Arcana Strikes #BestOfSaturn

Released at the tail end of 1997, Takara and Red Company’s Arcana Strikes is a fusion of an overhead RPG and a card-battling game.

You take the role of young Ester, who once received a mysterious card from an old woman and now finds himself transported to a mystical realm where people’s dreams give power to the cards. Ester is engaged by a guardian Titan to save the world from destruction… but what do you do when the problem is that people have stopped dreaming?

The RPG aspects include overworld and dungeon sequences, whereas combat is accomplished entirely via card battles. Cards can be found, bought in stores, or even captured from opponents, and special Arcana cards can add extra magic or abilities to your existing deck. The visuals are colorful and the music is apropos, with the world divided into themed areas inhabited by various monsters and enemies.

Believing in the heart of the cards, Paul Met and the Meduza team released a patch in March 2025 — all in-game text is now in English, and the FMV sequences are subtitled, too! Learn the cards, how they interact and boost each other, and wipe the floor with anyone who dares stand in the way of your righteous mission!

	Peter Malek
		A Saturn fan since the beginning, Peter plays Saturn almost exclusively. For Peter, Saturn represents a moment in time where 2D games were at their best, 3D was just rising, and fascinating gaming 'firsts' were commonplace.  There are very few Saturn games that Peter cannot find some enjoyment in!