Yu-Gi-Oh, Vol. 1 - The Heart of the Cards

The heavily promoted Yu-Gi-Oh plays like a mixture of Pokmon, Medabots, and Card Captor Sakura. Yugi, an aspiring champion at Duel Monster Cards, is coached by his kindly grandfather. The Cards are a tame version of an ancient Egyptian game involving real monsters: 5,000 years ago, a wise Pharaoh hid this magic in five Millennium Objects. Yugi defeats rich champion Kaiba, which brings him to the attention of Maximillion (sic) Pegasus, the owner of Industrial Illusions, the manufacturer of the Cards. Pegasus somehow steals the grandfather's soul, forcing Yugi to enter a tournament in the Duelist Kingdom. Unlike Pokmon, which emphasizes friendship and sportsmanship, Duel Card players gleefully cheat. Much of the show feels like an extended plug, and parents who buy the videos should be prepared for demands for cards and toys. (Unrated; suitable for ages 8 and older: mild monster vs. monster violence) --Charles Solomon

Yu-Gi-Oh, Vol. 1 - The Heart of the Cards