A good couple of years after playing the prototype at Supernova-Sydney under the guiding eye of its creators Dale Maccanti and Alex Wynnter, I came home to find the unassuming cardboard box sitting on my desk, just egging me to crack it open to check out the goodness inside…
And oh the goodness!
I have been able to indoctrinate my youngest with my love of all things Phantom so together we cracked open the box to reveal the spoils of many years of work by Alex and Dale and the Crew at Frew.
The excitement in my child’s voice as he opened the box can only be likened to something like Christmas or a birthday, and I must say I was getting a thrill out of it too.
With my pledge I received the accompanying TPB along with the Waldo Universe Card and everything was packed snug and securely in the box.
On top, the Waldo card. Now Frew had released a version of the Waldo card earlier but for those keen on having the same thing as others, yet unique, may be pleased that the two cards do have differences, in regards to the accompanying images and title. It’s not a big thing but it is a difference.
Next out of the box is the Trade Paperback (full review here).
This book collects the original Scandinavian stories of the Princess Sin Saga written by Norman Worker with art by Georges Bess as well as the Frew commissioned prequels, written by game co-creator Dale Maccanti with art by Jason Paulos. In addition to these stories the TPB also contains a brand new sequel to the Princess Sin Saga created by Julie Ditrich and drawn by Wendell Cavalcanti. I’m really looking forward to reading this and seeing how they have added to and resolved the story.
At first glances the book looks impressive with its cover matching that of the game. The full colour pages are also a highlight. There is a PG rating on the cover so please ensure you read it before passing it on to your child to ensure its appropriate for your family.
Last, but certainly not least, out of the box is the game itself. The quality of this product can not be understated. This is not some $10-$15 game you can pick up at your local department store. Everything shouts quality. From the printing, to how solid the materials are, everything seems made to be impressive and to last.
My son was particularly taken aback by the figurines and was immediately drawn to the Kid Phantom. We’re very grateful that that stretch goal was reached.
I go into more detail about the other elements of the game in the accompanying video, but needless to say, our first reactions are whole heartedly positive and we look forward to many hours of playing this game together.
Happy Phantoming!
