Monday, August 24, 2009

Super Power System cards revealed!


No one responded to our request for information on what the Super Power System cards actually are, so I went heavy Google Hunting, which sort of revealed an answer – IN THE THAI LANGUAGE NO LESS!

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Turns out SPS cards are supposed to come with some kind of blacking-out semi-transparent plastic sheeting, which in the below photo shows that it combines with the black markers on the card to form numbers.


Presumably to then be used in some form of card battles. The plastic sheath appears to be called a “Scouter” and there was also an orange plastic one used for something else. Perhaps there were different types of Scouters, which augmented cards differently?



This would give the original SFII cards the following numbers, presumably:
Zangief – 90
Ryu – 43
M Bison – 80
Dhalsim – 48
E Honda – 04
Sagat – 94

And I couldn’t be bothered trying to work out what the rest meant. It’s all a bit disappointing, really, like some kind of cheap toy you’d get in a box of cereal.


But can you imagine, there must have been hundreds of kids all over Korea and Thailand trading and playing with these SPS cards back in the early 1990s. It was certainly similar in South Africa (where I recall Ninja Turtle stickers were hugely popular when I was young). I guess the urge for kids to collect and trade things is a universal trait, regardless of cultural background?

The photos were taken from a Thai forum. I Babelfished the original poster’s message:
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DRAGON BALL CARDDASS COLLECTION & MORE ... Welcome friends. A visit to see friends this question to see the ball รา clot Card Collection of these I started accumulated since 1990 - 1991 ครับ. Some people may think it's tag is not just for me it is a great spiritual value. Just like many people like yourself is what's stored on them. Over time we see it back. Then give us a way to recall it when we do make? Happy every time I think the old days. We provide for this question. To people who are in love with me. Can talk and exchange experiences กันอ้อ! Also there is ด์ is the interchange can be done in the subject. This ครับ hope people have the same taste นะครับ caller. I will wait. If the old friends Rai Eriei to me. To see what may have passed from the hands of friends, some may view the other familiar objects that may be used to want to look? May be of ever existing. But later lost. One case or another. May be in store but not yet removed to the public. Hope this question will bring friends. To have these things. Be the subject of the meeting. Invite visits by disposition ครับ. After visits to be completed for complacency and smiles prior to a question from the other ครับ.
Dragon Ball CARDDASS Thai version ...... posted # 4.

* Device for playing cards SCOUTER, POWER SP SYSTEM.

* Three-dimensional cards.

* Card type energy use measured values of the human body temperature.

* Bonus cards from the pocket โอ de grandmother

* Card image circle.

* Book cards accumulated in the country.

* Types of cards found in Thailand

***

Well, the guy’s message certainly has passion, and it was kinda heart-tugging the way he spoke about cards traded with friends and given to him by his grandmother. Still, not quite the Barcode Battler of the South China Seas I was expecting.

If you want to read it yourself, see below
LINK

Click on the link at your own risk. This looks like the dodgiest foreign website I have ever seen... CAVEAT EMPTOR. Or rather, websurfer beware.

Man, someone should really archive his post, since I reckon it might be the only internet source for this stuff. Well, that and HG101!




7 comments:

  1. Hmmm...given the numbers and apparent interchangeability, does this mean that Thai kids could finally answer the age old question of who would win in a fight, Goku or the entire character roster of Street Fighter II?

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  2. Thanfully these days there is MUGEN to answer that! :3

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  3. I remember have these when I was a kid. Hell I still may have a folder set of it some where. They were quite popular back in the day. The Street Fighter ones were quite rare to find in my area I remember. Quite surprised to see them after a good 10 years.

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  4. I had these as a kid in Thailand, hahah.
    the Street Fighter ones too

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  5. I actually have a box full of these cards, and the black sheeth that reveals the numbers. Lived in South Korea from 1991-1993 when I was a kid. My friends and I would buy, collect, and trade the cards. We were all American and really had no idea exactly what they were for. We just really loved Street Fighter II and collecting the cards caught on as sort of a fad.

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    Replies
    1. did you happen to give that box to goodwill recently. because I just bought a box full of them that also had the sheath.

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