Features
- Cartridge Save
- A tutorial mode for new players
- A booster pack for Duel Masters card game
- Link support for battles and card trading
A long time ago (before PlayStation existed) there was a card game known as Magic: The Gathering. In this game, duelists would collect monsters in playing card form in order to pit their deck against a friend's in a battle. The game was governed by strategy, chance, and the strength of a carefully organized deck. It was only a matter of time before the card game jumped onto the television and monster summoning spin-offs were created. Recently the genre enjoyed a digital renaissance with the explosion of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!. The creators of Magic saw an opportunity to resurrect an already popular rule set and decided to offer up a new card battle game called Duel Masters.
The duels in this game consist of two players, each with a deck of 40 cards. At the beginning of the round, five cards are removed from each deck and set up as the player's "shields". Players then flip a coin to decide who gets the first move and the battle begins. Each deck can be made up of cards from the five alignments of Fire, Darkness, Nature, Light, and Water. In order to summon a creature you must first sacrifice a card of their alignment. This aspect of the game is called generating mana. Every monster or spell requires a certain number of cards in the mana zone and at least one card of the same alignment. This step adds another layer to assembling a team of warriors, and pure strategists will see this as an advantage over other card games.
Once the monsters have been summoned to the battlefield, the goal is to destroy your opponent's five shields and score a game winning hit on the opposing duelist. The game sounds simple, but there are a plethora of special moves, blockers, and rules that separate the rookies from the experienced duelist. The winner of each game receives a booster pack of cards that can be used to strengthen a deck or change its alignment.
The first version of this game appeared on the GBA in June of 2004 and was a solid entry for the series. However, if Sempai Legends is already part of your game library then Kaijudo Showdown is nothing new. The game makes small advances in a number of areas without adding anything that changes the core game play. The world has the same visual style as the previous game with slightly more detailed environments and compact towns. The menu system is handled through a pocket gizmo that is given to the main character by his older brother at the beginning of the game. The gadget resembles a GBA and is used to manage decks, statistics, and provides a number of strategies for winning. The notes on the pocket gizmo combined with the tutorial when you fire up a new game are enough to make a novice feel comfortable. So if you are new to the genre, this game slowly nudges gamers towards advanced tactics without ever being overwhelming.
Another addition to the game is the advanced sorting option while managing the many cards acquired through duels. Cards can be arranged by civilization, cost, number, power, rarity, and race. Most characters on the map screen will offer to duel, speak to you, or trade. The goal of trading is to give up three mediocre cards for one more powerful monster. This acts as an incentive to speaking with every character in a town and it provides a way to improve your deck without going through an entire battle.
Since the reward for winding a duel is an entire booster pack, the game has more of a focus on deck management and colleting instead of mindlessly moving from duel to duel. The game's story has also broadened from the last offering, with more developed characters and a story line that may not be deep, but at least feels like less of an excuse for touting "RPG elements".
The core of Kaijudo Showdown, like most card games, is a seemingly never ending chain of duels which are arranged into two types of tournaments. There are shop tournaments, which take place at a town's local card dealer and regional tournaments, which are larger in scope and advance the story. It should be stressed that the role playing aspects of this game are not on par with a game like Pokemon. As with first version of Duel Masters, do not buy this game expecting much more than duels and card management.
Verdict
The entertainment industry is currently saturated with sequels.Everything is a continuation, a spin-off, or at worst, a rehash. Videogames are no exception to this rule. Most of this year's blockbusterreleases have been second or third installments to an already popularseries. Of course it is easier to build off the excitement of anestablished product rather than risking an original idea. However,sequels should always add something new to the mix. It is in thismindset that I began playing through the most recent Duel Mastersgame on the GBA.