and girls, so this is moderately effective.

Screen 2

Our cool hair hero in an alleyway confronts some brute with a barrel. Ok, seems like a tough fight, I can respect that

 

Screen 3

The same knob with a box. The background artwork shows some diversity to the levels in the games, and that is something I genuinely appreciate

 

Screen 4

Ugh, Reminds me of Bayou Billy – NEXT!

Screen 5

Cool, we go underground. No enemy here, which suggests the challenge, would be stalagmites and maybe some puzzle solving. I like that, but then again, this is a rather boring card at the same time.

  

Screen 6

Ok, I am getting a little bored with the hero artwork – there is no diversity at all. The confrontation with Abobo looks like it will be an epic fight and your speed and cunning will be the only way to survive (read: jump-kick a lot)

Screen 7

Eyeball land? Cool! I am pro eyeball land.

Screen 8

Much like the 5^th card, there are no enemies here and very little in way of artwork – in fact the hero is in the exact same pose as he was in screen 5.

Screen 9

I am half expecting Goro to appear for a fight. Again, no enemies. This may suggest the game is rather dull.

  

Screen 10

Ok – This looks cool – An epic battle with a damsel in distress. Blonde too – my favorite.

I cannot help but be harsh with these cards – I found them mostly dull, uninspired and they did little to get me to want to play the game. They describe the game quite well, but only the last card really showcases the action of the game. I think Nintendo would have done better had they included multiple enemies on most of the cards to really illustrate the beat-em up genre. I never really played the game that much, and I remember distinctly disliking the cards. I apologize to any Double Dragon fan out there – I know they deserve better than what I gave them, but I just never cared for these cards.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Another controversial game, much in the same vein as Mario 2 – This game did not feel like it was a real sequel to the epic masterpiece that was The Legend of Zelda. However unlike Mario 2, Zelda 2 was specifically designed as a Zelda game from its inception.

We are brought back to the land of Hyrule and it’s classic inhabitants – the Octorocks in screen 1. I love this card – the untamed use of red and a great use of the ‘stock’ Link artwork. Like all the others – You need an arrow to advance to the next area of the screen as well as 3 swords to win. Uncover 3 rocks and you loose – but if you uncover a shield, you get to try again

 

From the swamp, immediately to the desert with another great use of the stock Link artwork. I am seriously loving these cards, but then again, to be honest – I have a small bias – I actually like this game a lot. To win, you will need 3 sword strikes and an arrow but if you uncover 3 Geldarms, you loose. Again, we also have the shield, which grants us a new try

A blue Goriya appears in the first palace stage. It looks like this is the intro stage where the Princess was sleeping. What happened to her? Did she wake up on her own? Hurrah! Quick, Someone get the Princess a toothbrush! 3 Swords and an arrow to win, 3 boomerangs to loose and a shield to try again.

The cemetery in Screen 4 looks similar to the swamp scene from the first card, and much like the 1^st card – I like this one as well. They have done a great job so far showcasing the various terrains of the game. The back of the card once again has an error on it, where it claims to win you will need 3 sword strikes and an arrow and to loose, you need to uncover 3 Geldarms. I actually don’t see a Geldarm on the image, I see a Moa. I cannot blame them though, I copied and pasted a lot of the “how to win” content as well since it is rather similar from card to card.

Screen 5 takes place in the woods against a Deeler. I have never seen this particular image of Link before. I can’t say it’s the best artwork I have ever seen, but at least it was new (as far as I know). Like most of the Zelda and Link sets – the cards are beautiful and really do a great job of advertising the exploration of the game. To win, you need an arrow and 3 sword strikes. Watch out for the Deeler however, 3 of them and you loose.

  

Does anyone remember those small rubber decoy toys you could buy from a Gumball-like machine for about $1 and they came in an egg? Remember how well they were coloured? In screen 6 Link does battle with a Daira that had recently escaped from his egg. In addition to the Shield, there are 3 axe attack icons (loose) and 3 sword icons (win). Don’t forget the arrow!

I must say that I find screen 7 quite possibly the weakest card in the Zelda II set. I would have hoped to have seen a village scene at this point, but instead we have a very uninspired Moblin and an apathetic Link. Identical to the last card, there are 3 enemy attack icons, 3 hero attack icons, a shield and an arrow hidden in the card.

Link barely misses the long distance attack of a Moby in screen 8. Uncover 3 sword strikes and an arrow to win. Uncover 3 talons and you loose.

 

We have arrived at the Penultimate card and it’s… Lowder. A nice card, although at first glace, I thought Link was mad from the heat of the Sun and was attacking a cactus. This card adds a new icon into the mix, where in addition to the 3 sword and arrow icons, you also need an Exit icon to win. Watch out for the Lowder icon – 3 of them and it’s over

In what has been a tradition in every set except for the original Mario Bros, the final card does not show the final boss. In fact in this set, the final card shows… essentially nothing. While the card itself is not terrible, in fact it too illustrates the mystery and adventure of the game, as well as the others, I am not sure this would be the final card I would have chosen. Much like the last card, in addition to 3 swords and an arrow, you need a new icon – this time a fairy to win. Uncover 3 eyes and you loose.

And thus concludes our little stroll down memory lane with the Nintendo / Topps 1989 cards. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. We had some great cards, and we had some not-so great cards, but no matter what the case – I remember collecting these cards and I remember loving it. If you collected these cards or have any comments, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think.