This 1998 Toei Animation series was the first animated adaptation of Kazuki Takahashi's manga and loosely adapts only the first 59 chapters, adding several original events and characters not found in the source material.

Fans commonly refer to this original 1998 series as 'Season 0' to distinguish it from the later, more widely known Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series.

In this series, the trading card game is called 'Duel Monsters', a name unique to the anime, whereas the manga and original merchandise called it 'Magic & Wizards'; the card backs also differ in design from the manga and real-world products.

Seto Kaiba is drawn with green hair throughout this TV series, but in the 1999 theatrical short film that follows it, his hair is depicted as brown instead.

While the TV series was produced using a digital coloring process, the 1999 theatrical film that continues its story is the only entry in the franchise made using traditional cel animation.

The series has never been re-released on DVD or Blu-ray and has not been rebroadcast or streamed since its original airing, making it notably difficult to watch today; all seven volumes were only ever released on VHS.

Toei's adaptation elevated Miho Nosaka, a minor character in the original manga, into a main character with her own voice actress.

Comic Book Resources critics described this series as 'noticeably darker' than later Yu-Gi-Oh! series, noting that some manga stories were expanded while others were omitted, and that some violence was toned down compared to the original manga.