Konami's burgeoning Yu-Gi-Oh series adds another title to its already healthy roster with the release of this latest GBA game, DungeonDice Monsters. Based on a story arc that premiered in the animated TV series, the game charges players with the task of using their duelling skills in order to retrieve a series of special dice, required to defeat a number of increasingly powerful adversaries.
As the title suggests, the game's core element is based on dice - as opposed to cards, normally found with the Yu-Gi-Oh series - which contain various different crests on their faces. Selecting three from a total of 15 (the proverbial 'deck') the idea is to roll matching crests in order to summon the respective monster and thus put it in the playing field. Once you've achieved this, the die can then be unfolded into a six-square two-dimensional net (now you'll wish you paid attention to those maths lessons!) and subsequently used to create a path across the playing field from your Die Master to your opponent's. From here the game begins to enter into chess territory, with you having to work out attack paths that don't leave you too vulnerable.
The game boasts over 80 characters from both the animated TV series and the original Shonen Jump Anime comics, as well as over 100 monsters, including the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. In addition, DungeonDice Monsters also offers over a dozen different tournament options, and includes the ability to link two GBAs together, so you can experience all the fun of playing head-to-head against one of your friends.
As with the previous GBA Yu-Gi-Oh offering, DungeonDice Monsters is not a simple concept, nor does it boast a forgiving learning curve. It is, however, a truly unique gaming experience within the host platform's games line-up, as well as one that can be extremely engrossing once you get your head round it.