"Rocket soars to new heights"

When I was in Japan a couple years ago, I managed to pick up a pretty cool game called Slime Morimori Dragon Quest. It was, I will admit, a major impulse buy, seeing as I understood literaly no Japanese at all, and it seemed like a game that might need at least a rudimentary understanding of the language. But I played it, and -- well, the experience transcends the mortal realm. Slime Morimori Dragon Quest is that good.

That fact was also the reason why I was so excited that SQUARE-ENIX was going to bring Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime to the Untied States. One could only imagine the possibilities that came with understanding the game, I reasoned, and so I was extremely hyped up about Rocket Slime. And when I finally got my hands on it, I had, I admit, certain expectations beyond belief.

I was not disappointed.

Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime is a spin-off of the Dragon Quest series starring the arguably most well-known character in all RPGs -- the lowly blue Slime. It all revolves around a Slime named Rocket, who is determined to stop the invasion of the bird-platypus-monster-thing Plob creatures, who have pretty much ransacked and destroyed Rocket's hometown of Boingburg just for the heck of it. They've also captured everyone in the city -- everyone, that is, except for Rocket. And so, Rocket sets out to stop the Plob, and rescue his fellow Slimes -- with a giant Slime-shaped TANK.

Yes, a tank.

The Schleiman Tank, a rather large piece of machinery, is the perfect weapon for Rocket to use against the Plob army -- and part of what is probably one of the most exciting parts of Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime: the tank battles. By running around inside your Schleiman Tank and grabbing ammunition, Rocket can blast away at the Plob forces, with the top screen showing an outer view of the two opposing sides (with various enemies or allies). The bottom screen is basically where all the controlling takes place -- what with Rocket moving about the Schleiman Tank, finding and loading ammo and blasting away at the opposing side. This can get pretty chaotic, and the Schleiman will definitely take heavy damage sometimes -- which is where partners come into play.

Later on in the game -- or rather, after the beginning of the game -- Rocket can recruit Slime partners to aid in Tank Battle. Some of them will rush about with you to find ammo. Others will find themselves at the helm, attempting to crush the other tank. Still others manage to heal your machine -- which can prove invaluable in many cases. Truly, these guys and girls are pretty useful -- not every battle is a cinch, and without your team, you'd most likely (scratch that, you will) fail to defeat your enemies. Not to mention your partners are rather humorous, too -- they can be loaded up into your cannons to fire at the enemy, dealing quite a bit of damage.

After you finish off the other tank's exterior, Rocket can invade the interior and effectively end the battle by eliminating the other tank's engine -- and in later battles, this can take quite a while, what with enemy security. However, these battles are diverse enough so that boredom is pretty much nonexistent, which is amazing.

Though gameplay is definitely Rocket Slime's strong point, the game has several other pros as well -- much of the music is quite familiar, especially to Dragon Quest veterans, and is wonderfully remixed for the avid gamer's ear. The art is cute, albeit simple, and the dialogue is rather interestingly written -- it's more than a little bit childish, with more cliches and puns on the word Slime than one would have previously thought possible. Nevertheless, the art and dialogue both suit the world of Rocket Slime, so all is forgiven. Besides, is it possible to be mad at these little Slimes?

The only thing that puts a damper on what is otherwise an excellent game is the length of it. Unlike its numbered Dragon Quest cousins, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime clocks in at a mere ten to twelve hours, which includes rescuing all the Slimes that the Plob captured. However, just like its cousins, Rocket Slime contains a wealth of side quests, such as the gathering of various recipes for the Alchemy Pot of recent Dragon Quest fame. When that's all well and done, however, the game truly meets its end.

Rocket Slime summons forth nostalgic tears in Dragon Quest veterans' eyes, and a refreshing experience in the hearts of other gamers. Overall, Dragon Quest: Rocket Slime is quite a marvelous game, as all have come to expect from SQUARE-ENIX, and is one that both Dragon Quest fans and Nintendo DS gamers should take a look at.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/26/06