I'd totally buy the Japanese version of the adorable 3DS SRPG, Ambition of the Slimes, next week if an English release weren't in the works

I'm a sucker for a lot of things when it comes to buying and playing video games. Among them: cuteness, pixels, low-poly environments (think the original Final Fantasy Tactics) and strategy RPGs.

Oh, and slimes. You know, like the little blobs that basically represent Square Enix's Dragon Quest series both here and abroad.

All of the above are front and center in Circle Entertainment's 3DS port of a Japanese mobile game known as Ambition of the Slimes--which of course means I want nothing more than to buy the hell out of it the second it hits that region's eShop next week.



I'm going to do my best to hold off on that, though, thanks to a tweet Circle sent out earlier today that assured Ambition of the Slimes is "already on the way" to both Europe and North America.

How long will it take for this adorable tactical RPG to cross the pond? Sadly, I haven't a clue. As soon as I hear anything in that regard, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, please enjoy the trailer above, which showcases some Japanese footage of the game.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

Nintendo is doing its darndest to kill my marriage

How so, you ask? By releasing so many "must buy" games for their many systems over the next few months, that's how.

Specifically, by releasing Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii sometime this month (this week? next week? I have no idea...), Mario Tennis Open for the 3DS on May 20 and The Last Story--also for the Wii--on June 19.

Oh, and Pokémon Conquest--the Americanization of the just-released-in-Japan Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition--for the DS on June 18. (Here is Pokémon Conquest's box art, by the way, and here is the game's first English trailer.)



In case you didn't know already, Pokémon Conquest's stateside release was announced yesterday by the folks at Nintendo of America.

More information about this strategy RPG, developed by Tecmo Koei, can be found at pokemon.com, so head over there if you're at all curious about it. (You are, aren't you?)

(Via siliconera.com and tinycartridge.com)

The Great Gaymathon Review #28: Final Fantasy Tactics (PlayStation)

Game: Final Fantasy Tactics

Genre: Strategy RPG

Developer: Squaresoft

Publisher: Squaresoft

System: PlayStation

Release date: 1998

Would you believe me if I told you I felt a bit "ho hum" about the PlayStation before I laid eyes on Final Fantasy Tactics? Well, it's the truth. Oh, other games--like Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash and even Ridge Racer--piqued my interest in the system, but none of them prompted me to go out and buy Sony's boxy, gray console like this one did. As for why I found Final Fantasy Tactics more appealing and irresistible than the aforementioned games: Well, I can't remember exactly--it has been 13 years, after all--but I think it had something to do with this title's Final Fantasy V-esque job system. I also recall being intrigued by its big, showy spells and strategic battles. There's more to Final Fantasy Tactics than those three back-of-the-box bullet points, of course--like a complex, convoluted and controversial (thanks to its negative depiction of religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular) plot. Also, there's a bevy of controllable characters, an impressive array of battle locales and a beautiful, as well as memorable, soundtrack (composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata). So, what's wrong with Final Fantasy Tactics? Not much, if you ask me. In fact, I can think of only two things that could turn off the odd gamer: First, it can be confusing at times (thanks to the above-mentioned backstory) and, second, it can be brutally difficult. Don't let those negatives keep you from giving it a go, though, as it's easily one of the best games ever released for the PlayStation--or for any system at all, really, especially if you're a fan of strategy RPGs.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts