Upper Deck's clobberin' card-battling series makes its handheld debut with Marvel Trading Card Game for Nintendo DS. More than 800 colorful cards are available to collect and use against online players in an assortment of game modes. As in the actual card game, the object is to build a deck of superheroes (or supervillains) and pit them against a rival's deck of characters. A single-player option is available for players to unlock new character cards, including such Marvel icons as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Mr. Fantastic, Wolverine, and more.

The solo game has players choosing a hero or villain before challenging a nemesis from a list of worthy opponents. Comic book-style transition sequences help explain the story as players decide which branching path will lead them to more powerful cards. No matter which version of the game is owned, Marvel fans can compete against each other thanks to the cross-platform functionality of Konami's online network. Once logged on, players are free to enter sanctioned tournaments, trade cards with friends, or engage in other modes using random decks or their personal decks. Additional card packs will be available for purchase from Konami's online store. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide