Critic & User Reviews
IGN Review of Yu-Gi-Oh! Spirit Caller
So, yeah. Yu-Gi-Oh. At this point, after umpteen Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC games, a handful of anime series, and, oh yeah, an actual card game, you either get it or you don't. It's amazing to see the legs this franchise has, not just the card game, but also all of the cartoons and videogames that have spawned from its inspiration. It is hard to get excited over Yet Another Yu-Gi-Oh title for the handhelds, especially less than a year after Yu-Gi-Oh Nightmare Troubador hit the Nintendo DS. But if you're the Yu-Gi-Oh nut that Konami's targeting then Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller is the game you're going to want -- not only do you get the updated set of cards as well as the revised list of banned and restricted cards, but you can also take it online and compete against some real opponents who'll no doubt kick your butt. Which was, pretty much, the only thing missing from last year's game.
Yu-Gi-Oh's one of the few card games that's managed to survive all of these years. Dozens of companies have tried their own take, but Konami's struck gold with a game that kids are still willing to play. After so many years on the market, there are so many cards in the game's library now that it's hard not to think that they're just making up rules as they go along -- and when you see the list of cards that are banned or restricted, it's pretty clear that it's the case. Still, for those who are willing to put in the time, effort, and/or money to this product, it can be a fulfilling strategy game since it requires so much thought and knowledge.
Last year's Nightmare Troubador plays foundation to Spirit Caller's production, so
everything from the cool touch-screen interface to the upper-screen's energetic 3D presentation returns for the second Nintendo DS game in the series. Some upgrades have been implemented to update the product and streamline play, such as improved creature animations and a quicker user interface. It's probably due to the limited resolution of the Nintendo DS screens, but the screens still feel a bit jumbled and chaotic as the designers try to sandwich as much information on both displays. The handheld Yu-Gi-Oh! games have always had this "hacked together" look, and while it's certainly an improvement over Nightmare Troubador, Spirit Caller still doesn't look quite as nice or play as smoothly as PC or console Yu-Gi-Oh games.
This time, the game's presents the Yu-Gi-Oh universe from almost a "Harry Potter" type story where players work their way through an academy of card players. Different "houses" are home to different players of different skills and talents. It's pretty silly to think that the education system is completely focused on making kids smarter with battling cards, but then, have you ever watched an episode of the anime? And that thing's been a hit for years. Players still find their competition via the touch screen radar-style system that wasn't anything special in Nightmare Troubadour. And the game teaches the mechanics of card battling in a tutorial-based puzzle system just like last year's game, but this time fails to really explain how the game actually works, so failing the first couple of training missions is status quo for anyone just jumping in.
What makes the product much less "Yu-Gi-Oh! again!" is the addition of the much requested, and much needed online portion. It's already online on the PC, but you're more likely to find competition on the handheld simply due to the bazillions of salivating card players with the system. And while reviewing the game several weeks after the release, it's clear that there's a good chance that there's a game ready to go at any skill level. There's no "chat" function so the interaction is simply limited to a "please wait" icon while the other person makes his move. It's time restricted so players can't just spend an infinite amount of time checking out their possible hands before taking the turn, so the play's pretty smooth when hopping on the internet.
©2007, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yu-Gi-Oh's one of the few card games that's managed to survive all of these years. Dozens of companies have tried their own take, but Konami's struck gold with a game that kids are still willing to play. After so many years on the market, there are so many cards in the game's library now that it's hard not to think that they're just making up rules as they go along -- and when you see the list of cards that are banned or restricted, it's pretty clear that it's the case. Still, for those who are willing to put in the time, effort, and/or money to this product, it can be a fulfilling strategy game since it requires so much thought and knowledge.
Last year's Nightmare Troubador plays foundation to Spirit Caller's production, so
everything from the cool touch-screen interface to the upper-screen's energetic 3D presentation returns for the second Nintendo DS game in the series. Some upgrades have been implemented to update the product and streamline play, such as improved creature animations and a quicker user interface. It's probably due to the limited resolution of the Nintendo DS screens, but the screens still feel a bit jumbled and chaotic as the designers try to sandwich as much information on both displays. The handheld Yu-Gi-Oh! games have always had this "hacked together" look, and while it's certainly an improvement over Nightmare Troubador, Spirit Caller still doesn't look quite as nice or play as smoothly as PC or console Yu-Gi-Oh games.
This time, the game's presents the Yu-Gi-Oh universe from almost a "Harry Potter" type story where players work their way through an academy of card players. Different "houses" are home to different players of different skills and talents. It's pretty silly to think that the education system is completely focused on making kids smarter with battling cards, but then, have you ever watched an episode of the anime? And that thing's been a hit for years. Players still find their competition via the touch screen radar-style system that wasn't anything special in Nightmare Troubadour. And the game teaches the mechanics of card battling in a tutorial-based puzzle system just like last year's game, but this time fails to really explain how the game actually works, so failing the first couple of training missions is status quo for anyone just jumping in.
What makes the product much less "Yu-Gi-Oh! again!" is the addition of the much requested, and much needed online portion. It's already online on the PC, but you're more likely to find competition on the handheld simply due to the bazillions of salivating card players with the system. And while reviewing the game several weeks after the release, it's clear that there's a good chance that there's a game ready to go at any skill level. There's no "chat" function so the interaction is simply limited to a "please wait" icon while the other person makes his move. It's time restricted so players can't just spend an infinite amount of time checking out their possible hands before taking the turn, so the play's pretty smooth when hopping on the internet.
©2007, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved