The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has a very special place in my heart. As a kid, I used to get up early on Saturday mornings to watch new episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! and my other favorite Saturday morning cartoons and anime. Because of this, I was beyond excited when I received a Nintendo Switch copy of Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution in the Phenixx Gaming email. I had played many Yu-Gi-Oh! games over the years and I was (and still am) very excited that the franchise has made its’ way to Nintendo Switch.

Now, I’ll be perfectly blunt here. Explaining each and every nuance, and detail of playing the Duel Monsters card game would take a review that was over 4000 words and probably would take me a month to write. So, instead of doing that, to save us all some time and to provide a better read, I’m just going to give you a rundown of what you can expect from Link Evolution.

Link Evolution has a variety of modes for you to choose from. There is a tutorial, that will teach you each and every aspect of the game, there is a campaign of sorts (I’ll get to that in a minute) and there are ways to play with friends, and other folks online. On top of that, you can build your own decks and purchase booster packs based on decks from various Yu-Gi-Oh! characters in the game’s shop. 

The campaign mode is interesting. Instead of having you follow a fully curated story where you play as a specific duelist, the campaign takes the form of a “Simulation” in which you are able to take part in specific duels across each Yu-Gi-Oh! series. So far I’ve only participated in the ones from the original series (my favorite) but it is fun to relive iconic moments of the series this way. 

Personally, I’d love to see a full-length Yu-Gi-Oh! game, with a singular protagonist and storyline, akin to the Duelist of the Roses game from the Playstation 2 era. However, in Link Evolution you can at least try not only iconic duels but what they call “reverse duels.” In reverse duels, you play the duel with the opposite character, essentially playing as the duelist who was your opponent the first time around. It is an interesting “What if?” scenario, that I find to be a nice touch. 

Campaign duels are important though. Each one you complete gets you currency for the card shop, avatar images, special deck recipes, and more. I also found it fun to work my way through each campaign level, because it gave me a chance to experiment with different decks and learn new strategies. 

Also, the game has challenges, which pit you against tougher versions of previously defeated foes. I like a challenge, but some of these were just a bit too much for my skill level so if you find that the campaign is a bit too simple for you, give the challenges a try sometime. It also is a great option for people who really want to get into deck building, since you can test a deck against a powerful opponent. 

The actual duels themselves play on a board very similar to what you’d have if you played on an actual tabletop. The cards are detailed, with beautiful art and descriptions, as well as interesting visual effects for some of them. The controls are also easy to use and understand, though I find that a lot of duels take a few tries to get right because you may draw a poor hand to start or there may be intricacies to the opponent’s deck that you may want to sniff out. 

If you are a fan of any of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series (the original, 5D’s, Zexal, VRAINS, GX and more) then Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is an absolute treat for you. If you aren’t a fan of card games, or are looking for a more story-driven experience, then I would pass on this one. Playing it on Switch is fantastic though, since you can take your duels on the go and then return home and play some more. 

As a long-time Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I recommend this to anyone that’s interested, whether for nostalgia purposes, or for new fans of the franchise. There’s no better time to Duel, and no better time to get into the world of Duel Monsters, whether you’re playing with friends, or at home alone with familiar, fan-favorite characters. 

A Nintendo Switch copy of Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution was provided by Konami for this review.

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Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great Gameplay
• Tons of Content in Single and Multiplayer Modes
• Relive Iconic Moments From the Series
• Portability on Switch
• Nostalgia out the Wazoo

Cons

• Difficult to Pick Up for New Players
• No Cohesive Storyline Other Than Reliving Bits of Each Series