PlayStation 2

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Capsule Monster Coliseum

Overall Capsule Monsters offers a compelling way for fans of the series to experience the mythos in a way different than the standard card game. It is a bit complicated at first, but for those who devote the time to understand the strategy and the nuances of the gameplay they will be rewarded with a fairly deep game of skill. For those fans that felt a bit disappointed and put off by Duelist of the Rose, give Capsule Monsters a good, strong look because it takes that concept and fixes most of what was wrong with that effort. Those gamers who enjoy games that require more brain, than finger power, but know absolutely nothing about Yu-Gi-Oh; you’ll also probably find enough to like here to warrant a look.

Konami is sitting on a gold mine with their popular Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game, so of course the makers of Frogger and Gradius make tons of video games out of it, too. The latest for PlayStation 2 is Capsule Monster Coliseum, a mix of the card game with the tactical strategy of a game like Final Fantasy Tactics.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Comes to us courtesy of Konami, the Japanese developer of such classic franchises as Castlevania and Contra. Much like Nintendo with Pokemon, Konami branched into the collectible card market, with the ensuring tie-ins, lunchboxes, backpacks, and video games.

More Yu-Gi-Oh! games come out every year, and with each one, I’m less interested than the last. While Capsule Monster Coliseum does tread on some vaguely new territory as a sort of strategy board game, it falls entirely short of similar games like Disgaea. This is due largely to the tedious and slow-paced battles, making the whole experience feel less board and more bored. Instead of the familiar "I’m a monster trapped in a card!", the gimmick this time around is "I’m a monster trapped in a capsule!" Whoopee. Alas, this means I have to spend the first interminable turns of battle unpacking my monsters before I can deploy them against my foes. There is some decent music and graphics that don’t make me want to die. I guess that’s the highest recommendation I can offer on this one.