I prefer FFVIII's card game for three reasons. The first reason is that FFIX's card game is partly down to chance. Even if your card is much better, there is still a chance that the other player's card will win. The second reason is that FFIX's cards have much more stats than FFVIII's, making the game much more complicated and/or annoying than it should be. Finally, I like how FFVIII's card game actually has an effect on the game. In FFIX, the cards have absolutely no purpose outside the card game, and as a result of that, I have never felt the need to even go out my way to acquire them.