"No Spine, Just Guts!" -- The Game is as Good as the Tagline...
The latest opportunity to jump right in and experience a universe that millions have come to enjoy is found in the form of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the Nintendo DS. In the game you play as Rocket, one of the inhabitants of Slimenia who has seen his town blasted nearly to ruins, and his family and friends kidnapped by the hands of a ruthless gang known as the Plob. To what end? That’s for you to gather your gumption and find out, and it’s definitely a journey worth embarking on.
It didn’t take much to convince me after seeing some of the gameplay mechanics, character designs, etc. that this would be another DQ game that I was going to enjoy, but I was completely sold at two different points on the game prior to its release. The first thing to really get me on the bandwagon was a pre-release trailer by Square-Enix that animated the basic premise of the game, which I explained above. Towards the end there is a moment when Rocket is introduced to a massive tank at his disposal, and his sorrow slowly turns to hope that perhaps he can save his townfolk – and his frown turns to a smile. Once inside, we see him taking a moment to gather his bravery, by remembering his parents, before loading himself inside a massive cannon and flying through the air to attack the enemy. Sold! I knew I definitely wanted to be there to experience that adventure. The second instance came in the form of a gameplay explanation that Rocket would be able to infiltrate enemy tanks, cause massive amounts of destruction to them…and in many cases, march right up to the enemy, attack, and load them into their own weapon to find themselves flying away much to their dismay. If I wasn’t already convinced, there was no question upon reading that. A large portion of the gameplay in Rocket Slime is in the form of tank battles consisting of yourself, your crew and an opposing tank (filled with humor). Your goal is to whittle down the hit points of the opposing tank to “0” and then deliver the killing blow to the tanks engine which results in it’s explosion and a reward for all your efforts. Strategy becomes a must in these battles as the enemy is just as busy trying to destroy your tank, as you are theirs. Cancelling out their attacks with your own is necessary, as is gathering up your mettle, and marching over to their tank to do some damage. The challenge grows as you progress, and executing the battles more effectively is one of the more entertaining aspects of the game. Aside from the aforementioned tank battles, much of your time is spent exploring levels throughout the game, collecting ammo for your tank, and in completing other tasks. As you travel, you encounter the many foes standing in your way and in slimey fashion, you defeat them by using the unique abilities at your disposal, namely, stretching yourself and blasting them left and right. It’s a simple ability, but it holds hour upon hours of entertainment as you learn the ins and outs of what you can do, what you need to do to progress, grow stronger et al. Don’t be fooled though, it’s not a simplistic game for some of it’s simple features – despite the playful tone – there are moments when you’ll have to employ strategy to stay in the game, and you’ll need to invest some time into being prepared for your next step. The graphics in the game, as ever, are inspired by the designs of Akira Toriyama and they vividly come to life on the DS platform. If you’ve enjoyed the best that the Legend of Zelda has had to offer in it’s top-down view, then you’ll know what you have to look forward to here. And if you’re new to any of these conventions, then you’re still going to enjoy it I’d reckon.
If you’re looking for a game that you can pick up and play anytime, that you’d like to invest some time with, or simply because it looks like a lot of fun, then you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s recently won widespread recognition as “Game of the Month” in several publications, including Electronic Gaming Monthly and IGN. If you’re new to the world of Dragon Quest, welcome aboard – and if you’re returning with this game, welcome back!