4Kids Entertainment International Ltd. has appointed Upper Deck International as distributor of toys for “Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s,” the newest animated television series in the successful kids’ franchise. The agreement, which calls for Upper Deck to distribute product from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s master toy licensee Playmates Toys, covers territories in Europe including the UK & Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Benelux, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Greece, as well as Israel, Turkey and South Africa.

The toy line for Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s relates directly to the Duel Runner (vehicles) Trading Cards, and Battling Monster Figures all featured in the new series, and reflects the show’s totally new look, exciting new storyline and emphasis on speed. New toys include figures, Duel Runner vehicles, Yusei’s Wrist Dealer that holds and deals trading cards. The new figures are equipped with a special ‘resistor’ which retains information about their powers, and are compatible with the Yu-Gi-Oh! Figure Reader,, which enables kids to duel with their monsters electronically. Other new products include a deluxe articulating figure line, and deluxe roleplay products such as Yusei’s Duel Disk, which holds and flips trading cards and keeps track of points. The Duel Disk is the perfect roleplay item to compliment the trading cards.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s is the latest chapter in the successful Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise that started in 2001. Over 18.1 billion Konami/Upper Deck Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards have been translated into seven languages and sold in 51 countries worldwide. Approximately six million 6-8 year olds collect and play the trading card game across the globe. The new series features new duelists, the Duel Runner (vehicles), speed, competition and challenges sparked by the recent technological advancements in Domino City, which has been transformed into a futuristic metropolis where duelists battle it out in hi-octane contests called Turbo Duels. In this environment, the winners and losers are no longer separated by skill and strength but by speed.

“We’re thrilled that Upper Deck will be distributing the new toys from Playmates in these key territories,” said Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, Managing Director, 4Kids Entertainment International.