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Music to Duel To
3.14.05 - By Pook 

            Is it just me, or are those annoying power-ballads being inserted into the American episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! get under your skin, too?  I swear, if I hear one more song about how I’ve got to believe or try my best, I may scream.  Those cutesy ditties may be alright for an episode of Pokèmon, but personally, I’d rather not have to deal with them.  That’s where I come in. 

            Over the past few years, personal MP3 players have made it incredibly easy for people to enjoy their favorite songs on the go.  One place where these players could be best utilized is wherever there is dueling.  When I am playing and I need a big comeback to win, music doesn’t just appear out of nowhere to encourage me, like it does on the show.  No, for regular people, we need to provide our own soundtracks to duel to.  That’s why I propose the concept of Music To Duel To, or MTDT.  “What’s MTDT?” you ask?  Well, I’ll tell you.  MTDT is your own personal music that you can listen to while you duel, in order to inspire you, pump you up, get you into the moment, and work as a nice background.  The beauty of it is that you can personalize it, too, making your MTDT unique.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not promoting anti-social behavior; MTDT is not something to blast in your ears so you don’t have to listen to your opponent.  MTDT acts as a background, a base for you; nothing too overpowering or overshadowing.  Just think about the way music comes into scenes of dialogue in movies. 

            So how should you pick your own MTDT?  Well, there are any number of ways.  You could pick songs that reflect your style of game play, i.e. if you are a fan of the beatdown, try big, boisterous music.  A great pick for this is the song in The Matrix Reloaded when Neo is fighting all of the Agent Smiths (by the way, the song and scene is called “Burly Brawl”).  If you’d like to go with something lighter, but want to stick to the theme of the game being Japanese, load up your MP3 player or CD player with different anime themes.  Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, and the battle music from Gundam Wing are excellent choices.  But now you understand how you can customize your music as much as you can customize your deck. 

            Personally, the way I’d pick my music is by my deck’s theme.  I had a chat with a friend a few weeks back and we decided it’d be really fun (and funny) to choose songs this way.  For instance, if you play a Wind deck, load up your playlist with songs like “Wind Beneath My Wings”, “Everyone Knows It’s Windy”, or “Summer Breeze”.  If you happen to be using a Spellcaster deck, there are plenty of great songs out there for you – “Witchcraft”, “I Put a Spell on You”, “Magic to Do”, and the soundtrack to The Wizard of Oz.  For my Fire/Burn deck, why not try “Hot Hot Hot”, “Disco Inferno”, “The Roof Is On Fire”, or the hit Prodigy song “Firestarter”.  See how easy it is?

            So go out there, people, and make your own mixes.  Soon, you’ll be wishing you had a soundtrack to your entire life, not just in the dueling arena.  Music adds an entire new level to game play.  Just think about if a really tense song came on right at the moment where the tables have turned on you.  Having the background music can motivate you into an amazing comeback, plus add a nice dramatic element to it.  Until next time, happy dueling!