Like the TV show = Like the game
Well there isn't REALLy a story but the foundation is nicely set down, the game takes place in Battle City, and fits nicely into the TV shows timeline to. But thats about it, you are an unamed, faceless character who is given a starter deck and sets off into Battle City. Even though in the TV show there is a big tornemnet that people are trying to get into that is not here, just people playing Cards. You will however run into lots of familliar faces some good like Joey and Yugi, while others not so good like Rex and Weevil.
If I were to tell you the rules of the game I would be here forever so I'm going to say it bluntly and quickly, if you haven't watched the TV show or played the card game do not even attempt to play the game. The instruction book is not very simple to follow and in-game there is no tutorial and your first batle could be agaisnt any of the Battle City contestants no matter how hard. Thats a big downside to the game, if your not into the card game or show you'll be strung up and left to dry here.
But I will try to explain as simply as I can. well you start of with a starter deck, it contains 41 cards and that is the minuim. In the deck there are Monster Cards, these are the main part of mosts peoples decks. Effect Monster cards, these are like monster cards but have special abbiltys varrying on what the card says. Magic and Trap Cards which have special abiltys which also vary on what is written on the card. then you have a Fusion card, which can be made when two Monster Cards form toegther. And a Ritual card which can be brought onto the field when you sacrafice a certain amount of Monster or Effect Monster cards. With me so far?
Well where you place you cards is called the field, and there are 10 avalible spaces. (Minus the field slot) there are 5 avalible spaces for Monster cards of all types and 5 spaces for Magic and Trap Cards. Now it is ofcourse a turn based game, and in one turn you can lay one monster card and as many magic and trap cards you like, providing you have enough room on the field. Each Monster card and Effect Monster card has two attributes, Attack points and Defence Points. When your monsters are in attack position they have the abilty to attack either your oppoenents monsters or your opponenet directly. You will only win the battle if your monster has higher attack points than your oppoenet or defence points. If you do your opponents monster is destroyed and points are deducted respectivly deepending on your oppoenent's monster levals. Your life points are what you need to keep going, you can only win the game by getting your oppoenents life points down to zero, or if they run out of cards.
That is the sheers basics, yea the basics. That is why I said people who don't watch the show or play the card game will have no clue as to what to do and it will take hours and hours and hours to only grasp the basics. But if you are fammilar with the show or the card game, even just remotly, you will really like the game. But those who do not have the patentice to stick with things to do buy it.
Graphically the game is bland, they have some nice designs for all of the characters but there just still images, so you can't do much with them. The battles themselves are also rather bland, but its a good thing actully because if they went and made it diffrent it would be very complex. They could have still brightended things up abit.
There is no voice acting, the music is good but theres only like 5 diffrent tunes in the whole game. The effects are also good but theres only like 3 of them. But considering what they've been given you cannot complain.
The value of the game is its best part to an extent, there is a multiplayer mode which will keep fans of it happy. And people who love reagrainging decks will be happy because if you win a battle you get 5 randomly choosen cards as to increase your power. Also once you fully grasp the rules and have a quality deck it becomes proper addictive and you won't beable to put it down for hours. So it does have a good replay value to it.
You either love this game or you hate it, there is no gray area here I'm afraid. Like the TV show = Like the game, but even if you do, the bland graphics, lack of good music and sound effects don't help. But people will still buy it none the less.
Thanks for reading