


Magic was just entering its fifth year when Shandalar was released. The game was generally regarded as a success with an expansion released later that year and an upgraded rerelease the following year. Magic: the Gathering (1997)Ĭommonly known as “Shandalar,” the first Magic: the Gathering video game was just titled “Magic: the Gathering.” The game is a simple simulation of paper Magic with RPG elements included, like a randomly generated world map and dungeons populated with real-time enemies to duel when encountered and towns and merchants to buy and trade cards with.īesides the single player campaign, the game also supported tournament and free-play duel modes. The Interactive Encyclopedia is outclassed by powerful online MTG card databases like ScryFall and Gatherer, and the simple fact that we all have a smartphone has removed the need for this antiquated program. isn’t really a game, it’s just an early encyclopedia of cards that was released in 1999 and defunct in 2002. The Magic: the Gathering Interactive Encyclopedia (1999) No products found. Finally, is it worth it? Is it fun? Does it look good? Is it challenging enough to sink time and money into? And how’s its replayability? If it’s not trying to replicate the paper Magic experience, is it executing another genre well?.Second, how well is (or was) it supported? Was it updated regularly as more sets were released? Was there support for competitive play, officially sanctioned or otherwise?.First, is it an accurate representation of paper Magic? Does it have multiplayer, and can you trade cards with others? Are you actually building decks and playing Magic digitally, or is it something else entirely?.There are a few questions I considered when ranking the MTG games: Illusion of Choice | Illustration by John Severin Brassel
