is a video game developed by Konami based on the manga series Yu-Gi-Oh!. The game was released on September 6, 2001, in Japan, and worldwide throughout 2003. The story is a sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories and is loosely based on the Wars of the Roses. The series' main characters, Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba, play opposing teams known as the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. Each team is playable, battling various characters throughout the plot to prevent a ritual summoning by using sorcerous rose cards.
Using designs by creator Kazuki Takahashi, the game's battle system is based on a chessboard-style battlefield, with over 800 cards from the franchise. Several new features of The Duelist of the Roses differ from the original card game, such as altered card effects, terrain placement, reincarnations, and deck leader promotions. In addition, each monster card features updated 3D computer graphics modelling, which first appeared in Forbidden Memories. Due to content censorship, dialogue and visuals were changed to allow distribution in North America and Europe.
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelist of the Roses received mixed reviews from critics. Some publications praised its story and visuals, while the majority of criticism focused on the gameplay, lack of innovation, and high difficulty. The game was a commercial success, selling over one million units worldwide. Sony Computer Entertainment went on to commemorate the game with a Greatest Hits title, and it stands as one of the best-selling video games for the PlayStation 2 format.
Gameplay
thumb|left|The player views their hand and selects the "Hourglass of Courage" monster card.
The gameplay begins with a dialogue between Seto Kaiba and Simon McMooran. First, McMooran allows the player to choose from several starter decks with a lead deck leader; each deck leader is dealt in threes, based on the name that McMooran requests at the beginning of the game. Kaiba then allows the player to choose between two teams: the Lancastrians (Red Rose) or the Yorkists (White Rose). Each choice later determines which characters to face in future duels, which are displayed on a world map within the game. Each deck leader has a total of forty cards per duel; each deck has a "deck cost", which is a card's strength-based value. For each battle, the deck must be less than a specific deck cost that is significant to the opponent.
Due to censorship issues, content from the original Japanese release had to be reworked before the game was released in North America and Europe. Several elements related to Christianity and other religious symbolism, which were used throughout the historical accuracy of the game's plot, were removed. Furthermore, several card artworks and monster animations were edited to include more clothing because it appeared provocative and graphic. Three days later, it received a wide release throughout North America, with early releases included three cards: "Alpha the Magnet Warrior," "Beta the Magnet Warrior," and "Gamma the Magnet Warrior". On September 26, 2003, The Duelist of the Roses was released throughout Europe. In December 2002, it was re-released as a Greatest Hits title in Japan, followed by North America and Europe in 2004.
Reception
Critical response
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelist of the Roses garnered mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average based on ratings from publications, the video game scored 59 out of 100 based on 14 reviews, indicating "mixed or average". On GameRankings, which assigns a similar metric average, the game scored 63% out of 100. Despite its sales, it was the lowest-performing game in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, selling less than Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule GB, which sold 129,095 units in Japan. By 2010, The Duelist of the Roses had sold over 1.11 million copies throughout North America. Konami confirmed that the game sold 1.37 million units between the United States and Europe.