25 Years of Yu-Gi-Oh!

4/22/23

Konami released the Legendary Collection: 25th Anniversary Edition box yesterday and it's an absolute delight. In addition to being a budget-friendly collector's set (unlike some other TCGs) it includes booster packs from OG sets like Pharoah's Servant and Legend of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I was not prepared for the wave of nostalgia that hit me when I opened the Spell Ruler booster and came face-to-face with Malevolent Nuzzler, a card I vividly remember opening in my Starter Deck: Joey structure deck over a decade ago. I know nostalgia can be a cringy, often pacifying thing, but god. Konami really got me with this one.

I wanted to take a picture of my box but I couldn't wait to tear into it. Let's not very visually pleasing now, but the Quarter Century Secret Rare Slifer certainly is

I don't see myself ever playing with these cards. Not because modern YGO has rendered them virtually unplayable--well, not just because of that--but because I want to preserve them as is. I'd like to still have them by the 30th (or 50th!) anniversary.

Speaking of play, I'm fine tuning a Branded Predaplant deck in hopes of taking it to locals, or at least get the courage to play with people I don't know at my local game shop. I fear my avoidant tendencies have gotten worse as I've aged and I want to force myself to socialize before I get too complacent. What better way to go about it than getting humiliated by a bunch of ahegao playmat-wielding dudebros?

Wish me luck, comrades.