GBA

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Yu-Gi-Oh Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel

Score: 80%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami
Media: Cart/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

If you haven't heard of Yu-Gi-Oh! by now, then you probably don't have kids, or have any friends with kids, or have any association with kids or... well I'm sure you get my point. Much like Poke'mon, Yu-Gi-Oh! has exploded onto the kid's market and grown to sizes no one could have ever imagined. Originally based on the comic that was featured in Shonen Jump, Yu-Gi-Oh! has gone on to inspire a wildly successful collectable card game, a successful TV show on both the Kid's WB and Cartoon Network, and half a dozen video games for the GameBoy, PSX, and PS2. YuGiOh: Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel follows the same formula as the other Yu-Gi-Oh! games, but carries with it enough changes to make it still worthwhile.

As with the previous games, the graphics in Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (gasp!) are rather simple, but get the job done. Character profiles are limited to one picture stills on one of five different backgrounds. Personally, this was one of the few downsides I found with the entire game. It would have been nice to see both victory and defeat poses for characters, but as it stands you are only given the same picture with the added bonus of that character's most powerful card (i.e. Yugi with a Dark Magician) behind them when they win.

Sound comes for the same low stock as in previous Yu-Gi-Oh! games. The background music is annoyingly chipper and will have you turning down the sound by at least your third duel. The same goes for the all the sound effects in the game. As with most things present, what's there works, but you can't help but wish for just a little more.


Gameplay:

Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel is identical to both the card game of the same name, as well as every other Yu-Gi-Oh! game released. For anyone who has played any of the other games, Stairway shouldn't be much of a change since the changes to the formula are mostly cosmetic. You begin by choosing one of three pre-constructed decks and getting a brief outline of the game by the announcer. This is where the first changes can be seen. Unlike previous games where you just played cards, Stairway loosely follows the current plot of the show - namely, the Battle City Tournament. Of course, the story is mainly just there for a backdrop since there is no real 'moving' story, you are just one of the unnamed Duel Monsters players wandering Battle City in hopes of winning the tournament.

In addition to facing the show's main characters such as Joey, Mai, Kiba and Yugi (both Mutou and Yami versions), you'll also face off against some of the more obscure 'one-timers' like Rex Raptor, Mako Tsunami and Weevil Underwood. At various times during the game, you'll also face off again random 'Rare Card Hunters'. As you defeat other players, you'll get the chance to win boosters to help fix up your deck and make it stronger. In addition, gamers who play the card game can also import their real life decks into the game via a password feature. As neat of a feature as this is, I was a little disappointed to discover that it only allowed you to import one copy of a given card, thus limiting deck designs. For those crafty enough to find the passwords for each card online, this can also prove to be a fun kick start into the game since the selection of cards you can win are less-than-useful.


Difficulty:

As you've probably already noticed, I'm something of a closet Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. While I've never played the physical card game, I'd probably consider myself something of a seasoned pro when it comes to playing the video game version. For the most part, I found Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel to be quite a challenge, especially when compared to the last GBA incarnation of the game which was a cakewalk. One of the more noticeable things is that the opponent AI somewhat represents the mentality of the show's players. For example, when facing Kiba - you're likely to see a deck that looks like it would be all trickery, but turns out to be little more that an massive beat-down deck. Another neat AI trick is that characters not only fix up their decks between matches (although only by one or two cards), but seem to play you differently each time - which is neat since you'll face opponents multiple times.

However, all improvements aside - the game still faces a few challenges, both cheap and stupid. One of the hallmarks of the show is that players always draw the exact card they need when it matters the most. Although it doesn't happen to the degree it does in the show, there are a few times when the computer just happens to get the one trap card needed to crush your deck (or at least stop your combo). On the other hand, just as the AI can crush your strategies, you can turn around and do the same by exploiting some of its AI flaws such as the computer always having to attack facedown monsters.


Game Mechanics:

When you consider this game is basically the same as every other Yu-Gi-Oh! game, it shouldn't come as surprise that the game uses the same easy to use control mechanism as previous games. Though a generally good thing, I was a bit disappointed to see that the menus, especially when it came to deck creation, were still a hassle to manage. In my mind, this is one of the areas that computer-based card games will always suffer. Coming from an extensive Magic: The Gathering deck building background, I'm used to scattering cards all over my floor and grouping them, slowly constructing a deck as I weed out cards. Though reasonably easy to use, the deck creation system in Stairway allows players to simply place cards into either their deck or trunk. I found that this limited the number of strategies that go towards building a deck since you're basically just reading down a list instead of looking at your cards.

Navigating Battle City can be both mindlessly easy, and ridiculously hard. I had hoped for the chance to explore the city myself, but instead the game forces you to choose a district to play in. As you travel to each section, you will be given the choice to either talk to a random person (who will give you gaming tips) or challenge the player in that area. Easy huh? The hard part comes in during some of the game's tournament stipulations. For example, one tournament requires you to find two certain opponents who are hidden in the city and beat them before the tournament ends, forcing you to talk to every passerby in hopes that they turn out to be the opponent you're searching for. I've yet to win this tournament.

Fans, both hardcore and casual, will find a lot to like in Stairway. Although a majority of the game remains unchanged, the general premise is still intact. At least the minor changes help to give the game a fresh looking face, and hopefully indicate that new things are on the way for the next incarnation of the franchise (which we all know is coming).


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

Nintendo GameBoy Advance Yu-Gi-Oh: The Sacred Cards Nintendo GameBoy Advance Yu-Gi-Oh: World Championship Tournament 2004

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated