Written by Jim Ziegler

Sometimes a game company gets a design element right immediately. Other times it takes them a few tries.

Older players may remember a trainer in Pokémon Red & Blue who asked whether male or female Pokémon were stronger. At the time, the only genders assigned to Pokémon were Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀, along with their evolutionary lines, which were actually registered as different species, rather than different genders.

A few years later, Pokémon Gold & Silver added a gender marker to (almost) all Pokémon, which was necessary for the new breeding mechanic. Some were locked to a single gender, like the Nidorans, and some who were gender-locked, like Tauros, got a counterpart locked in the opposite gender.

The updated system was much better than the original method of just making them different species, but it did present a problem: Game Freak never went back to update the Nidorans, leaving them as a relic of their first foray into differentiating Pokémon.

Wizards of the Coast has made a similar mistake with Werewolves. The earliest versions of transforming cards worked like Judgement’s Treacherous Werewolf: when you meet the right condition, the creature gets a stat bonus. Innistrad added double-faced cards, allowing Werewolves and other transforming creatures to be illustrated in both Human and monstrous forms. 

The method of transforming your Werewolves was deeply flawed: either you had to skip playing any spells on your turn, or hope that your opponent did, and anyone casting anything could prevent the change.

They revamped the system in Midnight Hunt, adding daybound/nightbound to prevent defending players from stopping the transformation, and lead designer Mark Rosewater pushed for older Werewolves to receive errata to the new system. Unfortunately, it was not well-received by players, who were forced to track day/night cycles even when they had no effect, and as a result we now have Innistrad Remastered showcasing the least-playable Werewolves alongside some of the best Vampires.

In the rivalry between Vampires and Werewolves, it seems that Wizards of the Coast is on Team Edward.

IN THE WORLD OF POKÉMON

Pokémon Standard Constructed Tournament

Sunday, 3:00 PM

Show everyone that you’re the best! Like no one ever was! Join the battle at the weekly Standard Constructed Tournament! Regulation F, no deck list required. Entry fee: $7.

Pokémon Constructed BINGO

Saturday, 6:30 PM

Play some casual games, fill out your Pokemon BINGO sheet, get tickets for  carnival games! This event is great for all ages of players. Bring a deck or get one at Gam3Escape. Casual play. Entry: $20

Pokémon League Casual Play

Monday and Saturday at 6:30 PM, Sunday at noon

Receive a pack of your choice from any in the store, as well as a promo pack. Participants are entered into the end-of-season prize pool. Entry fee: $10

Pokémon GO Scavenger Hunt

Grab an achievement sheet in-store and GO out to collect them! Complete the scavenger sheet to earn a booster pack and a promo pack, and to be entered into a drawing for an Elite Trainer Box and other prizes. Entry fee: $10 

GATHER FOR MAGIC

FNM: Innistrad Remastered Launch Party

Friday, 6:00 PM

Draft a deck from Innistrad Remastered packs and prove that you’re the best brewer and builder in Hilo. All participants receive a Deadeye Navigator promo, while supplies last. Entry fee: $30

Commonder-ish League

Thursday, 6:00 PM

Build a deck with only commons and uncommons (and a commander of any rarity) and play against other decks with the same restrictions! Can you break the board without breaking the bank? Entry fee: $10

Casual Commander

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 6:00 PM

The most popular format in Magic, Commander, is back on the table. Bring your favorite deck, or playtest a new one against other magicians. No entry fee: These battles are for honor, not prizes!

TIME TO DUEL! Yu-Gi-Oh!

Advanced Constructed Tournament

Wednesday & Friday, 7:00 PM, Saturday 2:00 PM

Duel for supremacy in the Yu-Gi-Oh Trading Card Game. Earn booster packs and OTS Tournament Packs while demonstrating your skills as a duelist. Entry fee: $10

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Azurite Sea Lorcana League

Monday, & Saturday, 6:30 PM

The adventures in the Inklands continue with Locana League. Bring your sealed deck, or join the fun! The initial entry fee includes a starter deck of your choice, a booster pack, and a 200-card deck box to keep your sealed cards from getting mixed up with your collection. Entry fee: $25 (one-time charge)

Azurite Sea Lorcana Constructed Tournament

Saturday, 6:30 PM

Lorcana Core Constructed Tournament. Entry: $11

STAR WARS: UNLIMITED

Casual Play League

Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, Saturdays, 1:00 PM

Whether you’re an aspiring Jedi, a sinister Sith, or a bounty hunter looking for your next score, Star Wars: Unlimited has all the excitement of your favorite space opera in cardboard form. 

THIS MEANS WAR(HAMMER)!

Casual Warhammer

Friday & Sunday, 5:00 PM

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. At Gam3Escape, there is only Warhammer! Whether it’s a Tyranid terror or a Blood Angel battalion, stage your army and prepare for battle at the weekly Casual Warhammer event. 

CARDFIGHT! VANGUARD!

Divinez Constructed Tournament

Monday, 5:30 PM

Bring your cards and get ready to fight! Cardfight! Vanguard is back with weekly tournaments, every Monday night. Entry fee: $6

Check out Jim's articles at The Gamer: https://www.thegamer.com/author/james-ziegler/ and like, follow, and subscribe to his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Alolan_Professor