POGs relates to the Japanese throwing card game Menko, which itself is a variation on the classic marbles. Menko cards are thick cards printed with colorful caricatures of famous personalities, sports and historic figures, or in recent times anime and manga characters. Players alternately try to flip their opponents cards by throwing their cards, either flipping them with a breeze or by knocking them out of a playing circle. If they flip a card, they can then pick up that card and their throwing card. The player who collects the most cards wins. Cards can be rectangular or round with some variations designating the round cards for throwing, similar to the ‘slammer’ used for POGs.
I’ve often wondered why this game never caught on in the west, as it would be ideal for featuring caricatures of politicians, celebrities, and wrestlers and pitting them against each other in mock battle.
