Don't try to 'get' Yu-Gi-Oh! PlayBy Jeremy Jaso Sept. 27, 2002

I was watching two kids play some sort of card game on the floor of their living room, so I asked them what the were playing. After a few more repeated questions, they finally acknowledged my presence and responded, "Yu-Gi-Oh!."

In a brave attempt to sound like I knew what I was talking about, I responded, "Oh yeah, these are kind of like Pokémon."

Big mistake.

"IT'S NOT POKÉMON," the younger child shouted.

I left the room, my face bright red. Could I really be getting this old? How dare I confuse child's play of yesterday with today's "highly evolved" game. Well, to be honest, it was pretty easy.

Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, with their bold illustrations, seem mostly harmless. Translated from Japanese, Yu-Gi-Oh! literally means "King of Games." When two kids sit down for a game, the game is considered a "duel." In a duel, both sides use a deck of playing cards to battle their opponent. These character cards, with depictions of mythical and imaginary creatures, are valued by their attack and defense abilities. The card with better attributes wins the duel.

Well, those are the simplified rules. It gets much more complicated from there. Each card has a main classification (of which there are six types) and a sub-classification (of which there are 20). There also are Fusion Monster cards, which can be combined to strengthen a character, along with Magic Cards, Trap Cards and Ritual Monster Cards. All of these different cards and classifications can affect the outcome of a game. It's not as cut-and-dry as "I have more attack and defense points, so I win."

But many American kids don't have to worry so much about the rules these days, or the competition in their local neighborhoods. Their biggest opponents are their parents. Why? Because of allegations the game glamorizes the occult. The reality? It's just a game. It's a kid's game. Get over it.

I can somewhat understand the commotion the game has caused with parents. Every generation has its taboo game, and every generation is forced to deal with parental objection. The '80s had Garbage Pail Kids and the '90s had Magic: The Gathering. It seems to me, however, that when the trend passes and the next big thing comes along, most parents will forget about how silly they acted. Then they'll target the newest fad.

I don't see the harm in letting kids playing Yu-Gi-Oh! or other games like it. These card games encourage interaction between children just as any board game would, but today's kids are too complex for a round of Hungry Hungry Hippos.

Parents, if you don't get it, don't worry. You're not supposed to. If you did, Yu-Gi-Oh! wouldn't be cool anymore.