???? – 1994retired
Fingos
“A snack that ate like a cereal, gone before we figured out which it was.”
“One-year career, a lifetime of bowing out with perfect form”
Ultimate Combat! was a 1995 collectible card game built around Asian martial arts, designed by judo sensei Dave Long and released by Ultimate Games. Roughly 75% of its rules were borrowed from Magic: The Gathering, but the soul was all dojo — the base set covered judo, karate, jujitsu, taekwondo, boxing, and wrestling. It even earned endorsements from the US Judo, Taekwondo, and Wrestling teams, which is more athleti
Its one expansion, The Ancient Fighting Arts of China, brought kung fu and tai chi to the table, researched with Dr. Chi-Hsiu Wing of Beijing University and Professor Yoshihiro Uchida of San Jose State University. Released and out of print within 1995, it left behind a remarkably tidy legacy: a martial arts card game with real scholarly footing and an early retirement few games could execute more gracefully.
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“A snack that ate like a cereal, gone before we figured out which it was.”
“Things were going to be OK. They were not, but thanks for asking.”
“Spangled every angle for exactly one year, then folded its little stars.”