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> Results: Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Spirit Caller
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Yu-Gi-Oh is a collectable card game made by video game maker Konami that is popular with kids and card fans alike. The card game has been around for quite a while, and part of Yu-Gi-Oh's staying power has to do with the card game being constantly updated. Every year there are new cards, and now there's a new cartoon series with new characters to go along with it. And sure as the world, a new Yu-Gi-Oh game for the popular portable game consoles comes out every year as well. And this time, Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Spirit Caller for the Nintendo DS has one of the most sought after updates ever: online play.
In the card game, build a deck to battle opponents. Cards have ornate illustrations of monsters and magic spells, and when played strategically, players wallop their opponent's deck. You and your monsters have numbers called "hit points," and whoever whittles down the other player's hit points to zero first via monster card attacks wins the game. Fans of the card game can also buy smaller ﾑbooster packs' of cards to add to their deck, potentially changing the strategy of their game. The rules of Yu-Gi-Oh are a bit more complicated than that, but that's the general gist of it. Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Spirit Caller has characters and cards based on the new G/X cartoon. Players design their own duelist's appearance and enroll in an academy to learn to be a master card player. But the story isn't really important, all that matters is lots and lots of card battles. Use the stylus and touch screen to move around the academy and find people to duel. Winning matches earns you experience points and money to buy more powerful cards for your decks. Challenge yourself in Puzzle Mode where you fulfill tough requirements in limited moves. Unfortunately, there isn't a very good tutorial mode. Sure there is expansive in-game text that explains the rules, but nothing in the way of an interactive walkthrough of how the card battles flow. And the instruction booklet is even less helpful. It can be very daunting for beginners, and progression is slow and difficult. Play control using the stylus and touch screen makes things a little easier, and the graphics are as colorful and lively as the cartoon show. They even have 3-D monsters popping out of the cards to do battle. Of course the biggest draw of Yu-Gi-Oh GX on the DS is online play with WiFi wireless online play. Use friend codes to challenge people you know, or battle random online opponents. You can choose to duel people only in your skill level for more fair matches. Even with all the new features, only die hard Yu-Gi-Oh fans will get into GX on the DS.  
Some of the illustrations on the cards have scary, demonic looking monsters and a few feature slightly scantily clad female figures. Because of the complicated rules, strong reading skill requirements, and steep learning curve without any sort of help for beginners, this is best for ages 10 and older, even though the rating says E for Everyone.
Parents should keep a close watch on their kids with Yu-Gi-Oh and other collectable card games. They can be very addicting, and new cards are expensive when you add it all up. Plus, bad trades and lost cards often lead to hurt feelings on the playground. Many schools even ban bringing these cards to school for this reason. At least with the videogame, you don't have to worry about picking up cards off the floor or searching for missing cards! Playing online is pretty safe, as you don't see or hear your opponent. The only thing parents might need to watch out for is if the opponent's name in the game is something vulgar. But with friend codes, you can monitor somewhat who your kid plays online with, as both players need to have consent and each others' code to play against one another. Like with any online activity, parental monitoring is always a good idea, even in the safe DS environment. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Yu-Gi-Oh GX: Spirit Caller |
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