Review of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection

With Yu-Gi-Oh! celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary just last year, fans of the classic card game were suddenly reminded of how much time has flown by. Konami didn’t just let the milestone pass but decided to extend the party with the ‘Quarter Century’ edition of the iconic game. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is the only video game nod to this milestone, featuring around 14 nostalgic titles from the franchise’s early days, spanning the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance eras. As a dedicated Yu-Gi-Oh! card player, the collection piqued my curiosity, although my memories of these original games were hazy at best. I recalled them as more appealing to those familiar with the anime than those who delved deep into the card game mechanics. Confirming my suspicions, the games indeed leaned in that direction, yet revisiting them wasn’t as shocking as I’d anticipated. While most see this collection as a casual look back, devoted fans might find a certain allure—if they dig deep enough.

Let’s start with the collection’s backbone. Yes, this pack includes 14 entire Yu-Gi-Oh! games released between 1998 and 2005. It covers everything from the very first releases on the DMG Game Boy, which were Japan-exclusive and based on the manga, now finally localized in English, to the more ambitious Game Boy Advance world championship series striving for realistic battle simulation, with a few eclectic detours. On the surface, it seems like a treasure trove for fans, yet there are some drawbacks. Especially with the earlier Game Boy games, which were more about tweaking the card game rules and adding incremental updates. Take Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories, for example—it merely introduced new rules and cards to tweak decks, while the western version, Dark Duel Stories (Duel Monsters 4 in Japan), added a single trap card zone. Sure, it’s a fascinating blast from the past, showcasing the game’s evolution amid both hardware constraints and the card game’s expansion in Japan. However, playing them back-to-back might feel monotonous for many, despite the interesting progression in UI and UX design. Personally, after a single match, I found myself gravitating toward the more player-friendly games in the set.

Duel Monsters 3 was a noteworthy surprise. Previously exclusive to Japan, this entry mirrors the Monster World arc where Yugi’s friends transform into monsters trapped in a tabletop RPG, with antagonists as Dungeon Masters. Unlike its counterparts, there are no trading cards involved. Instead, you place monsters on a grid in a manner reminiscent of basic turn-based strategy games like Fire Emblem. Each monster boasts unique attack patterns, gaining buffs depending on their field position and proximity to allies. Consequently, each battle unfolds as a mini puzzle. Attack success relies on rolling two D10s, adding an interesting twist akin to traditional tabletop gaming, with those same rolls deciding random enemy encounters during boss fights. It’s a distinct standout from this collection.

However, Dungeon Dice Monsters and Destiny Board Traveler didn’t share the same appeal. These spinoffs opt for a board game-style spin on Yu-Gi-Oh!. Dungeon Dice Monsters adapts its lesser-known physical game into digital form, placing two opponents on an isometric grid, aiming to construct a path to the opposing dice master. In theory, it sounds intriguing, but its lack of tutorials leaves players wrestling with a convoluted manual until they grasp the rules. That’s where this collection’s quality of life features show some cracks. While each game’s manual is accessible, the manual annoyingly resets to the first page upon reopening, a hassle for games with complex rules (like Dungeon Dice Monsters). Plus, the outdated type chart is absent, adding confusion as it includes types not found in the actual card game, such as ‘dreams’ and ‘shadow’. Though you can rewind up to one minute anytime, the absence of fast-forwarding becomes a sore point in the GBA duel simulators as the CPU takes its sweet time with moves.

And let’s talk about online support—or rather, the lack of it. Out of all the games, only Duel Monsters 4 permits online dueling and card trading, an odd choice since it was exclusively Japanese. Stranger still, the games feature cheat menus for unlocking cards and sidestepping duelist point limits. These quirks wouldn’t be as puzzling if Duel Monsters 4 wasn’t split into three versions aligned to Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey’s decks. Sure, you can brawl across versions, but there’s little incentive to do so. Online support for titles like Stairway to the Destined Duel or World Tournament 2004 would have been a smarter move, given their endearing format among veteran fans. While there’s potential for future updates, for now, the online experience is lackluster and not particularly enticing for collectors.

The perplexing inclusion of Duel Monsters 6: Expert 2 underscores the collection’s mixed bag. The marketing rightly highlights this GBA game as a pinnacle during Yu-Gi-Oh!’s heyday in Japan, justifying its presence. However, it remains entirely in Japanese—an odd design choice as all other titles are translated. While one might argue it inspired the western release Stairway to the Destined Duel, the fact it’s separate seems awkward. This inconsistency in localization among classic Japanese titles points to broader translation efforts but leaves Expert 2 in linguistic limbo.

In essence, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection embodies two very different experiences. On one hand, it’s a nostalgic journey into the series’ quirky origins, before cementing its status as a genuine card game titan. On the other, despite an impressive roster of games, attention to detail sometimes falls short. Quality-of-life enhancements feel half-baked, some games perplex players without constant manual consultation, one title remains untranslated, and online play supports only a single game set. There aren’t even any bonus artworks or design documents—missed opportunities that could add significant fan value. Among the gems are The Sacred Cards, Duel Monsters 3, The Eternal Duelist Soul, and 7 Trials to Glory, but sadly, the rest either make minor series improvements or ditch the card game essence altogether. This compilation serves as a historical record, albeit with noticeably little reverence for its own history.

So who should pick up Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days? If you’re in it solely for the nostalgia, you might find enjoyment here, but the game’s longevity may not hold up for everyone. Several titles invite quick play, though the intrigue dwindles by the time you hit the more polished GBA offerings. Exploring the collection alongside a friend could be enticing, but with only one game supporting online play, recommending it to even the staunchest Yu-Gi-Oh! enthusiasts is tricky. Still, approaching it without lofty expectations and diving blindly into the more unique entries can offer a fun time. Just be forewarned—by the end, you might appreciate just how far the series has come since those early days.