Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008 (Nintendo DS) Reader Review

Review number 4 now then, and its a non-Wii game like I said it might be. This being my first import title, a game that'll be released in the UK officially tomorrow, and one I've played very thoroughly (126 hours to be exact), are all defining reasons as to why I'll review this here and now. So then, let us commence.
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YuGiOh games have a long and successful history on Nintendo handhelds. From 'Dark Duel Stories' on the original Gameboy, to the beginnings of the World Championship titles on GBA, of which ended up on Nintendo DS, the series has been very popular with all gaming regions.
This title is the forth YuGiOh game for the DS, building on a strong established foundation.

Now, it has to be said that those with a dislike of Card-Battling mechanics won't find anything to convert them here. This game panders to the fans, and those open to an new and addictive experience.

The rules for each match, or a Duel as it is called here, are numerous and complex in nature, but I'll provide a brief summary of the finer parts;

Cards consist of three main groups, Monster, Magic and Traps. Monsters are cards that are used to attack opponents with, or defend against attacks. Magic Cards mainly initiate various beneficial effects on the playing field, and can only be activated on the owner's turn (and in some cases, on either turn). Trap cards mostly cause damaging effects to the opponent, and depend on certain conditions to be activated.
Two Players face off, each with a 'Deck' of cards; 40 being the minimum, and 80 the maximum. A coin flip determines who goes first, and so on and so forth.

...basically look at the very helpful Tutorial mode within the game, it can explain the rules better than I can. Once you get the hang of it, you'll play like a pro, trust me on that.

The graphics are functional for this type of genre, a 3D presentation of the Playing Field on the top screen, and the traditional 2D view on the bottom. Only the Monster Cards have individual animations, not the Spell and Trap Cards (bar a few exceptions, eg. Polymerization, Trap Monsters). Unfortunately, these animations are still, and do not react to other cards, but they add a bit of flair to the Duels, even if they remain largely unchanged since the first DS YuGiOh title.

The music differentiates a lot, depending on the where the Duel is happening, and of whom it is against. It also changes to a spurring beat when the player is losing, and a victorious theme when the player is winning. There are a wide variety of tracks utilized, and most, if not all, fit well.

The gameplay itself, ah now thats the make-or-break element. The sheer number of different cards and combinations to consider are mind-numbing, so put a lot in, and you'll get a heck of a lot out. The computer opponents provide one heck of a challenge, and the established Online features add incredible replay value.

Other things to mention are the new additions to this game from the previous one, such as;
Tag Battles, which follow mostly the same rules to a regular Duels, just as a 2 on 2.
Duel World, a place populated by Monsters that adds a sense of advancing purpose to the Duels.
Quick vid showing these features below, sorry as its in Japanese, but its the best I could find.