Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel

"A good game, but will dissapoint those looking for originality"

Since Yu-Gi-Oh! came out, its been huge. And Eternal Duelist Soul has been a leading game on the Game Boy Advance for a very long time. The long-awaited sequel to Eternal Duelist Soul, Worldwide Edition (or Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel for the full name) is finally out. How does it measure up to EDS?

On a side note, this game comes with three cool promo cards: Harpie's Feather Duster, Sinister Serpent and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior. Harpie's Feather Duster and Sinister Serpent are both great cards for any deck, and Valkyrion may interest those who have bought the Duelist of the Roses game for PS2 and have those promos.

Graphics
The graphics aren't very much different than EDS, but nonetheless they are excellent. For a Game Boy Advance title this game has very good graphics. The cards are well-illustrated and the characters outside of duels are very well done. The only problem is the Atk and Def stats of the cards seem a little too squeezed in and forced, but other than that the graphics are very well done.
Score: 8

Gameplay
The gameplay is excellent. It actually follows the actual TCG rules, unlike the earlier Forbidden Memories and Dark Duel Stories. You'll probably need to learn to play the actual card game and know the rules well before you tackle this game, though. You need to learn how to do certain things in the game, such as entering new phases and ending turns with the B buttons. The duels are pretty slow, but here's a tip to keep in mind if you want to move faster: hold down L and R as you're starting a Rock-Paper-Scissors game for a duel. It'll speed up the duel and make it more enjoyable. Other than that, the way you're able to use the cards is very similar to the TCG, which adds to the realism. Though, it can be frustrating at times with certain cards, the gameplay is fun and should keep you coming back for more.
Score: 8.5

Sound
The sound is simply average. The music doesn't change a great deal throughout the duels, but the music you'll sometimes hear is easy to enjoy. There are certain sounds that come from when cards appear, depart and such, but nothing too special. The music may be a nuisance to some people who don't enjoy normal game jingles.
Score: 8

Story
There's not really a point in giving a score here. The story isn't really a part of the game, as it's not a linear game. Other than moving on and dueling people, there is no story, but that isn't a big deal here if you enjoy trading card games.
Score: None

Replayability
This game is going to be one that keeps you coming back for more. Just think of a Pokémon game for this. After you beat a game, you'll still want to catch more Pokémon, train them, battle trainers again and try out new teams. This is how it is for Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition. After you have defeated all of the duelists, there is much more to do. There are hundreds of cards. Making a new deck and trying it out is a large part of the game in itself. Even if you stick with the same deck, there are always duelists to play against, and there is never the same result twice. After a while, this game is still hard to get tired of.
Score: 9

Overall
This game is good, just not too original. It's very much like the previous Eternal Duelist Soul. The main difference is the randomness of the duelists and the new cards added in (which really only spans over half of two separate English TCG series). However, if you haven't tried a Yu-Gi-Oh! game before, or have Eternal Duelist Soul and want a new challenge, this is probably a game you'll want to pick up. This game is good, but lacks originality and still has its flaws.
Overall: 8.3 (rounds to 8)

To rent or to buy...that is the question
In my opinion this is definitely a buy game. If you rent it, it will probably not be enough to enjoy the entire game. You'll need the game for quite a while to enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition to the fullest. Plus, the buy edition comes with three cards, which is a plus for many TCG players. But, if you're still cautious about buying this game, try renting it first, but this will probably be a buy game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/03, Updated 04/20/03