A frustratingly hard game, but difficult enough to keep me challenged and coming back for more. Gameplay wise, after you beat the tutorial, there are 8 stages in an overworld map similar in a style like the Megaman games. You can play through the stages in any order which is cool. You will fail a lot of times depending on your luck in some stages. It’s heavily puzzle based which will require you to survive and dodge enemies in each stage. The Cards are items you equip in the games to boost your stats. What you have equipped will actually matter for each stage because each tournament is different. You’ll get a lot of game overs regardless.



Once you begin a stage, you'll be forced to cheat in duels, in order to win. This will usually involve platforming, where you need to avoid enemies in order to cheat in real-time. Getting touched by an obstacle will often result in a gameover. Your deck's stats will often affect how easy or difficult it is to avoid enemies; less/more obstacles may appear, or move slower/faster.



Story wise, you are a nameless duelist from the slums who is tired of the corruption of the higher organization who controls the world by dueling in Yugioh. With your best friend Sparkie, you decide to take matters into your own hands and cheat through every major tournament as possible.



After clearing four levels, you are introduced to the goon squad for the remaining four stages you didn’t clear. They will ambush you before you have the chance to enter the tournament. You have to defeat them in order to progress in the game. They are like the eliminators from the duelist kingdom arc of the Yugioh anime.



Once you manage to beat all the stages, you are treated to a final area. This was the most rewarding part of the game. The dialogue was so funny, it kept me entertained despite getting many game overs. The story in the final area also has some sudden plot twists I did not expect. The story in the final area is definitely the best part of the game. I won’t reveal spoilers, but if you’re a fan of the original anime you will understand. Sound wise, the soundtrack choices are solid and upbeat enough to keep you alert. I really enjoyed the soundtrack for Halfmoon City.

One thing I overlooked early was the characters’ dialogue in each stage which are actually hints. In Eagle land for instance, you’ll need your deck strength at maximum stats in order to progress through the stage. Another cool thing about some stages is the weather and time can be different. In Crepe Castle, your opponents will be different each time you attempt to enter the tournament.

Halfmoon City by far is the hardest stage which I avoided till the end. It took me over 50 tries to get past the A.I. I wish the difficulty for the stage was maybe toned down a little. You’ll need luck and precise timing to get past the camera’s and robots guarding the escape door. Eagle land by far was my least favorite area early on since I didn’t pay attention to the character’s dialogue.

Overall, I managed to get the light ending for the game. I haven’t figured what is required to get the dark ending. Perhaps the developer could make a nifty guide in the future. All I can say is, you won’t be finishing this game in one sitting. I recommend this game if you are looking for a hard challenge or a fan of the original anime.