Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule GB

Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule GB is a special video game that has so far only been released in Japan. The game was released in 2000 for the Gameboy Color and is based off of the Monster World story arch in the manga. The game is a traditional jRPG that follows the story of Yugi Muto as he struggles to save his friends from Seto Kaiba. Seto is possessed by his Millenium Ring and has kidnapped Yugi’s friends as well as his grandfather. Getting a game over in Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule GB has a real price too—one of Yugi’s friends will be stuck in the monster world forever.

Dungeon style gameplay

The game has a series of floors you must go through. Each floor has rescuing a friend as the main goal. The game takes you through a variety of different places, ranging from hell itself to ancient kingdoms. Each level has a boss that needs to be defeated, but often combat isn’t the only thing required. In one level a drought has caused a war and you need to mend relations to pass the test.

The game only has a few levels, but each one feels like a mini game in itself. At the very end if you successfully free your friends, Seto Kaiba is able to shake himself loose from the Millenium Ring and offers you a more ordinary duel. Depending on how well you did in the game, you may even get an extra piece to help defend yourself against Kaiba for one last duel.

Relatively short gameplay

This game is just 5 floors to clear, and some post gameplay. The short gameplay does make it more manageable to clear all the floors and save your friends but does mean there are only a few hours of gameplay.

Clunky graphics

This game was specifically designed for the Gameboy Color and doesn’t have the best graphics probably due to this. The graphics are very simple and pixelated, looking like an even older version of Konami Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force. This is to be expected because on top of being made for a tiny screen, it’s also an older game made over 2 decades ago.

Music is repetitive

The music itself is appropriate for a handheld style game but isn’t very exciting. Over the course of the game hearing the simple notes can get annoying.

If you’re a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! This game is a wonderful way to revisit the characters. The game is set at the very beginning of the anime and manga, so there’s no spoilers to be revealed. There’s a variety of gameplay, and that gameplay is very enjoyable.

Pros:

• Follows the manga and early anime
• Variety in gameplay

Cons:

• Only available in Japan