A Rare Yu-Gi-Oh game that I actually fully enjoy

User Rating: 8.5 | Yu-Gi-Oh! Shin Duel Monsters II: Keishou Sareshi Kioku (Konami the Best) PS2
First off, I really enjoy the anime series, and I have no problem saying it. I don't personally play the card game, but I have played many of the Yu-Gi-Oh game, and they all pretty much suck. Most people will disagree with me in saying that this game is any different, but in my mind, it is. This game really captures the essence of the game, which makes it a really fun playing experience. A little more strategy is implemented here, where instead of just attacking the opposing monsters as soon as the monster is summoned, you must work your way around one of many detailed maps, full of obstacles and barricades, to get to the opponents monsters before being able to attack. This small game tweak really puts some more strategy into the game. But, of course if you hate Yu-Gi-Oh to begin with, this game won't change your mind. The story mode pits you against many of the shows classic antagonists like Pegasus, Rex Raptor, and Weevil Underwood, if playing on Yugi's side. You can also play on Kaiba's side, dueling such main characters like Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan. Now, of course these aren't the actual characters, and instead are, I guess you could say, ancestors of the characters, as the game uses their image, but for the most part changes names, as the game takes place in the time when the Pharaoh ruled. The game has many, many cards in game, but stronger ones like The Dark Magician, and Blue Eyes White Dragon, can only be obtained through hard struggles. Also, to keep you from overloading your deck with powerful monsters, the game only allows you a certain number of points allotted to your deck, with more powerful monsters, having a high summon cost. This is a nice addition, but can be a little frustrating, as you always will want to tweak your deck, without raising your total deck cost over your opponents, with a total of 40 cards in deck. In the free mode dueling, you can set the total deck cost as high as you want, but that also means your opponent (whether computer controlled or a second player) will also have that high of a deck cost. The game does feature many famous monsters, like Dark Magician, Blue Eyes White Dragon, Summoned Skull and Dark Magician Girl, as well as all 5 pieces to Exodia, which must be obtained separately. Some monsters like the god cards are left out for some reason, so you won't be able to take control of them. For fans of the anime, or the card game in general, you should find some enjoyment in this game. If you hate Yu-Gi-Oh, then why are you even reading this review?