Growing up, there were two kinds of kids in the schoolyard. Those who played Pokémon and those who played Yu-Gi-Oh. Last year the former received a mobile game called Pokémon Go!, which, while successful, had a very short lifespan.

Upon downloading Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, this side’s version of Pokémon Go!, what I  discovered was a cut down, purely first generation game. The card mechanics were by and large simple, lacking the complex multitasking of later generations, and the number of cards was not overwhelming. The base gameplay is rather simple. You start the game with a brief tutorial and from there you pick your starting character, either Kaiba or Yugi. As you progress through the main story you can collect new characters and decks whilst also supplementing your own deck with cards from booster packs. There is the option to spend actual currency on these packs, but happily, you never feel forced to do so. Around level five, the game thankfully opens the PvP option as the A.I. is quite basic. Matchmaking is quick and appears to be international, and the players range in skill from novices to lifelong players. The latter are perhaps almost impossible to beat, but perhaps that is the nature of online play.

However, the production value really shows in the graphics and voice acting. Duel Links resurrects the voice actors from the original series to supply voices for the game, and provides the player with a simple yet tasteful interface to hold their duels. Graphic depictions of your monsters are projected above your cards in order to project that authentic Yu-Gi-Oh feel.

Konami has knocked this game out of the park by creating a quick, simple and fun Yu-Gi-Oh experience with room for expansion and amazing production value. It’s definitely a must try for the older fans out there.