Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters

Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters is a must-try for fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, tv show and collection of video games. There’s plenty of things to enjoy here for fans of the Pokemon series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters on the Gameboy, as well as the offshoot Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Coliseum for the Playstation.

A Spin-off

While there have been many Yu-Gi-Oh! video games since the series’ inception, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters does not focus on the card game that made the series so iconic. Instead, the game is based around the Dungeon Dice Monsters spin-off game, which was featured in a number of the Yu-Gi-Oh! television series. The Dungeon Dice Monsters game clearly never took off, so players should not expect a return to the Dungeon Dice formula any time soon.

Roll the Dice

Although the Dungeon Dice Monsters game was an attempt to diversify the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand, Dungeon Dice plays very similarly to the standard Duel Monsters card game. Players are given a set number of monsters, each with their own stats on attack and defense, and must take points from their opponent's health bar. Fundamentally, the game plays very similarly, albeit with a few minor additions.

The dice part of Dungeon Dice Monsters allows the players to shape the battlefield as they take turns. Dice rolls unfold to leave terrain for the monsters to maneuver on, as well as extra attack points, movement points, and other useful battlefield bonuses, which helps to distinguish this game from other Yu-Gi-Oh! entries.

Other than the variation of format, the most compelling thing about Dungeon Dice Monsters is its graphics and art style. For a Game Boy Advance game, the fidelity on the art assets is fantastic and the game manages to create a very detailed, yet very understandable art style that communicates everything that is happening on the game board clearly. Likewise, each of the battles includes vivid animations that really show off what the GBA was capable of in the right developer’s hands.

There are a number of gamemodes to try out in Dungeon Dice Monsters. For a quick match with no strings attached, there’s Free Duel. Players can also enter Tournament Mode, Grandpa’s Shop for buying and selling their collection of dice, as well as a Link and Trade Mode for interactive battles with friends.

Long Matches

The playtime for each game in Dungeon Dice Monsters can be lengthy to start with. Getting to grips with the user interface, the rules, as well as the general pace of the game can mean that your first few battles reach up to 30 minutes long. Contrasted against classic Yu-Gi-Oh! matches, and players might feel that the game becomes a slog.

However, players will find that as they get to grips with the game’s unique flavour of Yu-Gi-Oh!, that matches soon end quicker and quicker, as they develop favourite strategies, monster combinations and tactics. Once the flow of the gameplay starts to become smoother, any fan of Yu-Gi-Oh will recognise the classic characteristics that made the series so famous to begin with.

PROS

• Fantastic visuals for a GBA game
• A fun spin on the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! formula
• Easy to pick up and play

CONS

• Doesn’t offer much variety
• Dungeon Dice Monsters never truly caught on