Mystery of the Toaplan cards

A place where you can chat about anything that isn't to do with games!
Post Reply
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Mystery of the Toaplan cards

Post by Skykid »

Okay, so I got these Toaplan cards from Seth recently, neither of us, buyer or seller, were quite sure what they are exactly. They appear to be business cards.

I get them out of the envelope and take a look and my girlfriend reads them for me and she's like "You bought a bunch of business cards?!"

Well, not any old business cards. Toaplan ones. What I really want to know is what the hell they're all about - did Toaplan produce business cards before or while they made games? Are they some kind of elaborate joke?

Each card is different - they're definitely not Toaplan employee cards, they're for everything from Throat Doctors to Managers to food and massage places.

Pics below. If anyone can solve the mystery by digging up anything about what they might be, you get serious kudos points!


http://img18.picoodle.com/img/img18/3/1 ... 275637.jpg
http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/3/1 ... 04e4c2.jpg
http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1 ... c87711.jpg

Edited for spelling error. :idea:
Last edited by Skykid on Wed Feb 04, 2009 1:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
User avatar
CIT
Posts: 4669
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 2:39 pm
Location: Germany
Contact:
Contact CIT

Post by CIT »

Apparently all the cards are a play on the title "Enma Daiou", which I believe was a mahjongg game and one of Toaplan's earlier games.

So there is a card from a bar called "Emma" and stuff. It says on the cards that they are fake in small print. Probably they were some promotional event, maybe for an AOU?
Top
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Post by Skykid »

CIT wrote:Apparently all the cards are a play on the title "Enma Daiou", which I believe was a mahjongg game and one of Toaplan's earlier games.

So there is a card from a bar called "Emma" and stuff. It says on the cards that they are fake in small print. Probably they were some promotional event, maybe for an AOU?
Wow, That was pretty quick. :shock: :D

I can't find anything on google related to Enma Daiou the game, but some reference to him being a character of myth and appearing in DragonBall!

Looking at the cards, lots of them do say Enma depite being different companies. My gf did point out they're all the same address though (Taoplan's).
Thanks for the help CIT, v. informative. I'd love to hear some more about the mahjong title if you have any info.
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
User avatar
jonny5
Posts: 5081
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: toronto

Post by jonny5 »

why do you keep calling it 'taoplan', skykid?

its 'toaplan'...or am i missing something?
Top
User avatar
Ceph
Posts: 3693
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 2:58 pm
Location: Europe

Post by Ceph »

jonny5 wrote: its 'toaplan'...or am i missing something?
Nope, you didn't miss anything ;)

東亜プラン
Image
Top
User avatar
Ed Oscuro
Posts: 18654
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: uoıʇɐɹnƃıɟuoɔ ɯǝʇsʎs

Post by Ed Oscuro »

Do you have any date on the Taoplan cards?
東亜プラン
Hey, I learned something new. Thanks Ceph!

Other things learned: Sky's GF isn't a native Japanese speaker or is legally blind, and you live in a bar, apparently, because MAN that table is disgusting. ;)
Top
User avatar
Ceph
Posts: 3693
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 2:58 pm
Location: Europe

Post by Ceph »

"toua" means "east asia".
Image
Top
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Post by Skykid »

Ed Oscuro wrote:Do you have any date on the Taoplan cards?
They're dated 1993, and it's 'Toaplan' innit. :lol:

GF is not a native JP speaker, she's not Japanese - she can read quite a bit of the alphabet though.

Good thing she's not legally blind. 8)

I'll tell Tigercranefist you think his table's disgusting, but I'd feel bad after he pretty much gave me the cards for nothing.

Glad we cleared up a little about what they mean though, thanks again CIT :wink:
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
User avatar
Dave_K.
Posts: 4570
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:43 am
Location: SF Bay Area
Contact:
Contact Dave_K.

Post by Dave_K. »

I was kinda hoping these were Toaplan playing cards with Joker Jun as #54. Even a Joker Jun business card would have been cool. Oh well.

Seems there is another set of them on ebay right now from the always questionable Bill Burger:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1993-TOAPLAN-UNKOWN ... .m20.l1116
Top
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Post by Skykid »

I should PM Superpang about this, he was wanting some. Shipping is, once again, utterly retarded though. :?
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
User avatar
GaijinPunch
Posts: 15853
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:22 pm
Location: San Fransicso

Post by GaijinPunch »

First sign that they were not "real" is the address. Toaplan was located in Nakano... as was Data East.
RegalSin wrote:New PowerPuff Girls. They all have evil pornstart eyelashes.
Top
User avatar
Turrican
Posts: 4727
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:28 am
Location: Landorin
Contact:
Contact Turrican

Post by Turrican »

Wow... so they're an elaborate joke.

Cool stuff - how many of them do you have? (yes, I'm thinking that it would be cool to carry toaplan inside the wallet).
Image
X - P - B
Top
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Post by Skykid »

Turrican wrote:Wow... so they're an elaborate joke.

Cool stuff - how many of them do you have? (yes, I'm thinking that it would be cool to carry toaplan inside the wallet).
It's a set of 100 I believe.
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
pcb_revival
Posts: 276
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:40 am
Location: North West - UK

Post by pcb_revival »

Pulled from the dead Toaplan.com

Enma Daiou - King Of Hell.

Lie detector game that used printed cards.

http://web.archive.org/web/200504031703 ... index.html


http://web.archive.org/web/200502121520 ... _daio.html

Image
Image
Top
User avatar
Ed Oscuro
Posts: 18654
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:13 pm
Location: uoıʇɐɹnƃıɟuoɔ ɯǝʇsʎs

Post by Ed Oscuro »

Almost off-topic - I didn't know that Imageshack was now ad-supported.

The adstrip under the image says "Do fish get thirsty? Take the dumb test now." So apparently you can't lie about that one.
Top
User avatar
rolins
Posts: 575
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:28 pm
Location: Nevada

Post by rolins »

Seems like the cards are related to a Toaplan game called Enma Daio. When you play through it, the machine is suppose to spits out one those cards. Not sure what the game is about though. Kinda reminds me of those automated fortune tellers with the creepy gypsy like in the movie BIG.

http://homepage1.nifty.com/shootingstar/enma_daio.html
http://homepage1.nifty.com/shootingstar/enma_meisi.html
Top
pcb_revival
Posts: 276
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:40 am
Location: North West - UK

Post by pcb_revival »

Any of this useful Skykid?
Top
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17655
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Post by Skykid »

pcb_revival wrote:Any of this useful Skykid?
Very interesting - it's much nicer to have an idea of what they're related to. :o
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Top
User avatar
Domino
Posts: 1346
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:35 pm
Location: Florida

Post by Domino »

I so what to play Enma Daiou. :P
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Off Topic”