Review of Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection

Yu-Gi-Oh! turned a quarter-century last year, and boy, did that make fans feel the passage of time! Konami took this milestone as an opportunity to commemorate what they call the ‘Quarter Century’ of the iconic card game. Enter Yu-Gi-Oh! The Early Days Collection, the only video game compilation crafted to highlight this landmark. This collection revisits about 14 classic games from the series’ early history, covering titles from the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance eras. As someone who still indulges in Yu-Gi-Oh! card battles, my curiosity was piqued, though I hadn’t experienced all these games before jotting down this review. My nostalgia whispered that they catered more to anime fans than to hardcore card gamers, which turned out to be the case. But the surprise wasn’t unpleasant. For many, this dip back into the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! world will be pure curiosity. Yet, for die-hard fans, there’s a gem or two worth digging for, if you’re willing to put in the effort.

So, let’s tackle the big topic right away: indeed, the collection includes 14 complete Yu-Gi-Oh! games from 1998 through 2005. This range stretches from the pioneering Yu-Gi-Oh! releases on the DMG Game Boy, previously exclusive to Japan and now fully translated into English for the first time, all the way to the Game Boy Advance’s world championship series, aiming to mimic real card duels. It even includes some unconventional entries. On the surface, that’s a lot of content, but there’s more to it. For instance, those early Game Boy titles often offer only incremental tweaks as they were based on a set of evolving card game rules. Take Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories—this one merely adds necessary rules and cards to balance out decks. Meanwhile, the Western release of Dark Duel Stories (known in Japan as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 4) just introduced a single zone for trap cards. For those curious about the game’s swift evolution due to hardware limits or the card game’s growth in Japan, this is a fascinating dive. But, playing them one after another might feel repetitive for most. Observing the game design’s progress over time, especially in terms of UI/UX, intrigued me. Still, after a single match, I often found myself jumping to the collection’s more engaging games.

What took me by surprise was Duel Monsters 3. Previously available only in Japan, this game is set during the Monster World arc, where Yugi’s pals morph into monsters within a tabletop RPG, with the antagonists acting as Dungeon Masters. So, trading cards are a no-show here. Instead, you’re placing monsters on a grid in a style similar to a simplified version of turn-based strategies like Fire Emblem. Every monster has its unique attack path and gains a buff from its field location or proximity to allies. It turns each battle into a mini-puzzle. Success in landing attacks is determined by rolling two D10s. This mechanism even influences the encounter rate during boss battles. Its unique gameplay makes it stand out from the rest of the collection.

Unfortunately, Dungeon Dice Monsters and Destiny Board Traveler don’t share that standout quality. These spin-offs take a board game approach to the Yu-Gi-Oh! realm. While Dungeon Dice Monster aimed to digitize its lesser-known spin-off counterpart, it flounders with an overly complex manual and no tutorials, which led to more than a few headaches for me. The collection’s quality-of-life features aren’t bad, but they lack some crucial elements. The game’s manuals always restart from the first page, which is annoying in games like Dungeon Dice Monsters with intricate rules. Rewinding gameplay up to a minute is possible, but fast-forward isn’t available—a feature that could save time in the GBA duel simulator games when the AI player takes its time strategizing.

One glaring omission in the collection is its online support—or lack thereof. Oddly enough, only Duel Monsters 4 supports online play for dueling and trading, despite being a Japan-only title. It’s baffling that with three versions of the game for different decks—Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey—only one title has online capabilities. Support for beloved formats like Stairway to the Destined Duel or World Tournament 2004 would have been welcome. While future updates could address this, the current online offering feels more like an afterthought.

Duel Monsters 6: Expert 2 adds to the confusion. Although it’s touted as one of the franchise’s most popular games during Yu-Gi-Oh!’s peak in Japan, it’s perplexingly left untranslated, while other Japanese exclusives got English adaptations. The collection describes this game as modified for the Western release in Stairway to the Destined Duel, adhering to English trading card game rules. However, it still sits oddly as its own entity, untranslated, amidst a sea of other fully localized titles.

In essence, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection strikes a balance between nostalgia and missed opportunity. It’s exciting to plunge into Yu-Gi-Oh!’s rich pre-history, long before it grew into a household trading card game brand. But despite the impressive lineup of games, it sometimes feels like a hastily assembled anniversary compilation. With its incomplete quality-of-life features, challenging-to-grasp games requiring constant manual checks, untranslated titles, and restricted online play options, the collection could have been better. It’s missing additional content like artwork, concepts, or design documents that could have added significant value for enthusiasts. Standout games like The Sacred Cards, Duel Monsters 3, The Eternal Duelist Soul, and 7 Trials to Glory shine through, but most entries feel like marginal updates or depart heavily from the card game roots. While a historical piece, the collection doesn’t always exhibit the care and respect these titles deserve.

So, who would enjoy the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection? Those eager to relive Yu-Gi-Oh!’s past glory may find some joy here. The collection’s offerings look promising at first glance, but most titles struggle to maintain interest in practice. I found myself revisiting a few games for brief entertainment, rebuilding decks and reformulating strategies, but the charm wore off by the time I hit the later GBA titles. Multiplayer fun is limited due to the lack of online capability in all but one game, making it hard to recommend even to the most passionate Yu-Gi-Oh! fans. Approaching the collection with tempered expectations and an open mind, particularly concerning its unconventional titles, could still yield some entertainment. However, you’re likely to be relieved to leave those early days behind by the time you reach the end.