Yu-Gi-Oh! GX has a special place in my heart.
Besides the first new Yu-Gi-Oh! Series after the iconic original Duel monsters anime, it also arrived when I started at a new school. Suffice it to say, then, the early Duel Academy stories of pucky freshman Jaden Yuki and friends really resonate. (Before the series lost that refreshing low-stakes hook by focusing on ridiculous world-ending threats, anyway.)
Of course, then, Konami’s latest Yu-Gi-Oh! game, Tag Force GXis pretty much done for me. At New York Comic Con (NYCC) last week, I got to hands-on with the game, and it felt like a real homecoming.
Impressively, this is a complete remake of the 2008 PSP game GX Tag Force 3which never came to North and Latin America. That alone would make this a worthy release, but Konami has also expanded on the original with fully overhauled graphics and animations, voice trading, new maps, online multiplayer and more.
“It’s the 20th anniversary of the anime, and that’s why we wanted the GX anime series, and so on Tag Force was really a no-brainer,” says Yumi Hoashi, Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment’s Card Business.
“The platform was so old before, and that’s why we wanted to strengthen the brand as a whole, and also restore the game. It’s also the 30th anniversary of the manga this year, and then GX. We focused a lot on Duel Monsters this year, but we also brought back a lot of it GX Cards too, and so it was just the right time for it.
In the Tag ForceYou play as a student about her days at Duel Academy. It’s a simple, yet effective premise that gives the game a new kind of slice-of-life RPG framework, in which you’ll be able to explore the campus, befriend classmates, find new maps and, of course, take part in lots and lots of duels.
Visually, the remake retains the chibi-style character models but gives them a welcome coat of paint. The real highlight, however, is in the duels themselves, featuring characters with fully animated and voiced 3D models. Say what you want about English dubs, but I always said Duel monsters in the GX have really strong voice acting, Matthew Charles as Jaden, especially, so hear all of that preserved and Tag Force brought a smile to my face. These animations also extend to select monsters, with the likes of Jaden’s Elemental Hero Neos, Chazz’s Armed Dragon Level 7 and Zane’s Cyber End Dragon springing to life with aplomb.
To be sure, the dialogue as I ran around was often very basic, filled with all kinds of rote “oh man, I can’t wait to duel you!” spoke But of course, you don’t come into this for a strong narrative; You are here to, in the immortal words of Jaden himself, get your game on. That’s where Tag Force GXThe titular team-up mechanic enters. During duels, you and your chosen partner will alternate between using your respective deck on your shared side of the field.
I never played the original Tag Force Players, this mechanic admittedly took some getting used to. Seeing my teammate take over with completely different cards while also being able to use mine made for a decidedly different experience makes me consider how I could help him and he, in turn, return the favor. To be sure, I still prefer 1v1 duels, and that’s thankfully still an option in the game, but I think I’ll better appreciate the change of pace that time brings.
But above all else, Tag Force GX just feels perfect for someone like me who was obsessed Duel monsters in the GX but lost with the a lot new card types since. In fact, the TCG feels practically impenetrable to veterans, and so these old-school video games are perfectly positioned to welcome us back and, perhaps, even into new games.
“The digital games help people learn how to play,” says Hoashi. “Along with Tag Force GXWe’ve also added a casual level which makes it a lot easier, so that should also help with the new players coming in.
Until now, Tag Force GX is exactly what I want as a faded Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan, and I’m very excited to play more.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force GX launches on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and Steam on February 16, 2027.
Image credit: Konami