Club Master Duel (Pokemon Trading Card Game)
There’s something a little lame about the idea that the protagonist in this title is travelling around the world to best opponents in a tabletop game, but make no mistake, this is actually one of the series’ hidden gems. The mechanics of the card game are intuitive, and when you finally set up your strongest Pokemon with the energy and evolutions it needs, it is supremely satisfying to lay waste to your foes.
The TCG equivalent to Gym Leaders are the Club Masters, and their theme is one of the most epic you will hear on the Game Boy. It starts off on an ominous note, then progresses into a fanciful, almost jovial collection of ‘horns.’ It’s really unlike anything else in the Pokemon series, at least in the days before the Game Boy Advance, and it will pump you up and get your foot tapping.
It just narrowly beats out the theme for the Grand Masters (read: Elite Four), a track that is also well worth a listen, especially for that oh so sweet GB snare. In fact, there are a lot of fantastic tunes tucked away on this soundtrack – one might dare say more than in the mainline series.
