KONAMI REVEALS FULL YU-GI-OH! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION LINEUP, ANNOUNCES DIGITAL PRE-ORDERS

Several more titles added including fan favourites Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters and Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Day of the Duelist: World Championship Tournament 2005 as well as former Japan exclusive Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – December 12, 2024 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI) reveals the full lineup for Yu‑Gi‑Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION today. This includes several more Game Boy Advance and Color titles including the highly anticipated Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB, which will release outside of Japan for the first time. Additionally, digital pre-orders are live in Europe via Steam® ahead of the retro collection’s launch on Feb. 27.

Previously never released outside of Japan, 2001’s Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB diverges from traditional Dueling by focusing on strategic monster battles. Duelists can explore a world while competing with other Duelists but instead of cards using Monster Capsules on a grid-based battlefield, emphasizing tactical position and movement. It offers a special twist to the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! formula, appealing to fans of strategy games.

Originally released in 2003, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel focuses on replicating the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! TRADING CARD GAME experience with accurate rules and card effects. It features an extensive roster of opponents from the anime series and allows players to compete in various in-game tournaments such as Challenge Cup, KaibaCorp Cup, Weekend Tournaments and Limitation Tournaments. This title was essential for fans seeking an authentic Dueling experience.

Gameboy Advance title Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dungeons Dice Monsters offers a fresh take on the franchise by incorporating dice-based mechanics into Dueling, based on the anime arc featuring Duke Devlin or Ryuji Otogi in the manga. Duelists roll the dice to build dungeons and summon monsters to battle opponents. This innovative approach provides a new layer of strategy and appealed to those interested in board games.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 emphasizes competitive play with its tournament-style format. It features a wide selection of cards from various sets and allows players to test their skills against challenging in-game opponents. The game’s focus on competition made it popular among dedicated Duelists.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Destiny Board Traveler blends board game mechanics with traditional Duelling elements. Duelists navigate a game board while engaging in card battles, adding a strategy layer to movement decisions. Its unique gameplay style offers a fun diversion from standard Duelling formats.

Finally, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005 continues the competitive theme but expands on its predecessor’s tournament structure with updated rules and cards.

The nostalgic package of retro Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Digital Games on the Game Boy platforms from the late 1990s and early 2000s will launch on the Nintendo Switch™ and Steam® Feb. 27. The physical edition in the USA and EMEA also comes with one of two Quarter Century Secret Rare “Harpie’s Feather Duster” cards.

The Yu‑Gi‑Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Card Game and brings back iconic Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Digital Games originally released between 1998 and 2004. The complete line-up of the iconic titles is listed below.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters (1998/GAME BOY)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories (1999/GAME BOY, GAME BOY COLOR)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dark Duel Stories (2000 JP, 2002 US, 2003 EU/GAME BOY COLOR)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelist (2000/GAME BOY COLOR. Includes online battles support).

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB (2000 JP/GAME BOY COLOR)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dungeon Dice Monsters (2001 JP, 2003 US and EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters 6, Expert 2 (2001/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul (2001 JP, 2002 US, 2003 EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! The Sacred Cards (2002 JP, 2003 US, 2004 EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Reshef of Destruction (2003 JP, 2004 US and EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (2003 JP, US, EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 (2004 JP, US, EU/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Destiny Board Traveler (2004 JP, 2005 US/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Day of the Duelist: World Championship Tournament 2005 (Yu‑Gi‑Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005) (2004 JP, 2005 US/GAME BOY ADVANCE)

The collection will include a save/load anywhere feature – a feature not available at the time of their original releases. There will also be support for online battles in Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelist. After release, some titles will be updated to support online battles.

Iconic Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Digital Games optimized for modern play:

The Yu‑Gi‑Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION packs quality-of-life improvements that elevate classic games for modern gaming platforms. Control button layout customization and background settings will also be supported.

The following document summarises every game available in the full lineup for Yu‑Gi‑Oh! EARLY DAYS COLLECTION. This includes the impact each title made, as well as the platform, territory, and original year of release.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters

Original Release Date: 1998 Japan Only

Original Platform: Game Boy

The first game in the series, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters laid the groundwork for future titles with its introduction of basic card game mechanics. It features a simplified version of the TRADING CARD GAME, allowing players to Duel against computer opponents and collect cards to build their Decks. Despite its limited release in Japan, it set the stage for the franchise’s expansion.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories

Original Release Date: 1999 Japan Only

Original Platform: Game Boy/Game Boy Color

Building on its predecessor, Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories introduces Color graphics and expands the card pool significantly. It adds new gameplay elements like Trap and Ritual Spell Cards, enhancing strategic depth, as well as Alignment – a mechanic centred around elements where the stronger attribute completely destroys the opponent monster. Duelists can challenge various iconic characters from the manga series, making it a nostalgic favourite amongst fans despite being a Japan-exclusive release.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB

Original Release Date: 2000 Japan Only

Original Platform: Game Boy Color

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Monster Capsule GB diverges from traditional Dueling by focusing on strategic monster battles. Duelists can explore a world while competing with other Duelists but instead of cards, uses Monster Capsules on a grid-based battlefield, emphasizing tactical position and movement. It offers a special twist to the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! formula, appealing to fans of strategy games.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dark Duel Stories

Original Release Date: 2000 JP/2002 US/2003 EU

Original Platform: Game Boy Color

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Dark Duel Stories marks the series’ international debut, bringing the card game experience to a broader audience. It not only features the Alignment mechanic from Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories but also includes a robust card collection system that allows players to customize their Decks using Card parts after a Duel for Construction. This title was pivotal in popularizing the Yu‑Gi‑Oh! TCG in Western markets.

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelist

Original Release Date: 2000 Japan Only

Original Platform: Game Boy Color

Yu‑Gi‑Oh! Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelist originally launched with three different versions using different box art featuring specific manga characters on the front: Yami Yugi, Kaiba, or Joey. These three separate games allowed Duelists to use only a certain selection of the 900 available cards dependent on the version but also included Egyptian God cards exclusive to each version. It even introduced the ability to trade and Duel against others, fostering a competitive community.