The game in question.
Now this game is a bit of a misnomer for fans of the animated series, as it has very little in common with its card battling counterpart. Oh, and you might think it has something to do with its mini-series counterpart, which is also called Capsule Monsters, but you would be totally mistaken. In fact, other than the characters and monster designs from the show being placed overtop the game, it has almost nothing in common with Yu-Gi-Oh! whatsoever!
So now you might be wondering why you should even bother looking into this game in the first place. And I’m not going to lie to you, that is a very good question. A basic tactical rpg at best, Capsule Monsters moves at an incredibly slow pace, to the point where a single battle can seem to draw on forever if you don’t know what you’re doing. Which can be a problem if, like me, you got the game without a manual to reference and were forced to learn through experimentation. This slow pace is made even worse by the addition of individual battle animations for each monster’s attack, each one taking something like 30 seconds to play through. Thankfully you can turn these animations off and on at any time in the game, making them less of a hindrance, but you really feel like you’re missing out on a large part of the game if you do choose to ignore them. This is because they are part of the one redeeming feature of this game that I felt the entire time I played: effort.
The artwork is the only thing that makes this game a Yu-Gi-Oh title.
I’m not kidding either; this game feels like it’s been given a lot of attention by its designers, as if to say “yeah, we know we’re making an average tie-in game, so let’s do everything we can to make it as memorable and enjoyable as possible.” Not only does every monster in the game have its own battle animation, but if you’re willing to give the campaign mode a try you’ll quickly discover that every single stage for the 25 battles you fight is completely unique from the others, with each stage having its own elemental attributes and environmental effects to ensure that no two are exactly alike. On top of this all of the character designs look fresh, as though they’d been drawn up specifically for this game or taken from an art book of some kind. This isn’t to say they’re superb, as there are only twenty characters in the game (including alternate forms) and each character only has two portraits. Nevertheless it is a nice feature for fans of the original series and newcomers alike.
Check out these totally interchangeable monsters!
On the other hand are the monsters you actually battle with, and here I have a slight issue. For while each monster has its own battle animation, and with two hundred monsters in the game that is a lot of animation (see: effort), the fact of the matter is that these monsters are almost entirely interchangeable with each other in terms of stats and combat usefulness. I found myself using monsters like Little Kuriboh, one of the weakest monsters in the anime, more than the supposedly stronger monsters like the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician just to ensure I had the maximum amount of monsters possible. And with the addition of special abilities for different monsters, you can quickly take advantage of situations that might otherwise prove difficult or even thought provoking. Add a leveling system into the game that quickly makes weaker monsters reach levels of strength ridiculous for their cost, and you can end the game with max level Kuribohs that can not only put up shields that absorb any one attack, but can also one hit K.O. almost any monster in the game!
The Kuriboh in it's natural habitat.
So here we’re left with a game that, while full of effort and basically enjoyable game play, can often feel a bit tedious and even derivative at times. So the question comes down to whether or not I can recommend this game despite its flaws. And the answer, to a degree, is yes. If you are a fan of either Yu-Gi-Oh! or tactical rpgs, then you owe it to yourself to pick up this unique entry in the franchise and try it out for yourself. After all, at only $7 at either your local gamestore or online, there is no reason not to give it a shot. But if you’re not into either of these things then I can’t really recommend it to you, as there are better games available for those willing to experiment in either field (if you’re looking to try out a good tactical rpg then I heartily recommend the original Disgaea for the PS2, or the remake for the PSP. It is widely regarded as one of the best tactical rpgs of all time. As for Yu-Gi-Oh! fans, either wait for my later review of Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007 or give it a try for yourself. You won’t get much bang for your buck at $2 a copy!).
Nonetheless it is an enjoyable game if you are patient enough to deal with its slow pace, and there are some moments of unintentional humor scattered throughout to give you a chuckle or two. Pick it up if you see it and have a few bucks lying around. I promise you won’t regret it!
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