Summary
TheYu-Gi-Oh! TCGis no stranger to sneaking in a few video game references into their card designs. After all, Konami has had their fair share of video game releases from Metal Gear to Castlevania. Some of these references are pretty hard to spot unless you’re the biggest Konami nerd of all time.
Video game references in Yu-Gi-Oh! are not just confined to Konami’s own properties. There are references all over the place that pay homage to different genres as well as video game culture in general. From stand-out singles to entire archetypes, these are the best cards that reference the world of gaming.
10Vendread
An Infection Across Genres
Vendread takes inspiration from both comic books, movies, and video games. You have your comic book influences from Spawn as well as some designs that resemble John Carpenter’s The Thing. The Vendread archetype also takes inspiration from the Resident Evil Series with its zombie-infested city setting.
One example is how Vendread Battlelord is a mix of Omega Spawn and the Nemesis T-Type. Plot elements are also lifted from Resident Evil, such as an outbreak that turns humans into zombies and animals into mutants that take over the quarantine zone.
9The Ashened
A Cycle Of Death And Rebirth
The Ashened archetype takes inspiration from two different sources. One is the eruption that destroyed Pompeii. The other inspiration for the monster designs is Dark Souls. ThesePyro monstersare all caught in an endless fight against the dragon, Veidos.
This fight is so intense, that even as the end comes, the monster’s souls are bound to the city. Thus, they relive the same destruction in a cycle. From giant boss monsters to the unique armor designs, this archetype is Dark Souls if it were a Yu-Gi-Oh! storyline.
8Vanquish Soul
Mashing Buttons At The Fighting Tournament
Playing combos in Yu-Gi-Oh! usually means playing cards that allow an extended line of moves. Vanquish Soul acts more like the combos found in a fighting game. Depending on what cards you have in hand, you may choose from a selection of unique monster effects.
Vanquish Soul is based on the fighting game genre. Each monster can be considered its own unique character on a roster. Each one also has different monster types that it can interact with. Even the initials of the archetype, VS, reflect this inspiration.
7Live-Twins
Two Streaming Thieves
One series of cards to tackle gaming culture is the Live-Twin archetype. This archetype follows Ki-Sikil and Lil-la as they live-stream different games. In reality, these two characters live completely different lives as thieves. These are reflected by their Evil-Twin Link monsters.
Many of their cards reference them doing different activities, such as playing games, hosting shows, or getting doxxed by their enemy. Both main members of the archetype also have various models for their avatars, such as a Halloween or Holiday variants.
6Runick
First-Person Fantasy RPG
First-Person RPGs like Oblivion or Skyrim always have you feeling like you’re walking around swinging swords and casting spells. The Runick archetype is based on this genre of fantasy RPG as you never see the player’s face, only their hands and the tools they wield.
Runick Tip in particular features both of these elements. On one hand, the player is holding a blade while the other is busy casting spells. Each card tells a different story in the adventures of the player, whether it be eliminating enemies or saving other party members from certain doom.
5Labrynth
Roguelike Dungeons
Roguelikes always have that element of dying and coming back to life with some newfound knowledge. Die enough times, and you eventually learn every trick the Labyrinth has to throw at you. In the Labrynth archetype, the Lovely Labrynth constantly tries to trap the knight.
Dig deeper into the archetype and you will discover some hidden connections to the PlayStation tile, Deception and PlayStation 2’s Trapt. Labrynth takes plenty of visual inspiration from the series, such as the setting and character designs.
4Soitsu
A Parody Becomes A Yu-Gi-Oh! Staple
Aitsu, Koitsu, Soitsu, and Doitsu are four monsters that resemble plastic humanoids. While their archetype is often long-forgotten, the characters themselves often appear in the artwork for other cards as well as maintenance memos on Master Duel.
Their designs originate from the Parodius! games, which are a parody of the Gradius titles. They specifically reference Aitsu, a playable character that rides a paper airplane. This character also strikes different poses while shooting down the swarming enemies that appear throughout the game. Aitsu even appears both in appearance and in name in Yu-Gi-Oh!.
3Hidden Konami References
Castlevania And Metal Gear
While there are many archetypes that make reference to different games, there are some that are direct homages to fan-favorite characters from Konami’s lineup. One example would be Vampire Hunter, who sports a whip and stands in front of Dracula’s castle and Scarlet Scourge being Alucard.
Another example would be Tactical Espionage Expert. This card is reminiscent of the Metal Gear series as the design has a spy peeking around the corner during a stealthy infiltration. Even the outfit resembles Solid Snake’s ensemble. Even with other spy archetypes in Yu-Gi-Oh, this one card resembles its inspiration the most.
2B.E.S.
Shoot Em Ups And Big Bosses
The B.E.S. archetype is based on the Gradius games. These shoot-em-ups are all about flying through space, firing at enemies, and facing off against big bosses. The B.E.S. monsters are all massive ships that have a decent attack and sometimes even ways toget themselves out for free.
In addition to being big monsters, the B.E.S. also make use of counters to keep themselves on the board and give themselves other forms of interactions. Their durability makes them the best retro bosses to send after your opponent.
1Magikey
A Kingdom Hearts An Ancient Grimoires
The Magikey is an archetype that revolves around a character that is often said to resemble Sora from Kingdom Hearts. Magickey also has the word key in its name and one of the cards even includes the main character opening a door that resembles those found in the Disney and Square Enix crossover.
The archetype also has references to a 17th century grimoire title, The Lesser Key of Solomon. This tome dives deep into sorcery, mysticism, and the fabled ring of Solomon which could seal demons away. It’s an unexpected crossover no one saw coming.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) allows kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages to relive the exciting Duels that take place in the animated Yu-Gi-Oh! series. In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, players use the cards they’ve collected to construct Decks consisting of 40 to 60 cards. Then, they use their Decks to face off against opponents in a game of strategy, luck, and skill.
