As a lapsed Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I never expected a comprehensive re-release of some of its older lesser known games. Digital Eclipse and Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection contains 14 of some of the crucial titles that made being a fan of the television show game so much fun in the 2000s. And it adds a handful of quality-of-life features that help ease old and new players back into the Shadow Realm.
I can say this upfront: Early Days Collection is an easy recommendation. Getting to relive some early gaming memories is a fun reminder that Duel Monsters can be a pretty engaging card battler. However, this collection isn’t just worth a play because each of these games is a classic worth playing for hours on end. In fact, there are a few duds in the bunch, ones which I’ll likely never boot up again. Instead, the Early Days Collection stands out because you can essentially play through the history of one of the most enduring trading card games ever made and how it evolved into what it is today.
