I know there is a general Pokemon thread right now, but I think this game deserves its own.

How the heck they got Nintendo to agree to the plot for this game is kind of beyond me. I mean, the plot is, quite simply: You are a warlord. Gather an army of Pokemon trainers and take over the world. Just to summon the god Pokemon who created the world, so that you can claim its powers. While the first kingdom you invade had just tried to invade you, for the second one, you are literally told "the other two countries near us don't look like they are intrested in attacking other countries right now. This makes it the perfect time to make our move". I mean, WTF?! It's like we're actually playing as one of the bad guys! And I love it!

The combat is a huge derivative from usual Pokemon play. While the Pokemon, some of their abilities, and their attacks will all be familiar, that's about it. The only other thing that stayed is the thing that made the series great. Combat that is extremely simple and easy to pick up, yet has a staggering amount of depth hidden behind the surface.

The recruitment features behind how you pick up new Warriors for your Army is fun. Basically it's a spin on the usual "win in X turns, win without taking damage, etcetera" sort of challenges you get, except that it is a voluntary challenge with really worthwhile rewards. If you beat a Warrior's Pokemon in less than 4 turns, they offer to join you once you win the battle. Thus, if there's a Pokemon or Warrior you really want, focusing all out to down them early will ensure them join you later.

However, some, especially the other Warlords, have more trying requirements. I just conquered the Kingdom of Violight, home of the electric masters (and, yeah, 17 kingdoms, 17 Pokemon types, I saw what you did there, Conquest), and found that both the leader and her majordomo can be recruited if you not only beat them quickly, but also deal the finishing blows with your own personal Eevee.

I really, really like this game so far. I'm a bit worried about length, due to the whole "only 17 kingdoms" thing, since I already control 5, but I have heard that there is a lot to do even after, and I keep getting introduced to new mechanics, so we'll just have to see!