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THE YU-GI-OH! GAME:
The card game pits players against each other in "battles" fought using playing cards emblazoned with wildly imaginative creatures. Each card features different monsters, spells and traps with varying strengths and weaknesses. Duelists strategize to use the most powerful combination of cards from their "decks" to defeat their opponents and become master duelists.
Armed with special energies he absorbs from the Millennium Puzzle, a powerful ancient artifact he wears around his neck, Yugi and the Pharaoh - Yugi's alter ego, whose spirit inhabits the Puzzle - join forces to battle various foes in their quest to save mankind and become the best duelist in the world.
"I think the key to Yu-Gi-Oh! and why it works in so many markets around the world is that kids can put themselves in Yugi's shoes as he battles these incredible monsters," observes Norman Grossfeld, President of Productions for Yu-Gi-Oh! licensee 4Kids Entertainment, who not only co-wrote the American adaptation and executive produced Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie, but also produced the blockbuster Pokémon movie series. "Kids not only watch the story unfolding onscreen, they imagine themselves in it."
Yugi's legions of young fans also identify with the character's empowerment through his alter ego, the Pharaoh. "Yugi is not perfect; he's your average high school student who has the same fears and self doubts that all kids have," notes Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series writer-producer Mike Pecoriello. "But he has this other side to him, his alter ego, that he can call upon when he needs a confidence boost. I think kids are empowered by the idea that behind this timid underdog is a strong, assertive hero."
The popularity of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series sparked a worldwide phenomenon among fans who yearned to play a real life version of the card game. This excitement led to the creation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist League, which counts over 600,000 participants, with card play taking place at over 4,500 retail locations.
20,000 Yu-Gi-Oh! enthusiasts are expected to attend the 2004 Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship, which takes place on July 25th in Anaheim, California, featuring the best duelists from around the globe facing off in the ultimate competition to determine the World Champion.
In addition, four new Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards have been created for the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie, and will be free with the purchase of admission exclusively in theaters showing the film. Fans can also look forward to the Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie soundtrack with music inspired by the film from featured artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Jean and Fatty Koo. A 4Kids Lane production and distributed by RCA Records, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie soundtrack will hit stores on August 10th, 2004.
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