Young kids shine on TV programme ‘Gamer Mode’ Yu-Gi-Oh! card games
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A MEMBER of the Kids Cards Club in Firhouse, which sees young people battle with and trade Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon cards, was recently interviewed on an RTÉ show for young gamers.
The RTÉ show, called ‘Gamer Mode’, is described as being for kids and by kids, and all of the show’s presenters are under 16.
Éabha and Millie Brady
Two of the presenters, twins Éabha and Millie Brady, 13, from Lucan, interviewed Daniel Neville, captain of Team Kuribrohs in the competitive You-Gi-Oh! game, about his passion for playing in Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments.
Daniel’s interest in Yu-Gi-Oh! stemmed from him watching the television show when he was in primary school, and from then on he said he was “hooked”, and soon after began collecting and trading cards featuring characters from the show.
Explaining what playing with Yu-Gi-Oh! cards entails, Daniel said: “Yu-Gi-Oh! is a two-player card game based on the Japanese anime of the same name.
“It’s a strategy game, a bit like chess but with more dragons, wizards and robotic dinosaurs!”
Daniel, who is originally from Wexford, got involved with the Kids Cards Club in Firhouse in 2017, after meeting the mother of a young card player Broghan McClean, who had set up the club, at the Irish National Championship for Yu-Gi-Oh!
Daniel Neville, Guest
“The club had been run as an afterschool activity for a while,” explained Daniel. “I thought it was a great initiative, and with my experience running tournaments I thought I could help.
“The club is open to anyone who wants to join, but is primarily [for] kids between 8-15, and normally runs on Fridays and Saturdays.
“As the club grew, we even started running three-day camps on school holidays, which were always super popular.
Éabha and Millie Brady on set
“The kids really love the club, it is a great social event for them, they chat about their cards and strategies, play games and build friendships. The club is looking forward to starting back up as soon as it’s safe to do so!”
When asked about what appeals to him about Yu-Gi-Oh! card games, Daniel said: “Being a two-player game, it promotes meeting new people – I’ve made many life-long friends, who 10 to 15 years later I still see.
“The cards promote reading and maths skills. Every card has a different effect for kids to read, and there’s a lot of adding and subtracting in any match.
“It promotes critical thinking, Yu-Gi-Oh!’s strategy elements can help with learning to problem-solve.
“This is a skill that’s incredibly valuable in my mind, especially as many players pursue computing.”
Daniel appeared on RTÉ Two’s ‘Gamer Mode’ last Sunday morning, where he was interviewed by Éabha and Millie about his passion for gaming.
“I had an excellent experience getting to talk to Éabha and Millie on the ‘Gamer Mode’ set, their excitement for games was contagious,” he said.
“I’ve been enjoying watching the show so far. I know it’s something I would have loved when I was younger, and I think it does a fantastic job of celebrating gaming.
“I can’t wait to see more, as the show really exemplifies how social and meaningful gaming can be. It’s a medium that transcends continents and generations, and I think there’s so much value to that!”
Daniel appeared on episode six of ‘Gamer Mode’, which is available to view on the RTÉ Player now, and the next episodes of ‘Gamer Mode’ will air on RTÉ Two on Saturday at 10.30am and Sunday at midday.
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