Gamer reviews for Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket

The Duel Continues in Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM Pocket

There was a time when the Yu-Gi-Oh TCGs were the benchmark of all card games. At the time of its peak popularity, it has even been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the top selling trading card game selling over 22 billion cards worldwide. The probable reason for this success was the accompanying story that was employed in its famous TV show plus the promotional factor that at the time, it was the hype every kid should know about.

Several console game platform spin-offs followed its success. Game after game, it was steadily gaining complex mechanics along with its card library that were probably part of its growth as a franchise in whole. Nevertheless, all these constant gameplay changes and mix-ups were whole-heartedly accepted by its fan-base for as long as it employed the basics that the show originally promoted and that it was implemented for the betterment (challenge wise) and expansion of the game.

Then came several years after its hype, the mobile platform game counterpart Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM pocket. Following the trails of its predecessors, it employs the same plot as its basic backbone but has changed the game mechanics altogether. These changes in the game mechanics however were initially presented in the web-browser based game premise back in 2012 carrying the title Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM. The game adaptation sparked a questionable acceptance to the TCG gaming community and Yu-Gi-Oh fans alike. So why did Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (makers of the game) bothered to sport this adaptation in the mobile platform?

There are two probable reasons.

First, Re-invention. Mobile games trending nowadays usually employs fast-paced environment that offers intuitive gameplay and simple mechanics. Games that are most likely to be played by the general target audience of the mobile platforms in varying age. Meaning, less complications, the better acceptance to it by the average and higher audience it can yield. The original game, regardless how good it is, just isn’t cut for the trend. It might just be too complicated for the unseasoned-gamer audience.

Second, it makes sense for a business model. You have to give it to them. This is how the developers earn money to sustain game development. As for other game consoles earning money from DLCs, mobile platform developers earn from in-app-purchases. This fast-paced adaptation of the game has a solid foundation fit for the platform and IAP implementations.

Going on the game review itself, Yu-Gi-Oh! BAM pocket, still, is a solid piece of trading card game. Despite its simplified gameplay, it still houses much of the “Duel” experience that the original game provided. Like in the original game, the goal is to reduce your opponents life points to zero. You employ this by putting into play your cards at hand and to successfully attack and over power your opponent’s own set of cards. Your deck however is composed of only 15 combinations of cards, monsters and spells, at any given time instead of the usual 40. The game mainly uses the special effects or conditions of the cards to employ a deeper strategy to game. Also, your life points is fully dependent on the computed total life points value of your monsters at hand instead of the usual 4000 or 6000 equal life points of both players.

A shop is intended to suffice the need for upgrading your deck and to purchase of course specific cards. What is neat about the game though is that you could actually play it offline and does not force you to purchase anything from the shop via IAPs in order to progress and obtain powerful cards. The game is also staggered by a movement penalty system that is deducted every time you partake in a duel. Though it regenerates by 2 points per minute, you have the option to remedy this instantly by purchasing energy points with the use of a “DP” currency obtainable via IAPs. You could also purchase a PRO version of the game that includes several perks such as the online duel or PVP in the PRO Arena.

There is nothing to write home about when it comes to the graphics of the game. The surplus of card artwork has been used by every spin-off of the franchise and the story-telling cut scenes are just as generic as what the previous games had. Nothing spectacular that is note-worthy whatsoever. The audio however, greatly catches the mood of the legit card dueling experience like that of the TV show which in a way makes you want to actually shout those outrageous card summons and battle-cries whenever you’re in a roll.

In conclusion, the game suffered from criticism from a lot of its seasoned players due to its decision to re-invent the game to partake in the stream of trend in the mobile gaming platform. It might have lost its original appeal by doing so, but in my opinion, have generated a whole new charm of its own. Nevertheless, the massive support from the mobile gaming community of at least a million download from Google Play alone is enough to tell that in a way, the developers succeeded in bringing forth a worthy adaptation of the game to cope up with the changing times.