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Welcome back to the second, more in-depth part of my how-to guide to Yu-Gi-Oh!, in which I will explain the Extra Deck, Fusion Summoning mechanics and the Battle Phase, for if (hopefully when) you begin to actually experience the game for itself.

Oh yeah, and if you haven’t read the previous one, I’d really recommend you do, because otherwise, none of this may make any sense whatsoever unless you have prior knowledge of Yu-Gi-Oh!

So, the Extra Deck. A varied toolbox of (usually) easily accessible cards, which further your gamestate and provide a wide scope of access for the owner. This mechanic is an integral part of Yu-Gi-Oh!, having been a part of the game since its very beginnings back in 1999 for Japan and Asia (the OCG – Official Card Game), and 2002 for the US, Europe and the rest of the West (the TCG – Trading Card Game). However, I will be using the TCG timings and dates for the rest of this piece, as that’s probably the relevant version for most of the people reading this (That said, if anyone is reading this, and lives in an OCG territory, shout-outs to you I guess?).

Anyway, in the beginning, there were Fusions. And only Fusions. From 2002 to 2008, these weirdly purple cards were the only possible thing to use in your Extra Deck, or at the time, Fusion Deck, a far cry from the varied toolbox of today. At the start of the game, the meta was simply Set 4 Traps, Summon La Jinn pass. That proved to be really boring, though, so most people clamoured for a deeper game (or so I’m told, I wasn’t really, you know, alive at that point). This arrived with the introduction of a new Normal Spell in the seventh set, Metamorphosis. This card let people summon Fusion monsters in a much simpler way, rather than the standard way, which was considered too negative in terms of card advantage at that point, and, in many cases, is still today. Speaking of the Fusion Summoning mechanic, let’s delve into the typically worst Extra Deck mechanic, what it is, and why it’s considered to be so bad…

Fusion Summoning, especially at the time around its release in the first set of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Legend Of Blue-Eyes White Dragon (2002), was inherently a bad trade in card advantage. This is because, to Fusion Summon, you need the materials listed on the card, as well as Polymerization. Polymerization is a Normal Spell card (Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Material). For those of you who don’t understand the gibberish that is Yu-Gi-Oh! card text, this basically says, “send monsters from your hand or field to the graveyard, whose names are on a fusion monster’s requirements, then summon that monster.” The reason that this is a typically bad mechanic, is that, to Summon 1 Fusion monster, you lose 3+ cards, the Polymerization and the 2+ monsters used to Summon it from your hand or field.

The aforementioned Metamorphosis was the herald of a very popular format, even amongst players today (I don’t really get the excitement about it, but still), along with the Quick-Play Spell Scapegoat (Special Summon 4 “Sheep Tokens” (Beast/EARTH/Level 1/ 0 ATK/0 DEF) in Defense Position. They cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. You cannot Summon other monsters this turn, but you can Normal Set), that specific format being GOAT Format. This format lasted from June to September 2005, and was initially heavily focused around Scapegoat and Metamorphosis, seeing as you could activate Scapegoat during your opponent’s End Phase, then on your turn, use Metamorphosis to Summon Thousand-Eyes Restrict. (Level 1 / 0 ATK / 0/ DEF:"Relinquished" + "Thousand-Eyes Idol".  Other monsters on the field cannot change their battle positions or attack. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; equip that target to this card (max. 1). This card’s ATK/DEF become equal to that equipped monster’s. If this card would be destroyed by battle, destroy that equipped monster instead.) In simple terms, this card basically steals a monster, takes its ATK and DEF and then uses it as protection if it is destroyed. 

This card was integral to the best deck of that format, GOAT Control, because of Metamorphosis alleviating its naturally difficult materials to acquire, along with an easily accessible Level 1, in a Sheep Token. After Metamorphosis was Banned in the next Forbidden & Limited List (A feature in Yugioh which restricts the amount of a certain card players can use in their Decks), Fusion was immediately picked back up again with the release of Cyber Dragons, who didn’t care about the natural minus in card advantage of Fusion Summoning, as they could end the Duel very quickly with monsters like Cyber Twin Dragon, which could attack twice and Cyber End Dragon, which dealt piercing damage.

Speaking of battle, the Battle Phase is the main method of inflicting damage in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and, as such, the main way of winning the game. After your Main Phase 1, the turn player can enter the Battle Phase, in which you can attack. Monsters in Attack Position can declare one attack during their controller’s Battle Phase, unless their text says otherwise. To attack, first, you must declare which monster you are attacking with, and which monster is the target. At this point, players can activate Quick Effects, which don’t have to affect the battling monsters, but are able to. Then, if the target is in Attack Position, the monsters’ ATK values are compared. Whichever monster has the lower value at this point is destroyed, and its controller takes damage equal to the difference in ATK values. If they have the same ATK value, both monsters are destroyed. If the target is in Defense Position, the attacking monster’s ATK is compared with the target’s DEF. If the DEF is lower, the target is destroyed, and no damage is taken. However, if the attacker’s ATK is lower, it is not destroyed, but (if anyone reading this has watched the ARC-V anime) you still take damage (equal to the difference between ATK and DEF values).

Following Thousand-Eyes, other prevalent Fusion Monsters in the Yu-Gi-Oh! meta game have typically found ways within their archetypes (An archetype is a group of similarly named Monsters/Spells/Traps e.g. “Shaddoll”, “SPYRAL”, “Sky Striker”) to prevent the negative card advantage, such as: the Shaddoll archetype, specifically Shaddoll Construct, which could use Fusion Materials from the Deck through their specific Fusion Spell; the Gladiator Beast Fusions, which used Contact Fusion, a method of Fusion without Polymerization which fuses with only monsters from the field; and Invoked, a deck which could search its Fusion Spell from the key monster used to Summon all the Fusions, and the ability to recur that monster again and again.

And now, after my ramblings on the first of 4 (technically 5, but Pendulums are complicated) Extra Deck Summoning mechanics, I will, once again, pass the turn to you, and start writing up the how-to on Synchro Summoning, a somewhat more successful mechanic throughout Yu-Gi-Oh!’s history.

Toby Johnston is a student in Nottingham who can only dream of being bitten by a radioactive spider. His exposure to comics, games and geek culture as a whole originated when he met his uncle during his first weeks on the planet. Now, most of his time is spent between trading card games, building some sort of competitive Pokemon team, and devouring as many comics as Uncle Rich can throw at him. He’s also finally catching up with Marvel, DC TV, Doctor Who and “classic” sci-fi films, which could take him a while.

Source: bleedingcool

Back in 2002, Yu-Gi-Oh took both the trading card game and animes world by storm. The franchise rivalled many popular titles at that time such as Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering.

Today Yu-Gi-Oh continues to establish itself as one of the major TCG’s throughout the world. And as of the fans and players of of old begin to mature, many cards from the original sets are starting to see price spikes similar to how Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon have seen in the last few years.

Leading that charge is none other than the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Blue-Eyes was ingrained into the hearts of many young fans when it made its presence felt as one of the most powerful monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh’s first episode. As a card, it was highly coveted in the first booster series The Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon and Starter Deck Kaiba.

Blue-Eyes White Dragon: First Edition vs. Starter Deck Kaiba

In recent months both versions of Blue-Eyes White have started to see drastic jumps in price, some doubling in value overnight. Specifically, Gem Mint first edition copies are seeing the biggest spikes.

Currently the pack version of Blue-Eyes is reaching prices of over $5,000. Although not as high, the starter deck version has begun to hit over $1,500.

As the market continues to adapt, it will be interesting to see if the starter deck version begins to gain more ground on the pack version, as it sports the original anime artwork that fans have come to know and love. It also has a lower population of Gem Mints out there.

Whichever version you prefer now would be a good time to get in on either of these cards, as there seems to be no slowing down on the demand for original Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

Source: Beckett

A while ago, I wrote about the battle between Digimon and Pokémon to be the number one franchise that concerns children and the monsters that love them.

I remember constant conversations in middle school about the merits of each, conversations that escalated into debates and, had any of us been more than shy, gangly nerds, probably would've climaxed in brawls. However, every once in a while, a classmate would bring up "But what about Yu-Gi-Oh!?", to which we would hiss and shake our heads and wonder what was wrong with this strange abnormality that had chosen to sit at our lunch table.

Yu-Gi-Oh!? What is wrong with you? Why would you bring up the infernal name? Do you want to be shunned forever by everyone you've ever known and will ever know?

Yu-Gi-Oh!, the story of a short kid with impossibly tall hair that suddenly becomes confident whenever it's time to play a collectible card game, was the obvious lesser-than among our beloved franchises. I don't know how we came to that conclusion, considering that, at their heart, all three of these shows are about fitting as many monsters as you can into your friend group, but I think it might be because of the scientific conclusion that only middle schoolers take as fact: The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime came out last in America. And thus, it is awful and the worst.

And then something happened that sounds a lot like a plot from Yu-Gi-Oh!: I found a deck of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards abandoned in the mountains. Not in a cabin, or in someone's backpack, or at a gas station. No, I found them on the side of a lonely gravel road in Stokes County, North Carolina, scattered as if someone had thrown them out of a truck window. First, I cannot stress how hard I am not kidding about this. It sounds like something that would immediately be followed by me being bathed in light as I shout "DANIEL-OH!" and become the host of the spirit of an Egyptian God.

Second, I know what you're thinking: Daniel, those cards are obviously cursed. I know, and I understand your concerns. But it's a very slow acting curse, because fifteen years after I shoved those cards away and told no one about my find, I became absolutely enamored with Yu-Gi-Oh!. Whether it's a prophecy or a quarter life crisis, I woke up one day in 2018 to the idea "Ya know, I should really give this Yu-Gi-Oh! thing a whirl and see what happens."

Since then, I've bought card sets, manga volumes, video games, and I've been rewatching the anime. And you know what? I actually really like Yu-Gi-Oh!. The characters and themes aren't as engaging as those in Digimon, and the concepts and monsters aren't as instantly lovable as those in Pokémon, but I find the universe of Yu-Gi-Oh! to be fascinating. It's this weird dystopian society where the most famous people in the world are those that are obsessed with fictional monsters. The Yu-Gi-Oh! universe is the nightmare vision of what it would be like if the Pokémon franchise became the center of the world's society and economy

Everything in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series revolves around the people that are particularly talented at playing Yu-Gi-Oh!. One of the main characters, Seto Kaiba, leads the world's largest gaming company, is a celebrity, and also wants to be the greatest duelist of all time. Imagine if Shigeru Miyamoto came to your house, beat up your grandpa, and then stole your copy of Mario Kart, refusing to give it back until you bested him at Rainbow Road. That's basically the logic of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Even the portions of the franchise that aren't based around the titular card game make the world sound unsettling. In the manga, Yugi, the franchise mascot and initial lead character, is constantly getting pummeled by anyone with a pulse. The panels that feature Yugi getting punched in the gut by a high school kid seem to outnumber any other kind of panel on a solid 2:1 ratio. Of course, those that have only seen the anime on American television haven't witnessed this, but just know that, before Yugi went to the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City and all that, he was a walking bruise.

Of course, many of the stories about Yugi getting the hair gel beaten out of him center on some other game. For instance, we have digital pets, American Hero comics, Capsule Monster Chess, arcade fighting games, a multi million dollar theme park that Kaiba built, "love" testers, game shows, handheld monster fighting contraptions, the Dungeons & Dragons-esque Monster World , and ...yo-yo's. The early saga of Yu-Gi-Oh! is trapped in an inescapable cycle of fads, where each week, a new craze takes hold of Japan's youth and influences them to commit violent acts on one another until the next fad rolls around.

So, I guess the card game becoming the focus of the series is kind of a good thing for this particular universe. It provides all the stability that people can hope for, which isn't a lot, since the losers of many duels end up losing their souls as well. And that's why the implications of Yu-Gi-Oh! are so cool to me. It's a world that's constantly on the brink of social and economic collapse, and it's loosely held together by the people that are obsessed with trading card games.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't actually go into the main reason people play and watch Yu-Gi-Oh!: It's actually really fun. The manga's creator Kazuki Takahashi improves at both art and storytelling as the series goes along. The monster designs are all pretty neat and there's a lot of variety in them, even if the Blue Eyes White Dragon never quite reached Pikachu levels of notoriety. And I carry some of the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters in my heart with me every day. You're my boy, Bandit Keith. Don't ever change.

And while the game rules in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series seem almost randomized at times (BUT YOU FORGET, WEEVIL, THAT MY TRAP CARD ALLOWS ME TO BANISH ONE FOREST MONSTER TO MY HAND, LETTING ME DRAW EMPLAR, GODDESS OF THE RAIN DANCE, WHICH TAKES YOUR LIFE POINTS DOWN BY A THIRD AND DESTROYS ALL SPELL CARDS IN YOUR GRAVEYARD, LETTING ME SKIP YOUR TURN AND SUMMON GREAT GREEN DRAGON WITH AN ADDED 5 MILLION ATTACK POINTS), but if you play the real card game, or video games like Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist, it's pretty easy to nail down.

I didn't hate Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid because I found it to be boring, or because I found Maximillion Pegasus to be morally repugnant. I hated it because I was afraid to like it. I was desperate to keep up with the constantly shifting opinions and obsessions of my friends. Pokémon was already there, so Yu-Gi-Oh! was out of the question. D-Generation X was there, so it wasn't cool to like the NWO anymore. Dating girls was there, so, suddenly, no one wanted to talk about dinosaurs with me in the lunch room. I couldn't bear the thought of being left out, so when I found those dusty cards on the side of the road, I put them away, rather than telling anyone about the super odd thing that had happened.

And now, fifteen years later, and with no thoughts going to people that'll judge me for my hobbies, I'm free to dig the hell out of Yu-Gi-Oh!. It's been a long time coming, I think.

I'm still not going to open the box that those old cards are in, though. Those things are definitely cursed.

Credit to Daniel Dockery

Every year, Konami brings the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game to New York Comic Con, along with exclusives and plenty of activities for duelists young and old.

We took a tour of this year’s Yu-Gi-Oh! booth at NYCC 2018 to see everything they have to offer for fans of the card game.

PRODUCTS AND EXCLUSIVES

Each NYCC has an exclusive playmat that can only be obtained at the convention. This year’s edition features, Yusei Fudo of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s and the new Synchro monster, Junk Speeder.

For $30, duelists can pick up this exclusive playmat. Only 125 mats will be available each day of the convention and they will likely go fast. By around 2 p.m. Thursday, they were already sold out for the day.

Besides the playmat, duelists can pick up a litany of decks, booster packs, tins and other Yu-Gi-Oh! goodies. Also, Konami will have expert duelists on-hand to teach the basics of the card game and critique decks for players looking to improve. Those completing a demo with one of the experts will receive a show-exclusive coupon good for one free booster pack with the purchase of any sealed Starter Deck.

Konami will also hold tournaments like the Win-A-Mats, Attack of the Giant Card, Speed Dueling, and more throughout NYCC. Dragon Duel Tournaments, for young Duelists born in 2006 or later, will take place on Saturday and Sunday only. Attendees can also challenge one of the experts and spin a wheel to receive prizes after your duel is over.

DUEL LINKS

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links continues to make a splash at NYCC as multiple PVP and PVE stations are set up for players to compete. If you participate in a PVP match, you’ll be rewarded with a special coin that matches the one in the mobile game.

The 5D’s update in Duel Links recently launched, so those looking to try out some of the new characters and cards, can do so here.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

New York Comic Con will be able to get a personalized Token Card during the event. Choose from a variety of backgrounds and borders, take a photo, and the Konami team will transform you into a card.

If you’re looking ahead to the new Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and products, the card wall showing off all the cards in the upcoming Soul Fusion set. You can also head over to the upcoming product wall to see what else coming down the pipe, including the Savage Strike set and Legendary Heroes Decks. There’s even an advent calendar featuring holiday-themed monsters that’s bigger than you’d imagine.

Konami is also giving away a Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links skateboard. Simply by entering a raffle, you are eligible to win when the prize is drawn around 1 p.m. each day so be sure to get to the booth early every day to try your hand at winning.

Source: newsweek

Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most popular series out there, and a major part of that is due to the real-life trading card game it's spawned that fans have turned into a game with major staying power.

But no one expect those cards to be used to make a cool new dress, as one student of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design put the trading cards to a surprising new use.

Blouse of Cards from r/yugioh 

Reddit user OJwithoutPULP spotted the following trading card dress on display, and unfortunately was unable to get the student artist's name. UPDATE: The artist has been identified as Hannah Cousins, who has the costuming pseudonym of 'Hanni Banani Cosplay'. But the trading card game has never looked better. Although it's not as flashy as you would expect given the wild designs of every card. The dress gets a classy look as it uses the unifying look of the back of the cards and carves out a cool silhouette.

Although fans don't see what cards are used here, it's safe to say these probably aren't the most rare of the collection. With the series currently celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year too, it's now more popular than ever. Collectors have made the merchandise even more valuable than ever as a result, and now some of the rarest cards in the trading card game are selling for ridiculous amounts. The cards at the top of the heap are pulling in major dollars, and the value of this dress would instantly increase in value should it use some of these select cards.

Yu-Gi-Oh! was originally created by Kazuki Takahashi for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and ran from September 1996 to March 2004. The series follows Yugi Mutou, a young boy who solves an ancient puzzle and is possessed by the spirit of the Egyptian pharoah. Being skilled at deadly games, the Pharoah goes on to create and solve problems for Yugi based on deadly games of chance.

Two anime adaptations were created for the series, but the one most fans will recognize is Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. Duel Monsters was the first arc in the story to focus on the "Duel Monsters" card game and was the first season licensed for an English language release by 4Kids Entertainment. The first season of the series, which fans often dub as "Season 0," has such deadly games of chance with horrible consequences that fans could not believe it was a part of this series at first.

Source: Comicbook

Japan is a land of many hobbies. Game stores, hobby shops, textile stores, and plenty of other specialty places for collectors and crafters are in most metropolitan shopping districts.

Goomba Stomp is a site mostly dedicated to digital media, but it feels like a waste to not cover things like card games or hobbies in a Japan-focused column when they have such close ties to every other entertainment industry the country has. Anime franchises like Vanguard!! And Duel Masters were built on selling trading cards. Oversized arcade machines have their own collectible physical cards used to play online at various game centers across the country. Even Bandai got in on the anime advertising hype with a line of Gundam series specifically aimed at pushing their plastic model kits.­ This time we’ll be covering trading card games, my personal favorite of all the physical hobbies Japan has to offer.

The first thing to understand is that Japan goes a bit crazy with cards. There are 3 really big games in the States and most of the Western world (Magic, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh), but I can’t count the amount of card games currently playable in Japan on just my fingers. There are stores here dedicated only to TCGs, with glass display cases up to the ceiling lined with rare and noteworthy cards from various different games. Many of the stores I frequented in the States tended to sell a variety of goods other than cards. For example, one of the most successful card stores in Atlanta also operates as a café and tabletop game store, but some stores in Japan are specialized in only 1 game and can still pull in enough profit to remain in business. Many of these tend to be branches of larger chains, but there’s 1 or 2 smaller local stores for just Yu-Gi-Oh within Nagoya.

I currently play 3 games in Japan: Force of Will, Fire Emblem Cipher, and Yu-Gi-Oh. The communities for all these games have their own special quirks, but there are a few things that are consistent between them. The most noticeable traits are humility and patience. I know some conversational Japanese, and can process a few common phrases, but in general I get by off remembering what certain cards do or having an English database pulled up on my phone while playing. It might not be the fastest way to play, but many people I’ve encountered have been more surprised at a foreigner playing their favorite game than they are frustrated at the extra 2-3 seconds a turn might take from double-checking a card effect. You don’t need to be fluent in Japanese to play a card game in Japan, but you should be mindful of how much time your turns take. The best way to enjoy a game is to reciprocate the kindness you’re shown to others, and I’ve made plenty of friends at the stores I play at this way. This leads into my next point: Most Japanese players are friendly and just want to enjoy the game.

Maybe it’s the communities I was a part of, but I’ve always felt a tension when playing any kind of card game in the US. Plenty of people want to be the best, they want to win big, there’s the concept of investment into a game vs. the prize payout, and that’s something I’ve seen less of in Japan. Gambling laws restrict cash prizing in the country, so less people are motivated by profit and more so by feeling they’ve done their absolute best. There’s a sense of pride behind playing a specific deck or coming up with the next meta-defining thing, something you tend to see more in fighting games… another big Japanese hobby.

It’s interesting how character identity is important to a lot of players across different games at mid-to-higher tiers of play, since that type of ideology tends to be associated with weaker players in the West. People will jump through hoops to get their deck for a specific card or archetype working, and often times you’ll have people at events identified as “The … Player” for their specific character or archetype. Fire Emblem is the game where you’ll see this the most since you build a deck around 1 main character. Players tend to pick their favorites. The game is less competitive by nature thanks to how its events are structured and more about embracing the things players love from the franchise.

That’s not to say there aren’t any competitive players, just that you’re less likely to encounter someone high-strung on making their monetary investment come to a net positive. I talked with a few English-speaking players on why they think it’s like this in Japan and the group consensus was “People are passionate about their hobbies, and want to support the things they love. You go to work to make money. You have your hobby to avoid the stress from work. It’s a bonus and not a requirement to make a profit from your hobby.”

There are, of course, some negatives to being a non-native speaker in Japan when playing games. Mishaps and confusions with rulings are harder to resolve, and often times rulings can be completely different in certain regions than they are in others. Both Force of Will and Yu-Gi-Oh have had ruling issues in the past where the wording on a card is interpreted differently in separate regions, leading to different rulings. It’s also hard to talk and be casual with people outside of playing. That’s more on my end from having a harder time studying, but it’s an issue all the same.

TCGs are one of the best hobbies out there if you want to practice language skills. They build a friendly environment, are a lot of fun, and allow you to speak with people face-to-face. I’ve made plenty of friends in Japan through my hobbies, but I feel that many of the ones I met playing card games are the people I have the strongest bond with. If you intend to visit or move to Japan, I highly recommend looking into picking up a card game as a hobby. Many of them are affordable, there’s plenty of different games to try, and the language practice you get from them really helps to ground in the basics of Japanese.

“Check the Map” is a bi-weekly to monthly column that talks about various gaming-related places in Japan. While based in the Nagoya area, Taylor will be checking out different prefectures all across the country to find fun and interesting stores, arcades, and chains that celebrate video games and his other hobbies. The next part of the Game Center series is coming, there’s been some hang ups with getting footage of certain games.

Source: Goombastomp

The original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime is remembered fondly not just for its over-the-top card game action, but for the characters beloved by many who grew up in the early 2000s.

Maximillion Pegasus is one of those characters, not just for being the first villain Yugi Muto, Joey Wheeler and the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh! crew challenge in the first season but for his redemptive arc and memorable disposition, brought to life by actor-director Darren Dunstan.

Dunstan has been involved with the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise since it came overseas in 2001 as the voice of Pegasus. But fans of the series may not know he’s also directed the English voice casts for 5D’s, Zexal, Arc-V and the latest iteration, Vrains. That’s not to mention his directorial work on other series like Chaotic, Pokémon and many more.

Newsweek caught up with Dunstan at YCS 200 in Columbus, Ohio to talk about being a part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community, how he became Pegasus and his continued work on the series.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

When you got the Pegasus part, was it your first voice acting job?

Yes, that was my first voice acting gig. I had never done anything like that before and they took a chance on me. On the other side now, theater actors transition really well to voice acting—just the energy you need to use and the choices you have to make. I enjoy casting theater actors now, being on the other side. So that was their approach in auditioning and casting me.

What was your inspiration for Pegasus’ voice?

Just feeding off the visuals. He looked so … is “debonair” the word? High-class. Patronizing. With what the writers wrote he was obviously condescending, elitist ... and the fact that he owns his own company. The fact that he’s drinking wine slash juice [laughs] ... it all sort of just guides you in the direction that character should go. Then the vocal texture just sort of happened and I lucked out. I still remember my audition. There was one moment in particular where he had to laugh and that was the moment where I sensed “Oh! Maybe I got this part.”

When you first learned about the show, were you expecting the show to deal with much more than just card games? There’s magic and Egypt and all sorts of stuff.

Initially it was just duels, and you didn't know what Pegasus’s ulterior motive was. Then the backstory just fleshed it out nicely and gave everyone some depth. And in real life, live-action shows I watch are that way too. I love Alias, or Lost and shows that have lore and play the long game, instead of just an episode encapsulated.

You’ve played Pegasus for some time now. How does it feel to be a part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! community?

It’s amazing and crazy. It’s “cra-mazing” that a character is still valued so many years later, that a character would last that long.That’s rare no matter if you’re in theater or a voice actor. Gigs come and go, you can’t expect that it’s long-term. There’s an ebb and flow to these jobs, so I’ve been lucky to be able to keep doing it.

Also as a director of the show, I’m in the studio all day long, in a windowless room with what we hope is a good show and product. Coming to these things gives you a refresher that people are watching us. Even though its an action-based show, it has an impact and it’s always a good reminder and motivation to keep doing good work.

I was told that a fan came up to you during a signing and said the show and characters have changed their life. Is that the craziest thing you’ve heard today?

That gave me a little tickle, when that person said that. Other times, in longer chats, people told me they felt unpopular or didn’t fit in, and this show helped them to become socially apt. Coming to these events, it brought people together and it’s a place to belong.

You do a lot of directing now, is there a difference from acting? What’s your approach?

They are quite different. They both require creative juices flowing, but acting is about trusting your instincts, not censoring yourself and not looking back. Directing is the opposite in a lot of ways. It’s measured.

Number one, as a director, I get the script way before the actors do, so I have moments to graph out how the episode should be, understand the plot points and convey that to the actors. It’s a much more structured approach, which is a bit more of my personality. I like to be more calm and in control. From there, you hope the actors bring other creative variables to the table.  It’s collaborative, but I’m still steering the ship.

You’ve had a hand, in someway, in all of the seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh!, and they are all different tonally. What’s the process of getting the tone right?

Initially, we have a sit down with my producer and Sam Urakami—who understands the show maybe better than anyone in-house and is a nice bridge between the Japanese and our version—just to discuss the tone of the show. You have Vrains, which is a little darker and there’s a new form of dueling in each series, so getting to wrap my head around that, there’s lots of lore and backstory in this season. That's important to get from the outset. Then when casting begins, which is the next step, it’s important to get these pieces to the puzzle and have actors that can go that deep if they need to. Some are comedic or more bubbly characters, but some have to run deeper.

What’s your favorite season of Yu-Gi-Oh!?

[Laughs] I’d say the current one, because you should watch it! But no, they’re all great for different reasons. I didn’t get to work too much on GX though, because I was directing other stuff, so I wasn’t around except for a few episodes as Pegasus here and there. But Duel Links is cool because all the characters from the different series are starting to bonk into each other, which you never thought would happen. And some minor characters too, which also involves figuring out “Where is that actor? Did they move to Tallahassee?”

Source: Newsweek

The 5D’s world has finally come to Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links , bringing new duelists, cards and synchro summoning to the popular mobile game.

The latest Duel Links update makes Yusei Fudo available as a playable character, which opens up the 5D’s world and the potential to unlock even more duelists to play with. Although there are only five duelists available at the launch of 5D’s, three are relatively easy to snag. Crow Hogan and Luna may take a bit more time and strategy to unlock.

Here are the five new Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links characters and how to unlock them.

Note: This guide is still being updated.

YUSEI FUDO

Yusei is the easiest to unlock and can be obtained after players reach Stage 10 in the Duel Monsters world. Most players will already be at this Stage, so a new mission will appear in the top-right corner.

To unlock Yusei Fudo (and the 5D’s world), players will need to do the following:

• Summon 10 Wind Monsters

AKIZA IZINSKI

The Plant monster master, Akiza Izinski, brings her preferred type to Duel Links . Akiza is rather simple to obtain as players only need to reach a certain Stage in the 5D’s World to reveal her unlock requirements.

Here’s how to unlock Akiza Izinski:

• Reach Stage 6 in 5D’s World

• Play as Yusei Fudo and win 1 Duel against Akiza at level 20 in Duel World

• Summon Plant-type Monsters five times in total

• Successfully perform 3 Synchro Summons

LEO

Like Akiza, Leo’s unlock missions will appear after players reach a certain Stage in the 5D’s World of Duel Links. Once that is reached, Leo’s unlock requirements will appear in the top left corner.

Here’s how to unlock Leo:

• Reach Stage 11 in 5D’s World

• Achieve 1 Quick Victory in a Duel against Leo at level 20 using Yusei Fudo

• Use Equip Spell Cards 3 times in 5D's World

• Collect 5 Machine-type Cards

CROW HOGAN

To unlock Crow Hogan and his Blackwing cards, players will need to defeat an NPC in the 5D’s World in a specific way. The NPC you need to defeat is the Sector Security and he didn’t show up for us until Stage 3 so be sure to get it up there before trying.

Here’s how to unlock Crow Hogan in Duel Links:

• Win Against Sector Security with at least a 5000 Duel Assessment

• Play as Yusei Fudeo and win three Duels against Crow Hogan at level 30 in Duel World

• Achieve three wins using only Winged Beast-type Monster Cards in 5D’s World

• Inflict 30,000 or more points of effect damage in 5D’s World

The easiest way to do this is by using a hybrid Ra/Aromage deck where you can stall out your opponent with Jasmine while at the same time building up your lifepoints to take them down in one attack from Ra.

LUNA

Leo's twin, it only makes sense that Luna's unlock requirements have to do with her brother. Here's how to unlock Luna in Duel Links.

• Win 100 duels with Leo

Source: Newsweek