Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories

A video-game version of the TV version of the trading-card game that is Yu-Gi-Oh! is finally here for your Game Boy, and it's scarier than Pokémon and more complicated than Monster Rancher.

Even before you open the manual Yu-Gi-Oh! creates a mountain of confusion, so let's get the name out of the way first: it means "King of Games" in Japanese and is a pun around Yugi, the main character from the cartoon. Thankfully, you don't need to know anything about the cartoon but a working knowledge of the original card game is helpful because there's no in-game tutorial, only a physical manual.

Although Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories lacks the user-friendliness of Pokémon Trading Card Game it does offer some incredibly in-depth gameplay. The basic goal of each battle is to whittle your opponent's life points down to zero by "attacking" his deck of cards with yours. There are, of course, an almost infinite number of complications you can add to this basic premise with fusion moves, rituals, traps, offers and so on.

Considering there are over 10,000 unique cards and the option of constructing your own out of constituent parts, this is not a game you're ever likely to be bored by, assuming you like the initial premise to begin with. And that's the game's only problem, really--it assumes you already like Yu-Gi-Oh! and know how to play it. Any newcomers to the concept should prepare themselves for a sharp learning curve. --David Jenkins

A card-collecting game based on the TV series of the same name, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories game lets you construct your deck, duel rivals, gain experience and ultimately face off with the four Rulers of Ancient Egypt, keepers of the fabled Millennium Items. Strategy is the key as you unleash attacks like Fusion and Sacrifice to summon ever more powerful monsters. Defeat opponents by skilfully using monster and magic cards to your advantage to become the King of Games.

Players can compete against either the game's artificial intelligence or another Duel Monsters player via the Game Boy link cable. Selecting from a deck of hundreds of unique battle cards with thousands of possible combinations, players must attack, defend, and combine monsters and set traps in order to drain their opponents' life points and win the game. Players must carefully build up their 40-card deck, selecting from eight different types of cards (earth, wind, water, fire, dark, light, magic, and trap) in order to compete on the Duel Field.

Based on the hit animated TV show, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories features all of your favourite characters from the series. Partaking in the Duel Monsters card game, you must gain cards and experience to become the strongest duellist in the world. Create a customised deck out of 10,000 possible cards and duel against Tristan, Kaiba, Yugi, Pegasus and others. The best duellists will go on to challenge the four Rulers of the Heavens, keepers of the sacred Millennium Items. Win battles to earn cards, trade with friends, import cards from the official card game or even create your own with the construction feature in order to complete your collection.