Mike Fitzgerald is the main brain behind the rules of the X-Men card game. He has worked on other projects for Wizards of the Coast, including the recent WCW Nitro Trading Card Game. When he isn't working as a radio personality in New York City, he spends his time playing card and board games or working on his next game project. We caught up with him recently and asked a few questions.

Wizards of the Coast: You've worked on other games aside from the X-Men card game and the WCW Nitro Trading Card Game. What were they?
Mike Fitzgerald: The trading card Wyvern was my first published design. I designed the Mystery Rummy Series, which will have Case 3 coming out soon. I have designed the Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck and card game, and a Pez expandable card game coming out in June for US Games. I have designed two children's card games based on Charlie Brown Peanuts license as well, and a two player set card game version of Wyvern called Dragon Hunt. I currently have many prototypes in development.

Wizards: When did you start working on the X-Men game? How long did you spend on it?
Mike: I started working on it last summer [1999]. I didn't have as much time as I usually like to develop a game (I like a year of development), but with help from Wizards and key playtesters, it came together quickly. I spent six months in intense design.

Wizards: And how long have you been a fan of the X-Men?
Mike: I have been aware of the X-Men for a long time, but I really became a fan when I started researching the game.

Wizards: What did you end up doing to learn more about the X-Men?
Mike: I read all I could get my hands on and became good friends with many X-Men fans, who helped with flavor.

Wizards: Who is your favorite X-Men character? Who is your favorite villain? Why?
Mike: My favorite X-Man is Rogue. I like the way her mutant power is both a curse and a blessing. The fact that she can't always control it makes her appealing to me as a character. My favorite villain is Magneto. He believes that what he is doing is for the good of all mutants. This belief makes him an intriguing character.

Wizards: When working on the X-Men game, what did you find the most fun?
Mike: I had a blast using dice as a major mechanic. This is the first game I have designed that way, and it really was fun to build in the relationships between dice and the cards. I knew I had something good when players were rolling over ten dice at a time and loving it!

Wizards: Is there something about dice and superheroes that just go together? Why did you feel like you wanted to add dice mechanics to this game?
Mike: The dice give the feeling that the Superheroes are doing some things on their own without the player manipulating them. All of the Mutant Powers get activated by die rolls.

Wizards: What was the biggest challenge you faced when designing this game?
Mike: The biggest challenge was allowing each player to play his or her favorite X-Men team and still create a story line with the Villains fighting the X-Men.

Wizards: How did you go about fixing the problem? What choices did you explore and throw out before settling on a solution?
Mike: I came up with a mechanic where each player controls the Villains in the middle of the table as well as their own team of X-Men. Think of the Villains as Magic: The Gathering creatures that both sides can use, and you will get the idea.

Wizards: Thinking back, what is your fondest memory of working on the game?
Mike: I'd have to say my best memory is the first time I had a great game where Wolverine won on his last mission just as he was being eliminated.

Wizards: How did you get to be a game designer? Do you have any advice for today's hopeful game designers?
Mike: If you would like to be a designer, Play, Play, and Play some more, then try to fix games you don't like and you will be on your way.