I'll be another in the camp of loving Ni no Kuni despite never enjoying Pokemon.

I actually have tried multiple times to enjoy Pokemon since I feel like it's culturally significant, but I just can't stomach it. I missed it during my childhood despite being the perfect age for it to get me and I guess it's one of those that only works on nostalgia.

But yeah, I'm loving the way the combat works in Ni no Kuni. While it's similar in concept to Pokemon, it's completely different in execution.

And the game is a completionists dream. It's very similar to DQ IX in the respect that your quests are numbered and easily tracked with a journal. Also, the sidequests stamping your merit card is just a fantastic Skinner Box mechanic that keeps me addicted to doing extra stuff.

It's a game where you're making progress in several areas at one time which makes you feel like even fighting a lot of encounters is sort of fun. Your familiars get XP even without being in battle, which really helps that.