Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection: A Trip Back to Simpler Gaming Times

Lately, I’ve been delighted to delve into the “Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection,” a review I did at ComicBook. This collection, released on February 27th, covers the earliest games in the series – starting from the 1998 game “Duel Masters” and ending with “7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament” in 2005. Despite my deep affection for old-school games, they often take a backseat in my current schedule. Revisiting gaming from the Game Boy era to the Game Boy Advance period after so long brought back nostalgic feelings about the early days of video game play that I hadn’t expected.

In the beginning, when I started playing Duel Masters for the first time, its straightforward nature took me aback. Essentially, it’s merely a digital version of a card game. You do get to set your duelist name, but beyond that, it’s essentially about viewing your cards and those of your opponents. There isn’t much narrative involved; it’s primarily about engaging in multiple duels against the same few opponents until you manage to defeat them enough times to advance to the next level. In contrast to today’s games that are filled with more, more, and more—more expansive worlds, more collectibles for influencers and gamers to pursue, and more ways to outshine others on Steam—it was captivating to be reminded of a time when gaming was simpler, offering pure enjoyment from the basic pleasure of playing a game rather than the compulsion to amass trophies and achievements.

Looking back, I must admit that I cherished the straightforwardness of the early games, but my journey through gaming history also opened my eyes to how far we’ve come. During the Game Boy Advance era, it felt like we were in a Jurassic Park phase – they weren’t questioning if they should, only if they could push the boundaries of what gaming was capable of. As technology progressed, innovations such as the rapidly scrolling animated screen and other quirky decisions demonstrated that the possibilities for gaming were becoming increasingly complex. These experiments didn’t always result in better games, but they were crucial learning experiences that helped us figure out what works – and what doesn’t. Today’s games may still stumble, but the overall gaming experience offers so much more diversity and playability compared to the early days.

Primarily, what stood out to me the most is the significant increase in inclusivity within gaming and the broadening of the presumed player base compared to the time of the initial Yu-Gi-Oh! games.

As a millennial who grew up playing video games, I can’t help but remember the times when it was commonly thought that gaming was solely for boys. It felt unusual when Professor Oak asked if I was male or female for the first time, as before then, I had to accept that every game assumed I wanted a pixelated boy as my character. The idea of a girl playing video games seemed absurd back then, and I often found myself in roles like Mario, Link, or a Pokémon trainer with a baseball cap. Nowadays, many games offer the option to customize your avatar beyond just choosing between male and female characters. However, diving into Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards brought back those nostalgic memories of being limited in my gaming representation.

Initially when I started playing the game in 2003, I was asked for my name and without much thought, I entered it. Later on, I realized that my character appeared as a male figure, which wasn’t unexpected given the age of the game. However, it still managed to catch me off guard. The graphics were advanced enough for the time that it seemed odd to me that my avatar didn’t have any female features such as a ponytail. This detail distracted me from the game in a way it wouldn’t have if I had been younger and had fewer options available. To make matters worse, my childhood crush Joey Wheeler referred to me using male pronouns, which would have been disappointing to my younger self if she knew about it then.

Back then, it was generally assumed that games like Yu-Gi-Oh! wouldn’t attract girls such as myself in 2003. Even though I enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragonball Z, these shows didn’t cater to people like me as their audience. As a result, when the game allowed you to choose your name, there was no doubt that the names entered into those small boxes would be male.

Modern games often face criticism from certain quarters for what some perceive as excessive emphasis on inclusivity, a change that initially brought delight to my younger self. However, this progress began subtly with something as basic as offering players a choice between two options, a feature I’ve grown accustomed to and was even surprised to find missing at times. Although it seemed insignificant, this small feature made me pause and appreciate how much gaming has evolved over the past two decades or so.

2025-03-01 22:11

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