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Pokemon Menko

Menko — the traditional Japanese card-discs. Pokémon menko lines released as pack-based collectibles in Japan. Pick a line to see its checklist.

How Menko Was Played
How the Menko Game Was PlayedPlayground Rules
Amada’s Pokémon menko were made for the schoolyard as much as the collection. Every booklet printed two ways to play with friends.
Game One

Menko Flip Battle

A striking-and-flipping game for a small group. The aim is to be the last player still holding both points and menko in hand.

  1. Each player draws 5 menko into their hand and begins with 10 points.
  2. Everyone places one menko down, Pokémon-side up.
  3. Play rock-paper-scissors to set the turn order — the winner goes first.
  4. On your turn, choose an opponent’s menko and strike it with one of your own. If your menko has two types, announce which one you are attacking with.
  5. Scoring depends on whether the struck menko flips over:
    • Does not flip — no change in points.
    • Flips, and shares your type — that player loses 2 points.
    • Flips, and their type is weak to yours — they lose 3 points.
    • Flips, and your type is weak to theirs — they lose 1 point.
    • Flips, but the matchup does not apply (Ghost against Normal, for instance) — no change.
  6. A flipped menko is out for the rest of the game; its owner places a fresh one from hand.
  7. Play continues until someone reaches 0 points or runs out of menko. The last player left holding both wins.
Game Two

Silhouette Quiz

A guessing game that uses the shadow printed on the reverse of each menko — no flipping needed.

  1. Lay the menko down silhouette-side up.
  2. Players take turns naming the Pokémon from its outline alone.
  3. Guess correctly and you claim that menko.
  4. Once every menko has been claimed, whoever holds the most is the winner.

How Menko Was Played

Menko (メンコ) is a Japanese schoolyard game centuries older than any modern trading card. The basic idea has not changed since the Edo period — thick printed paper discs are slammed onto a hard floor, and the impact and gust of air try to flip an opponent’s piece. Pokémon menko brought the tradition into the late 1990s and 2000s. Same flip game, new Pokémon faces, and on most modern sets, printed stat numbers so a single disc could settle a duel two different ways.

The Classic Flip

Slam & Turn

The original menko game, played for centuries.

  1. Each player places one menko face-up on a hard, flat surface — tatami, a tile floor, or the corner of a school desk.
  2. The challenger throws their own menko down beside the target with as much force as possible. The combined slap and gust is meant to lift it.
  3. If the opponent’s menko lands face-down after the throw, the challenger captures it.
  4. If it does not flip, the next player takes a turn. Play continues until one player has won the pile.
The Stat Battle

Numbers on the Back

Most Pokémon menko printed battle stats — an Attack value, a Defense, sometimes HP — turning the same disc into a deck-style duel.

  1. Each player picks a menko from their stash and reveals it at the same time.
  2. Compare your Attack to the opponent’s Defense. The higher number wins the round.
  3. If a type symbol along the edge matches the opponent’s weakness, your damage counts double.
  4. Ties are broken by a printed Level or Rarity marker, depending on the line.
Pack Mechanics

What You Got in a Pack

Pokémon menko were sold sealed, with Rare and Special pulls baked into the print runs.

  • Amada’s Kakumen Retsuden packs held 5 menko per pack, with a slot reserved for a Rare and an occasional Special.
  • Round Maru Menko / Hyper Menko packs held about 7 per pack, on thicker stock than rival products.
  • Box-bottom and pack-art cards were treated as bonus pieces and not numbered into the booklet.
  • Special menko were holofoil-stamped or printed on heavier stock; these were the chase pulls of their era.
Two Shapes, Two Lineages

Kakumen vs. Maru

The disc shape was a brand decision and the formats coexisted.

  • Kakumen (角メン) — literally “rectangular menko.” Amada’s squared format slotted neatly into albums alongside trading cards.
  • Maru menko (丸メンコ) — round discs, the older traditional shape kept alive by the Hyper Menko line.
  • Both shared the play rules; the format choice was mostly storage and feel.
About the Archive Lines
Archive LinesPokémon menko were sold across several collectible product lines.
Pokémon Menko Lines5 lines
Pokémon menko product lines grouped by format and maker.
PACK ART
Kakumen Retsuden
Amada · Advanced Generation
Amada menko series — base Parts 1–4 plus the revised “Kai” line. 5 menko per pack.
PACK ART
Amada Maru Menko (Hyper Menko)
Amada · 1998 · Archive Line
Round Gen-1 menko discs, larger and thicker than rival products. Sold roughly 7 per pack.
PACK ART
Amada Kaku Menko
Amada · 1998 · Archive Line
Square / rectangular Gen-1 menko — a separate Amada product type from the round Maru Menko.
PACK ART
Nagatanien Curry Big Menko
Nagatanien · 1999 · Archive Line
Promotional menko packed inside Pokémon Curry boxes; smaller versions came with Pokémon Hotcake Mix. Standard and kira-gloss versions exist.
PACK ART
Banpresto Spin Menko
Banpresto · 1997–1998 · Archive Line
Small spinning menko chips of arcade-prize origin; a Mini Spin Menko variant followed in 1998.