I've been disappointed by a few of my Club Nintendo rewards this far. In particular, while that DS game card case holds a lot of games and comes with a lot of styluses, it doesn't have a clasp. And that Wii Remote holder? That's pretty terrible, let's be honest. But I'd heard good things - excellent things, even - about the Hanafuda cards. Easily the priciest thing I've bought with my Club Nintendo Coins (800 coins!), I was a little wary about a perceived lack of quality. Happily, once the cards arrived at my door, I was pleasantly surprised to find a worthwhile product. This is an item no Nintendo fan should be without.

The instructions tell you how to play koi-koi with your new cards. Also, in code, how to build an atomic bomb from everyday household objects.

Hanafuda cards (or "flower cards", as my friend Scott calls them) are a genuine game one plays in Japan, and the instructions describe a game called "koi-koi," popular with bug-eyed goldfish. I haven't played it yet, but it sounds like a combination of "Go Fish" and "Poker" in that you try to get cards of a certain set to declare victory. I can also see these Hanafuda cards being used to play that classic "Memory" game.  Hanafuda is a popular gambling game in the Land o' the Rising Sun, and were Nintendo's first product (back in 1889).

Within the plastic box is a smaller cardboard box with funky designs on it, as well as the "Club Nintendo" seal. I refuse to part with either box.

The cards themselves are quite small and thin, but well-made. I'm probably mistaken, but they feel like plastic slats. There's a nice "clack" sound when you tap one with your fingernail. The pictures on the cards generally depict plant life, with the occasional Nintendo character thrown in for good measure. Given the cards' thickness and immobility, I imagine shuffling would be impossible. Oh well.

A smattering of cards for your viewing pleasure.

Wikipedia goes on to say that there are several variations on koi-koi, some based on points rather than straight-up getting a certain set of cards. If I can ever convince my wife to play this with me, I'll report back. I can make no promises, however - she doesn't even play Pokemon Spinners with me anymore!

"It's a-me, Luigi! I'm-a trapped in this-a card!

I love these things, despite my current inability to actually play with them. They are a wonderful collector's item of surprisingly high quality and the whole thing takes up barely any room at all. The set is 800 Coins - no small amount - but totally worth it, especially by comparison to most of the other rewards.

CARD STACK.