Reviewed: March 22, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox

Publisher
Konami

Developer
Konami JPN

Released: February 14, 2005
Genre: Card/Strategy
Players: 2
ESRB: Everyone

7
8
7
7
7.1

Supported Features:

  • Cartridge Save
  • Link Cable for 2 Players

    		•
    The ultimate Game Boy Advance version of Yu-Gi-Oh! arrives in the form of Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005. Based on the hit TV show and Trading Card Game, travel to different areas in Battle City and challenge dozens of characters to duels and compete in weekly tournaments. Create and edit up to 20 decks with 1000 specially selected cards including brand new and classic favorites. The more you play, the more you unlock!

    Features:

    • 1000 cards with classic favorites and 200 all new cards
    • Multiple decks: Create and edit up to 20 different decks
    • Includes three limited edition Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards
    • Adjust animation speed & activation timing of spell and trap cards
    Story: “The endless struggle between duelists continues. Light and dark clash in a town where everyone waits to duel. Battles take the place of words and only the best will win tournaments where glittering trophies await the victor.”

    Like you just read, the story isn’t the main focus, gameplay is. For those of you looking for a deep story, look elsewhere. This latest version features a lack luster story that feels more a like a single cartoon episode rather than a complete story.

    I must admit, this is the first Yu-Gi-Oh game I’ve ever played. Although I am a fan of the TV series, I have never played the popular collectable card game. Here are my impressions as I played through the early portions of this game.

    I opened the packaging up and slid the game pack in my system with great anticipation. After turning it on and hearing the awesome intro music I was pumped up and more than ready to begin my card-based adventure.

    I was placed in the card shop where I was welcomed and told I needed to buy some cards to get me started. From that point on, I was on my own. It was awful, I didn’t know how to navigate through this heavily detailed menu, nor did I know how to even purchase cards that I had selected. More so, I didn’t know what DP meant, but I assumed it was what I used in place of money. After scratching my head for several minutes, I took a big sigh and reluctantly opened the game’s colorful instruction booklet.

    As far as actual gameplay is concerned, it’s pretty straightforward. Players will create a custom deck full of monsters, magic, and trap cards. They will then go around towns/various areas challenging people who want to (de….de…de…de….DUEL) their own decks. It’s a simple yet effect form of combat that’s very similar to card games like Pokemon and Magic the Gathering.

    Steps to Dueling:

    1. After challenging or accepting a challenge you play a Monster card from you hand (your opponent does the same)
    2. Then you enhance them with magic cards (boosting their attack and/or defense)
    3. In-between laying down Monster and Magic cards, you attack opponent or opponents monsters with your own monster cards
    4. The first player to lose all of their hit points (HP) loses
    By keeping true to the World Championship Tournament, this version expands on its already impressive library (1000 cards) by adding in 200 new cards and an expanded inventory space, which can now hold 20 custom decks.

    This game features very solid GBA graphics that are colorful and bright. Each town is littered with little details that you will notice as you roam around them from an overhead perspective. I was honestly surprised by how crisp and pretty the graphics were in every area except the card battle playing fields.

    The Yu-Gi-Oh cards in the game have been flawlessly translated from paper to pixel. The developers made sure to make each digital card colorful, authentic, and true to the real life card game and it shows.

    A good variety of unique, yet similar sounding theme music for each area is the first and best thing I noticed about the sound. It’s the background music that gives the correct feel to this game, but I was sad to hear (no pun intended) that there were no original voices from the show. It would have been really cool and relatively easy to import some original one-liners from the series, but unfortunately Konami opted out. It’s a shame, but one that could easily fixed in future Yu-Gi-Oh GBA/Nintendo DS games. Overall, I found the sound to be very weak in comparison to other GBA titles.

    If you truly enjoy card-based gameplay (Pokemon, Magic the Gathering) and you like the Yu-Gi-Oh series then you can find a lot of replay value here. Since basically all you do is run around and duel every chance you get.

    Customizing your own decks is challenging and will require you to think. The only real way to obtain cards is to purchase them. So the more you battle, the more money you obtain, thus allowing you to expand your library of cards.

    Seven Trials to Glory also offers a multiplayer mode, but most people won’t use it because both players have to own a copy of the game and a GBA Link Cable. But for those who find a friend with a copy, there are endless hours of multiplayer replay to be found.

    Overall, Yu-Gi-Oh 7! Trials to Glory can be a fun, and addictive strategy game for those willing to read the game’s manual, are already familiar with this Gameboy Advance series, or are extremely hardcore Yu-Gi-Oh fans. If you don’t fit that profile then my recommendation is to stay clear of this extremely hard to learn video game that seems more suited for adults rather than children.