My experience playing the cards at Elmhurst University’s first “Yu-Gi-Oh” Duel Mania

Photo by — Numair Younus

Elmhurst University’s first ever “Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Mania” took place on April 1, and taught me more about the game I grew up loving.

After seeing the poster in the Frick Center stating “Elmhurst University eSportsPresents: Duel Mania, April 1, 1:30-4:30 @ Frick Center,” I thought it was an April Fools joke. As I approached the Frick Center, I did not know what I was going into, but it was evidently not a prank.

Little did I know, I was about to experience the greatest loss of my life. I approached the table and was ready to duel with my opponent for most of the event, EU student Rodrigo Perales.

“Yu-Gi-Oh” originated as a player versus player (PvP) Japanese trading card game first introduced in 1996 by the company Konami. 

The anime series was first aired only in Japan in 1998 with the same title “Yu-Gi-Oh!” and ran a total of 27 episodes before being renamed “Yu-Gi-Oh! (LAS).” The show was aired to the rest of the world in the early 2000s.

At the event, the first match started with us both discussing our main deck of choice, I instantly knew I was in uncharted waters when I told Perales I’d be using a fire or predominantly light deck. A student asked if I was an OG player and I faltered in my gaming confidence. 

This comment made me realize all my hard work was not going to pay off; I was way out of the loop and was not aware of any of the other variations of “Yu-Gi-Oh” other than the original one I grew up playing. 

For the first match, I sat confused, but I still was eager to play and the people in the room were willing to teach me the updated version. Using a loaner deck that was provided at the event, I sat down and went through all the cards, to choose the ones I felt would be something I could be comfortable using.

The deck which caught my eye was the volcanic deck; it consists of lava, monsters, and fire spell cards, similar to the old deck I had brought with me.

It was a new experience for many at the event, as people were speed dueling for the first time. This concept was introduced in 2019, and something I had not heard of until I sat down ready to battle. 

During the duel I was constantly reading the cards to figure out what each monster did, and what cards to use. The first duel hailed its results and I knew this would not be easy for the rest of the event. 

The disgusting taste of defeat loomed overhead while I stayed and played some more. And lost a total of three times. Ultimately, I learned no matter the difficult challenge you may face, you should face it head on. 

My opponent, Perales, shared how he first got introduced to the game.

“Back in middle school my friend introduced me to the card game first and I eventually [got] into the anime,” Perales said. “But everyone in the neighborhood got into it and for me it just stuck.” 

Personally, I remember running around my school and holding my “Yu-Gi-Oh” cards with pride. I knew there would be others just like me at school, ready to duel at a moment’s notice.

The anime reached popularity in America and throughout the world, setting the Guinness World Record for the best-selling trading card game in 2011. Recently, the anime has been reintroduced as  “Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush,” which premiered on April 3.

New iterations of the game, as well as events like this have been bringing back the nostalgia of the original series to myself, EU eSports, and people around the world.