[OPINION] Dear Konami, It’s Time to Bring Back the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force Series

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I think it’s high time for Konami to bring back the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force series. I was recently hit by immense nostalgia, so I booted up my PlayStation 2 and returned to the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force GX from 2006. Honestly, these are some of the most unusual, yet most interesting, games we have ever received under Konami’s direction.

They are essentially dating simulations (dating sims) where, in addition to collecting cards through RPG mechanics and earning money, we follow the original story from the anime and duel with everyone across different worlds. It was a very intelligent idea of how to best utilize everything players love while simultaneously trying to introduce us to all the main characters and the game rules.

Seven Great Games, But Where is the Eighth?

After we were greeted with as many as seven great games, more or less, Konami, for an unknown reason, decided to switch to pure “trash” titles. In this decade, we got Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel (which quickly shut down), Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection (which brought us some old games), and Yu-Gi-Oh! RUSH DUEL: Saikyo Battle Royale Let’s Go Go Rush for Nintendo Switch.

Despite the anime still running and bringing new ideas and worlds, we have practically not received a truly good Yu-Gi-Oh! game for five years. It will probably never be entirely clear why Konami stopped developing proper games and turned exclusively to mobile phones. Besides poor marketing and not-well-developed English versions, we didn’t always get games for PC and other consoles besides Nintendo and PlayStation. Even then, things were constantly changing, or they focused exclusively on the Japanese market. It’s fascinating how someone has a gold mine in their hands and doesn’t know how to exploit it.

Maybe Yu-Gi-Oh! wasn’t that popular ten years ago, but today, the situation is completely different. It would be enough to create something quality, add a little nostalgia, and sales are guaranteed, considering how big the franchise is today. When will we get another Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Tag Force 3 or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s: Tag Force 5? What is stopping them from making individual collections and selling them together? Why don’t they release ports for all consoles and PC, or even remasters or remakes, since that is common practice today? There are so many questions, and no answers.

It’s Time for a More Modern Yu-Gi-Oh Game

The main selling point of these games lies in the “Tag Force” mechanic, where you duel in pairs, not exclusively alone. Although it was possible to duel individually, the core was teaming up with other characters for a joint duel, for example, with Jaden Yuki or Yusei Fudo. Even if we are not all up-to-date with the latest anime, this is actually an ideal opportunity for Konami to reintroduce us to those characters. Moreover, everything in these games revolved around synergy and smart deck building, and the graphics themselves were very good for their time.

What made Tag Force stand out was its ability to bring the world of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise to life. Besides mastering complex dueling strategies, you could truly live the life of a duelist: attending classes, following the story, competing in tournaments, and experiencing the excitement of opening booster packs to refine your decks. All these games would give you a deeper understanding of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card rules.

Imagine exploring the open world of Duel Academy or New Domino City on the Nintendo Switch 2 or PlayStation 5, all displayed with beautiful visuals and fully synchronized cutscenes. Imagine also online cooperative tag duels and cross-generational tournaments—the possibilities would be endless. Given that modern gaming embraces cozy RPGs, simulation elements, and card tactics, this is actually the perfect opportunity to bring back the Tag Force series in a modern form.