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The concept of a licensed games appeals to a very specialized crowd, usually those already familiar with the source material. Assuming the title isn't a complete trainwreck, it's generally a solid recommendation for fans. Sometimes, but not that often, a licensed game will turn out so well that its appeal extends beyond fans of the license. In the case of Duel Masters: Kaijudo Showdown, it's more of the former scenario.

The whole of Duel Masters revolves around the concept of collecting cards, assembling a deck based off these cards and battling against the decks of others. For those unfamiliar with the rules of Duel Masters, the game begins with a detailed tutorial that guides them through the basics. The winner of a coin toss decides which player goes first. After shuffling their decks, both players draw the top five cards and place them on the table, face down. These are known as shield cards. Another five cards are drawn, being the player's hand. The first player to pop their opponent's shield cards and then attack the opponent directly is the victor.

In order to attack, a player needs to summon creatures, which in turn requires mana. Mana, the energy required for a creature to perform an action, is built up by placing a card in the Mana Zone. A card can be placed in the Mana Zone once per turn. Once summoned, most creatures suffer from summoning sickness, in that they're unable to act until the next turn. From there, it's dependent upon the creature's characteristics. Some are skilled at diverting attacks directed at shield cards, others are adept at taking down enemy creatures.

Past that, there's also the concept of elements, in that most cards belong to one of five elements, being Fire, Darkness, Nature, Light and Water. Each element has its own set of advantages and disadvantages which balance out in contrast to the other elements. Many cards also have secondary characteristics, such as shield triggers, that activate in the event of a certain action.

Building a good deck requires a firm grasp on the gameplay mechanics and a decent cache of cards. Additional booster packs are available at various card shops throughout the game, giving players the ability to further specialize their decks. In all, over 300 cards can be collected. Preset decks can also be purchased, for those not willing to spend the time building a deck.

Despite the complexity listed above, the game does a decent job of keeping things clear. Still, the first few battles can be a tad confusing until you get the interface down.

Between duels, you character will meander around various locales, becoming involved in situations that will invariably end with a duel. But that's the whole point of the game, so it's not too bad. Just don't expect an epic storyline, though a few characters from the television show make an appearance.

As far as graphics are concerned, those found in Duel Masters will neither amaze nor disappoint. They serve their purpose well, but it's nothing spectacular. Be forewarned, however, that playing on the Game Boy Player will reveal several graphical tricks used for the smaller Game Boy Advance screen, and as such, it looks progressively worse. Character designs are horribly generic and practically define "anime," but that problem extends far beyond the video games of the Duel Masters universe.

So what we've got here is a game made for fans of the Duel Masters TV show and customizable card game. That's not a bad thing, as it definitely appeals to both demographics, but not much beyond that. Those familiar with Duel Masters should give Kaijudo Showdown a go, but if those not aren't missing out on much.