One of my students showed me his Digimon game device after class. It has a card reader built-in and you can use various cards to power-up your Digimon.

Some of the names were a bit dubious, though. “Sky-Horse Monster“? Then there’s the “Little yellow dragon Monster” which is apparently named because it is little, dragon-like and … red. The text on the cards is just as questionable. “The comdition of evolution” and “The rolling blood tide like the blooming red lotus, a flaming dragon with sharp paw.”

The device itself has a Bandai copyright in Japanese on the back of it but I suspect the cards aren’t Officially Approved Bandai Merchandise.

How times have changed, though. Back in my day, we threw old tennis balls at each other for fun. It hurt like hell but it built character. Granted, we’d rather have computer games than character but we made do as best as we could.

Man, I can’t wait to get my GBA SP.

Picture this: A man wearing a full-face helmet and brandishing a massive blade enters your home. He is quickly followed by a tiny man armed with a bow and two fearsome wolf-like creatures.

The man asks you one or two questions about current events. You are nervous but you answer his questions as best you can. You then watch as the stranger proceeds to rifle through your belongings. He pockets several items and takes your entire life’s savings. What do you do?

Well, if you live in Neverwinter, you don’t say one damned thing.

It’s hard being an NPC.