12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Inazuma Eleven (DS)

OK, so the title I'm focusing on in today's "12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now" post isn't as thrilling as the one I wrote about yesterday--or at least I don't think it's as thrilling.

Still, it's an import, and a fairly odd one at that (thanks to it being a soccer-based RPG), so at least it's not a total loss.

Would you believe that I've yet to spend much quality time with this pick-up? Yeah, I thought you would--especially given the track record suggested by the majority of my "Acquisition #123" posts.



Actually, I'm kind of amazed it's even been unwrapped, as I honestly don't remember playing it at all since it arrived on my doorstep a number of months ago.

I guess I should have included Inazuma Eleven in one of those silly posts--like "Five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013" or "Five games I have to rip from their shrink-wrap and actually play in 2013"--I published last week, eh?

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

Pointless confession of the day: If Nintendo somehow brings Calcio Bit 3DS to the US, with this box art, I'll probably buy it

Keep in mind that the confession above is being made by someone who is no real fan of the sport known in some regions as football and in others as soccer. 

Still, I can't help but love the box art (below) that Nintendo of Japan's designers came up with for this soon-to-be-released 3DS game.

Considering Nintendo of America has thus far passed on bringing any of the Inazuma Eleven titles to the States, though, I can't imagine it will give the green light to a soccer sim filled with adorable chibi characters.

Oh, well, it's probably for the best. After all, I know as much about football/soccer as I do about crochet (which is to say, not a whole lot). 

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Inazuma Eleven 2 edition)

I don't know how many of you are aware, but Level-5's second soccer-themed--or football-themed, if you're not a North American--RPG, Inazuma Eleven 2, is set to hit the streets of Europe today.

Because I've been interested in this series since the first game was unleashed upon the Japanese public back in 2008, I thought I should devote a "Which Box Art is Better?" post to this second release.

The following piece of art will grace the cover of Inazuma Eleven 2: Firestorm:

The illustration below, on the other hand, will serve as the box art for Inazuma Eleven 2: Blizzard.

Which one do you prefer?

As for me: I slightly prefer Firestorm's cover art to Blizzard's, although I have to say I find both illustrations to be a bit busy. That said, I plan on picking up one or the other sooner rather than later--after I've acquired the first Inazuma Eleven, of course.

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

Praise Beckham! Inazuma Eleven will be released on August 26

Unfortunately, the date above refers to when this soccer-themed RPG will be released in the UK, not the US. The brass at Nintendo of America have yet to announce when or even if this DS title, which was developed by the able folks at Level-5, will make its way to the States.

Hey, at least the game--which first hit store shelves in Japan all the way back in 2008 and hit the streets elsewhere in Europe earlier this year--will, at long last, be playable in English, right?



Does Inazuma Eleven's horribly delayed UK launch mean there's still a chance the game will reach our shores eventually, too? I think so--especially since the crew at Level-5 International America (the company's North American branch) recently posted a poll on their Facebook page that asked people to vote for the currently-only-available-in-Japan titles that excite them most.

Inazuma Eleven is one of 10 games named in the poll, with the others being Fantasy Life (3DS), Girl's RPG Cinderelife (3DS), Inazuma Eleven Strikers (Wii), The Little Battlers (PSP), Ninokuni (DS and PS3), Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (3DS), Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney (3DS) and Time Travelers (3DS).

It appears you can vote (here) just once and for just one game so choose carefully and wisely.

Inazuma Eleven, now in English

I have no idea why I'm so interested in Inazuma Eleven. It certainly isn't because I'm a soccer/football fan. Maybe it's because it was developed by the same folks who made Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest IX and the Professor Layton titles?



Regardless of the reason, this soccer/football-focused RPG has piqued my curiosity and interest. Here's hoping it's released in the US at some point (or at least in the UK, so I can pick up a copy via sendit.com).

(Via gonintendo.com and tinycartridge.com)

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Inazuma Eleven edition)

It's been a long time since we've played this little game, hasn't it? To tell you the truth, we probably wouldn't be playing it now if my last post hadn't prompted me to look up Inazuma Eleven's European and Japanese box art.

Speaking of which, the art that will grace the cover of this soccer RPG's European box (when it's released on Jan. 28) is below:

And this is the box art that accompanied the game's Japanese release in late 2008:

Which one do you prefer?

Honestly, I'm a bit torn. I'd go with the Euro art if I were forced at gunpoint to choose one over the other, mainly because I think it's more successful at getting the point across that the game is a soccer-focused RPG, but I have to admit that I also like how dynamic the Japanese art is.

See also: All previous entries in the 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better?' series

I completely forgot about this game

Apparently the brass at Nintendo of America have forgotten about Inazuma Eleven as well. After all, although this SRPG--which in this case is short for "soccer role-playing game", not "strategy role-playing game"--was released in Japan in late 2008 and will be released in Europe on Jan. 28, it has yet to appear on Nintendo of America's release schedule.



As much as I'd like to buy a proper North American version of this game, I'm more than prepared to import it from Europe (via sendit.com, for instance) should the need arise--especially after watching the (French) trailer above.