Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Apr 8, 2025
    80
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a historical recollection of the franchise's legacy in the Game Boy systems (original, Color and Advance). The game's quality can vary wildly and the first ones in the pack are very different from what the real life TCG would develop into. With such an ample history, the series has better games that also deserve such a "rescue", like the Tag Force line, and hopefully the team's efforts don't end with just this rerelease.
  2. Feb 25, 2025
    75
    It’s a good collection, but it could be even better. It could be great.
  3. Feb 24, 2025
    75
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is the definitive compilation of classic handheld titles from its reign over card games. These are simple, unbalanced games, but charming and highly addictive. It doesn't seek to reinvent itself or compete within the genre, but rather to offer fans a gift that will relive a fun-filled era.
  4. Feb 24, 2025
    75
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a throwback to the simpler days of duelling, and despite a few duds is still just a blast for card game fans.
  5. Mar 3, 2025
    70
    This is a collection that is lovingly crafted for fans of all levels and is well worth a look for a peek at the simpler, arguably more thrilling days of Yu-Gi-Oh! That said, it is missing some of the best games in the series like The Duelists of the Roses and the Nintendo DS World Championship titles, so here’s hoping this collection is only the start.
  6. Feb 24, 2025
    65
    Collector difficult to recommend to all gamers. Excellent for nostalgics, less so for those approaching Yu-Gi-Oh for the first time.
  7. Mar 22, 2025
    64
    I summon Pot of Mid to draw 14 mediocre games from Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! library! Sure, it’s fun to revisit some of these classic titles, even if some of them don’t quite live up to the hype. Maybe next time Konami will summon a more exciting lineup, but for now, we’re left with a handful of cards that, while decent, don’t offer much beyond a trip down memory lane.
  8. Apr 4, 2025
    60
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collections was a good attempt at preserving the past, but even with 14 games it’s filled with fluff and very little substance. If you are craving old-school Yu-Gi-Oh! and are a fan of the animated show, this collection is for you. I hope they will bring out a 2nd collection with the PlayStation family of games.
  9. Mar 4, 2025
    60
    The Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is a neat idea that goes a long way to preserve its fairly old titles, but on paper it's almost a novelty. There are a few games in the set that are worth digging into, but none of those feature online multiplayer at launch, and a lot of this collection is just going to be filler for most people.
  10. Feb 25, 2025
    55
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection is for a very specific type of Yu-Gi-Oh! player who favors battles against the CPU instead of real people. That player also knows all of the rules of the game, wants a fixed set of cards, and doesn't want further updates from new cards. For them, most of the games in the compilation will be fine if they can get over each title's shortcomings. For everyone else, especially newcomers, the games are cumbersome and unintuitive, so only those with an immense amount of patience would want to give the titles a shot.
  11. Feb 24, 2025
    40
    For older fans wanting a hit of nostalgia, plenty of these games don’t hold up to revisits almost 25 years later. With none of the usual gubbins we’ve come to expect from retro anthologies, all you’re getting out of Early Days Collection is having your rose-tinted glasses stamped on. Lacking in games, lacking in upgrades, and lacking in content, this feels more like a slightly heftier update for Nintendo Switch Online than a full ode to Yu-Gi-Oh!’s golden era.