- Introduction
- Digital Monster Carddass 1
- Digital Monster Carddass 2
- Digital Monster Carddass 3
- Promotional Cards
Introduction
Carddass is the name of a Bandai’s series of cards sold at vending machines. The name comes from AMeDAS (Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System), which are machines that monitor the environment and gather information to monitor and understand weather conditions. The idea is that Carddass machines are a source of data information for characters.
The cards have some card game elements, and although some of the series focus more on that aspect, a lot of them are more just collectibles with cool artwork instead of something with a complex gameplay value. Bandai’s Digital Monster Card Game was one of the series that focused more on the card game aspect, but my focus is on the previous series of cards, popularly known as Digital Monster Carddass (デジタルモンスター カードダス), that are more on the aspect of “faithfully depicting the worldview of the series“.
This was a very short-lived series that lasted basically during the early Digimon Pendulum era before the anime became the big hit it’s now known for (One of the last cards is exactly a tease to Digimon Adventure as a gathering of the 7 main Digimon that you can see as this post’s cover image). Therefore, what we have here is basically all about the Virtual Pets.
There are basically 5 types of cards that appear the most. Digimon Cards, Version Cards, Evolution Cards, Tribe Cards, Battle Cards.
The Digimon cards, they have the official artwork on the front with the name and a small introduction to the Digimon. In the back there are 3 text boxes alongside another artwork, often the Digimon’s special move. The first text box is a profile about Digimon’s nature, the second is about Digimon’s special move, and the third is a tip on how to raise that Digimon. The interesting thing is that since the Special Move has its own special space to describe how it works, some special moves that are hardly described in the encyclopedia profiles have a detailed explanation here.
The Version/Field cards are a general introduction to the Digimon featured in a certain version of the Virtual Pet. You have basically all the Digimon from that specific version and a summary of the contents of that version, giving a quick description of what connects the Digimon or individual descriptions of some of the Digimon.
The evolution cards feature an orthodox Digimon evolution. Stuff like Seadaramon’s evolutionary route into Metal Seadramon. They have two text boxes. The first talks about the official setting of the evolution line and what happens in the universe for it to happen. The second talks about how to get them gameplay-wise.
Digimon Tribe cards kind of overlap with the evolution cards. They are about some related Digimon in the lore, which does count some evolutions, but the overall idea is different. They often have two text boxes. The first often talks about the background of each individual Digimon in the tribe; the second has a close-up of some similar element that connects the tribe in the artwork and describes what it might mean (such as a close-up of the Holy Ring to connect the Holy Digimon that have them).
Finally, you have the Digimon Battle cards that feature a battle between two or more Digimon. They have one big image of the Digimon in the battle with a “VS” indicating the fight and a text box that describes what happens.
There are also some unique cards, depending on the context. Like a Digimon Tribe focusing on the “failure Digimon” connected to pop that describes all of them in detail, the tutorial cards that explain gameplay elements of the V-pet, and special movie or game cards that feature an event or character from the Digimon World game or the Digimon Adventure movie.
According to their limited feature in Digimon books, this version of Digimon Carddass lasted three versions. The first featured Digimon from Digital Monster Ver.1~5 and Pendulum Nature Spirits, the second from Pendulum Deep Savers, and the last from Pendulum Nightmare Soldiers. There were a few special Digimon cards for the Digimon World game and the Digimon Adventure movie.
After Nightmare Soldiers, the Carddass kind of divided into two branches. The first is the “Digital Monster Card Game” that most people know; it’s the one that got featured in the Digimon Tamers anime and focuses more on being a card game, with very few elements being about the in-universe settings. The second is the Digimon Anime Carddass, which is basically a simplified version of the previous series, focusing on the Digimon that appear in the anime and what they do there.
Gameplay-wise, the original Digimon Carddass has basically nothing, which is to be expected; they are more focused on being a collectible with cool artwork and information. The most you could do with them was collect as many as you wanted and trade with friends, with the one random element being the HP. There were versions of the same Digimon with different HP (that is, the representation of Digimon’s physical strength), so if you wanted the “strongest” of that Digimon, you might need to get a lot of repeats.
But the information in the cards is the real gold here. I was really interested to see how certain Digimon are connected in their lore and the description of special moves that just didn’t exist in most of the encyclopedias. Sadly, getting information about these cards is very hard.
While the Digital Monster Card Game has basically all cards archived and translated by fans, these early Carddass ones aren’t. Getting their info is also hard because basically most of the content is in the “back”, so while with the second Carddass you only need to take a picture of the front, here you need to get the two sides to get everything.
Most of what I archived of the Carddass is from marketplace websites like Mercari and Yahoo. And since most of the time the cards are gathered together in a single picture, I can’t get enough detail for most of them, and that is when the seller also takes a picture of the back of the cards; most of the time they don’t.
Nevertheless, I still have a lot of cards to archive, but some are still missing. I still look at websites like Mercari for updates on certain cards. Since this page will be slowly updated, when I find another card, I’ll update it here. If any reader has any of these cards and wants to share, I would really appreciate the help. For very small quality images I find, I’ll still put them here as placeholders until I find a better image.
My focus here is on the early Digital Monster/Pendulum cards, but after I finish the post with all the cards I have available, I’ll also do one for the Adventure and Adventure 02 cards, they also have some cool info, even though they are more limited.
Note: Huge thanks to @0xClyde, with their help I got access to the Digital Monster cards I was missing and with it, I can finally finish this project.
Digital Monster Carddass 1
Digital Monster Version. 1
01 Digital Monster Ver.1
First contact from the Digital World!!
Digimon World/Ver.1
Tyrannomon and Greymon for land. Airdramon for the sky, and Seadramon for the sea, the lineup features a well-balanced arrangement of land, sea, and air Digimon in the Adult Stage. The lineup includes a Cyborg type, a Mutant type, and a Puppet type, so it’s a lineup that has the basics down!
02 Botamon
The first Artificial Lifeform born from the Net!
■Birthplace: File Island
Unwavering Forest • Village of Beginnings
Digital Monsters are artificial lifeforms that have evolved from Computer Viruses and made visible by human hands. This slime-like Digimon was the memorable 1st!
Special Move: Acid Bubbles
Since it’s just born, it can’t attack yet, but to protect itself, it can at least scare enemies by sticking something like a bubble out of its mouth!
Breed Guide
Their appetite is crazy. Give “Meat” as Growth Acceleration Data and “Protein” as Muscle Strength Increase Data diligently!
03 Koromon
Divergent evolution! The gateway to success in Digimon training!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Unwavering Forest • Village of Beginnings
Botamon has grown a little, it’s already showcasing a playful behavior. The skin of Textures and the skeleton of Wires have changed, the soft hair all over the body has fallen off, and the body has grown in size.
Special Move: Acid Bubbles
Just like Botamon, it’s a self-defense technique that blows bubbles from its mouth. Its movements are getting more and more active, but it’s still in the Baby Stage, so can’t really attack!
Breed Guide
Depending on how it’s raised, evolution can go in two directions! If it’s taken care of, it’ll become Agumon, but if you don’t do anything, will it become Betamon?
04 Agumon
It doesn’t know fear, a beginner warrior!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Unwavering Forest
In the middle of the path of evolution, Koromon began to have reptile characteristics. Strong fangs and claws developed. During this period, its motion abilities ability grew remarkably, even mastering bipedal walking!
Special Move: Baby Flame
The technique used by the fierce Agumon, it breathes flames out of its mouth, scorching the opponent with a gust of high heat.
Breed Guide
The course of evolution also changes depending on the number of training sessions. Do your best to avoid becoming the infamous “Numemon”!
05 Betamon
Full of character! An electric fighter of 1 million volts!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Tropical Jungle
Betamon is the amphibian-like evolution of Koromon. It’s surprisingly docile and easy to raise, but if it is scolded, something terrible will happen, so it’s better to not treat it harshly.
Special Move: Electric Shock (電撃ビリリン; Dengeki Biririn)
An amazing technique that uses electricity, which can be called Digimon’s oxygen. It emits a high-voltage current of over 1 million volts from its body, turning its enemies into black scorch in the blink of an eye!
Breed Guide
Digimon of the Child Stage are more likely to get injured in battle and have their Program Data destroyed. Repairing them as soon as possible is crucial!
06 Greymon
Equipped with a helmet! A violent dragon with the style of an old samurai!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Agumon seems to have grown into a Dinosaur type. Its personality has become increasingly violent and aggressive. Huge claws, sharp horns, and fangs… Its entire body is a lethal weapon!
Special Move: Mega Flame
Its firepower got a large power-up! It emits a high-heat and powerful flame bullet from its mouth, it’s a red-hot attack that scorches everything!
07 Devimon
Fiendish! Cruel! A black-cad Fallen Angel tainted by evil!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Mugen Mountain
■Rival: Angemon
This was originally an Angel Digimon, but it was tainted by evil and was converted into an evil Fallen Angel. Digimon easily change their nature depending on the environment!
Special Move: Death Claw
A brutal technique where it stretches out its long arms and quickly pierces the body of the enemy with its sharp claws. It contains an Attack Program that targets the heart with unparalleled accuracy.
08 Airdramon
An existence close to god? Digimon of myths!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Sky
A Digimon that absorbed the power of mythical beasts and gained giant wings and abilities closest to that of a god. Furthermore, it has intelligence at a high level and is quick to think.
Special Move: Spinning Needle
Airdramon doesn’t allow you to get close! It flaps its large wings, creates a tornado, and uses a vacuum blade to tear you to shreds, a terrifying technique.
09 Tyranomon
Unlike its appearance, it is a quiet defensive type?!
It came into contact with the data of dinosaurs that existed in ancient times and evolved into a different species than Greymon. Is this just a mere coincidence? Or is it a planned evolution?
Special Move: Fire Breath
When anger builds up inside its body, it activates its attack Program and spits out a powerful burst of flame! The angrier it gets, the higher the firepower, burning its enemies to bones.
Breed Guide
Its strength is unmatched even among adult-stage Digimon. Despite its appearance, it is easy to raise, so take care of it carefully and aim for the Perfect Body!
10 Meramon
Burns every battle? A hot-blooded man with a burning heart!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Mount Panorama
■Rival: Yukidarumon
A wireframe with a human shape enveloped by crimson flames that burn everything they touch. This is a dangerous Digimon. Like its flames, it has a violent and passionate heart.
Special Move: Burning Fist
A rough technique that hits the enemy with a flaming fist. The opponent will be enveloped in a scorching hell and have their body burned to ashes!
11 Seadramon
A violent dragon of the sea that is extremely difficult to tame!
■Birthplace: File Island
Unwavering Forest • Dragon Eye Lake
An aquatic-type Digimon that has acquired a body in the form of a dragon and the power to fight underwater. It attacks, constricting any enemy with its long body; they suffer while struggling until they stop breathing.
Special Move: Ice Arrow
Icicle-like arrows that always hit their target! It’s a terrifying attack in which the enemy freezes in an instant after being hit and then shatters into pieces.
12 Numemon
It’s for sure weak! But…?!
■Birthplace: File Island
Gear Savannah’s Underground Sewers
Special Move: Poop
A super annoying technique where it throws its own poop. Although the attack power is small, the psychological damage is immeasurable. Some Digimon fall asleep due to the shock…
13 Metal Greymon
Will win all battles since Child Level to meet it?!
■Birthplace: File Island
A rumored Cyborg-type Digimon that is considered cool even in the world of Digimon. After going through numerous fierce battles, more than half of the Computer Data that makes up the body has been strengthened and remodeled.
Special Move: Giga Destroyer
From the chest hatch, it launches missiles with tremendous destructive power! The enemy is reduced to ashes by the high heat and shockwave of the explosion!
14 Mamemon
Don’t let your guard down! Otherwise…?!
■Birthplace: File Island
A mutant-type Digimon that mutated due to the harsh computer network environment. The fighting program was compressed into a small body; it’s truly a threat!!
Special Move: Smiley Bomb
Although it’s always smiling, do not let your guard down! It’ll take advantage of an opening to throw a super-powerful bomb; if the opponent is hit directly, there’ll be nothing left.
15 Monzaemon
If you are deceived by appearances, you will get burned!!
■Birthplace: File Island
It looks like a cute(?) bear, but it’s a character quite shrouded in mystery! Is the zipper on its back a sign that it’s a costume? No one knows what it really is.
Special Move: Lovely Attack
A mysterious technique that warps the enemy with overflowing love and disrupts their combat program. The enemy enters a happy mood and falls in love during the battle.
Digital Monster Version. 2
16 Digital Monster Ver.2
Indomitable warriors crowded on File Island!
From the Baby Stage to the Child Stage, the Digimon grow horns and become aggressive. The rivals of Devimon and Meramon from Ver.1 appear, Angemon and Yukidarumon, and they become even more powered up. The newly added insect and plant types added further depth to the divergence in the growth to the Adult Stage.
17 Punimon
18 Tunomon
19 Gabumon
Why does it wear Garurumon’s pelt?!
■Birthplace: File Island
Misty Trees
When they wear the fur pelt, their personality goes from shy to brave and bold. This fur pelt, which was created from the data of the powerful Garurumon, may have some effect on their program.
Special Move: Petit Fire
Gabumon’s greatest special move is hitting the enemy with flames of their hot breath. The fire is still small, and the attack power is low, but the heat is not to be underestimated!
20 Elecmon
21 Kabuterimon
Perfect defense! Impregnable survival instinct!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Unwavering Forest・Insect Kingdom
A new species of Insect-type Digimon found in a Tropical Network linked to the Real World. Has wonderful power that ranks among the best 3 Digimon!?
Special Move: Mega Blaster
Fires energy bullets from its horns made up of metal textures! They burn completely the target.
22 Angemon
Digimon of good! But, it’s aggressive against evil!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Freezeland • Ice Sanctuary
It seems that it was originally composed of the same data as Devimon. Since it was raised in a perfect environment, it achieved a glorious evolution into an angel Digimon. Its policy is “No mercy against evil”.
Special Move: Heaven’s Knuckle Is this really the hammer of God!? A Gold Fist that pierces the opponent and sends it to Heaven, it’s a dazzling holy attack.
23 Birdramon
24 Garurumon
Run through the world of snow! White Wolf!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Freezeland
A proud Digimon that came from the Artic region Network linked to the Real World. It has the appearance of a wolf, and the fur that covers its body is as hard as the legendary metal “Mithril”.
Special Move: Fox Fire
With this technique, it blows bluish-white flames that can turn even iron plates into mush in an instant. As agile as a carnivore, it accurately aims for its prey.
25 Yukidarumon
26 Whamon
27 Vagimon
Will this flower bloom? A villainous plant Digimon!!
■Birthplace: File Island
Tropical Jungle
A cunning Digimon that evolved into a carnivorous plant. The weak enemies are teased and lured in with sweet scents, but in front of strong enemies, they present to be harmless plants and get away from them.
Special Move: Poop
There are no actual attacking skills, so for now they defend themselves by throwing poop. That will certainly be a hard fight, but they have no choice but to endure it.
28 Skull Greymon
Lose life, embrace death! A heavy tank of white bones!!
■Birthplace: File Island
■Rival: Orgemon
A skeleton Digimon that is not afraid of death. The body perishes, it becomes only bones but it still fights!? The fighting instinct included in the data, it’s truly immortal!!
Special Move: Ground Zero
Stores a living missile in the spinal cord. As stated by the name, after the huge explosion, the ground returns to nothingness!
29 Metal Mamemon
30 Vademon
Alien? Plant? The mysterious enemy is a kiss demon?
■Birthplace: File Island
Did it take Alien Data or was it octopus data? It’s a Digimon that has undergone an eerie evolution. Its body may be weak, but it is incredibly tough, with outstanding attack power and speed!
Special Move: Devil’s Blown Kiss
A technique that throws an unbearable kiss at its target. Those hit by this kiss will have their Fighting Data distorted, becoming weak and feeble.
Digital Monster Version. 3
31 Digital Monster Ver.3
The scent of dangerous data is in the air! A wild army!!
Pegasus, Centaurus, Onis, ghosts, and yōkai-like Digimon appear in great numbers. The existence of Digimon who are active underground, like Drimogemon, has been revealed. Gradually, those who exist in the background of the Net world, such as Scumon, made from scum data, and Giromon, the security, have been revealed.
Digital Monster Version. 4
46 Digital Monsteer Ver.4
These mysterious guys gather on the Net!!
Digimon with an already powerful tendency for the plant type appear from the Baby Stage Yuramon! Digimon that live in particular environments such as Coelamon and Mojyamon appear. However, the mystery about Nanimon’s birthplace intensifies. What is the existence of the Other-dimensional Digital World!?
Digital Monster Version. 5
61 Digital Monster Ver.5
All-out attack! Claws and fangs are standard equipment!!
A lineup that is full of Dinossaur-type Digimon. As if proud of their brutal upbringings they are all armed with sharp thorns. There seem to be connections with Digimon from other Versions. Is Flymon an evolved form of Kunemon? What is Ex-Tyrannomon’s true identity?
Digimon Pendulum 1.0 – Nature Spirits
76 Digimon Pendulum Nature Spirits
The champions of the Folder Continent!
Digimon rampaging around the Folder Continent. Some of them, such as Kabuterimon and Kuwagamon, have the same ecosystem as Digimon of File Island, but their strength is completely different. It’s said that the appearance of Ultimate Body Digimon is unique to Folder Continent!
Digital Monster Carddass 2
Digimon Pendulum 2.0 – Deep Savers
97 Digimon Pendulum Deep Savers
Those with command over the Net Ocean!
Experts on underwater combat gather! Fighting-type Ikkakumon, Zudomon with a defense that surpasses Shakomon and Ganimon, Octomon and Dagomon with great flexibility, and more. There’s a variety of underwater species, but the so-called Seadramon-species is overwhelming!!
Digital Monster Carddass 3
Digimon Pendulum 3.0 – Nightmare Soldiers
139 Digimon Pendulum Nightmare Soldiers
They show to those who oppose them their worst nightmares!
Nightmare Soldiers is a group of inhabitants of the Dark World, including demons, ghosts, and Demon-man Digimon. You can experience the evolution of Meramon, Devimon, and Garurumon. Let the bewitching and beautiful heroes of the Dark Area burn in your eyes!
Digimon World
Promotional Cards
PS Digimon World
Raising! Fight! Adventure!
A story that takes place on File Island. At a certain point, Digimon who lost their “hearts” left the city, and they became unable to communicate with their language! A boy who is good at training Digimon is summoned for the sake of world peace! Save the Digimon World from crisis!!
Digital World Archive 