A good number of people are familiar with Fullmetal Alchemist, whether they’ve actually watched it or not. As far as anime goes, it’s kind of a big-name series. And unlike other popular series (*cough* Dragon Ball Z *cough*) it’s actually good. The story of the Elric brothers has seen a number of adaptations and spin-offs, so it was only a matter of time before one of those spin-offs got its own game.

FMA Battle is a relatively new collectible card game based on the “less old” Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood series. Calling it a spin-off, however, isn’t entirely accurate. The original show followed the manga (a.k.a the source material) up until about the halfway mark, then went off and did its own thing. Brotherhood sticks to the script, so to speak. So technically, the original anime series was actually a spin-off. Confusing, no?

Getting away from semantics and back to the game at-hand, FMA Battle is a free-to-play CCG set in the FMA universe. Players will construct their deck and customize a team of three alchemists while continually dueling with others online. Cards/characters will gain experience as they’re used, earning new abilities as they get incrementally stronger. Of course, this is a freemium game, so deck expansion is limited unless players are willing to pony up some actual cash to buy new cards.

Free online multiplayer. Collectible cards. Fullmetal Alchemist. I think it’s safe to assume this will find its niche pretty fast. If it sounds interesting, then why not check it out? It’s currently on the App Store, and as I’ve previously stated (repeatedly) it’s free.

FREE!

FMA Battle

iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Released: 2011-10-21 :: Category: Games

Lots of genres are a bit over-saturated on the App Store, and card games are no exception. Combination card and fighting games, however, are few and far between. Aware of this deficiency, Hothead Games has seen fit to release Kard Combat this week. For the low low price of nothing.

Granted it’s still more of a card game than a fighter; players choose from a handful of different mages with a few unique cards in their collection, matches involve planning and strategy as opposed to quick reflexes and so on. The fighting aspects have more to do with the brevity of each match and their one-on-one nature. It utilizes a slightly less complex version of the “line of cards” system some are no doubt familiar with, in which each user lines up their cards while any unopposed summons will do direct damage to the opposing player. Naturally, some cards have special effects that can create some interesting strategies.

Players can try out each of the four types of mages (Holy, Death, Machine and Dominator), as well as the Single Duel and multiplayer modes, for free. Full access to a single mage’s campaign will require an in-app purchase of one dollar, while unlocking all four will cost three. And for any players interested in diving straight in to the multiplayer stuff, everything (all cards, etc…) can be unlocked for ten dollars. Bear in mind that the cards can eventually be unlocked through diligent play, and that the ten dollar purchase is only necessary for those who don’t want to “waste time” with the singleplayer campaign.

FREE!

$0.99

Kard Combat ™

+ Universal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad
Released: 2011-07-12 :: Category: Games