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Duel Masters returns to the GBA. The whole card-battling thing seems to be “in” now as much as ever. The Pokemon card-game frequently sells well, and Yu-Gi-Oh is as popular as ever. Both of these series also have their own cartoons, handheld videogames and related merchandise, so accordingly Duel Masters followed along with Duel Masters: Sempai Legends. Atari’s second portable game, Duel Masters: Kaijudo Showdown, does a pretty good job of interactively portraying the card game, but it doesn’t do much to woo newcomers to the series.
The game includes a linear, not especially interesting storyline where you are given your first deck by your brother. You’ll begin locally, winning battles in local shops and trading cards with others, but you’ll move from shop to shop and tournament to tournament as you progress.
If you’re new to the series, the game includes a handy tutorial that explains the gameplay well. Basically, the video game, like the card game, requires that you have a certain amount of mana to use certain monsters or spells. You can activate a spell and use its effect right away, but you’ll need to wait a turn to use a monster. Thankfully, that monster cannot be destroyed when it is first summoned and unable to attack. This pattern continues until you destroy your opponent’s deck or he does that to you. A good deck is necessary for this, and the game makes it straightforward to build one.
Aside from single-player, the game includes a multiplayer mode that requires two copies of the games. If you have the necessary equipment, you can battle someone using your best decks.
The game’s visuals are standard stuff, really. The backdrops are quite detailed and of respectable size, but unfortunately they are extremely stringently animated. The lack of animation follows through to the monster attacks, movements and effects that they perform (although the character models, themselves –particularly the cards – are quite good). The series could do a lot better, and it is disappointing that the developers at Mistic didn’t do a better job implementing the visuals.
The audio is just as predictable. The soundtrack isn’t bad, quite fitting actually, and almost memorable and fits the game well. Unfortunately, the sound effects are very few, not of especially great quality, and when you finally hear one, they’re incredibly short.
Like the console version, Duel Masters: Kaijudo Showdown will be enjoyable if you are already a Duel Masters fan. Its portrayal of the card game is fun in its own away and pretty accurate, as well. If the whole monster fighting thing eluded you, chances are that Duel Masters isn’t going to change your mind. -- Jake Wilson, PGNx Media
---- Nov 24, 2004
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