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Good old Inazuma 11 had a poor start in America when localization is concerned. While it did fairly well in other countries, we only got a single game in the USA. Thankfully, a good chunk of the anime was dubbed & I was able to learn about its true greatness as a series...but man is this game disappointing. Somehow I still carry it in my 3DS virtual console & end returning to it from time to time. Because whenever I'm in the mood to play through the whole series again, I might as well start from the beginning. Inazuma 11 is a unique sports RPG where you use the touch screen to pass the ball & guide players into killer formations. It's a really fun...DS GAME! Yep, not only did the US get the original Japanese version that was riddled with glitches, but this isn't even a 3DS game! Of course when Level 5 started localizing these games they fixed many of the original game's glitches & added more content in order to make more enjoyable. So why in the flying Hell Army Z did we get this sad version!? Of course was a pretty good game at the time, but do you what happens when you don't add any upgrades to a 2008 DS game that's being released in 2014 on the 3DS? Disappointed players & no sequels to follow its release. What a shame because there was a lot of love put into this series. The music is fantastic, the animated cutscenes give off that enjoyment from watching a Saturday morning cartoon, the action scenes are creative as heck, & the characters are lovable. However, the series strong points really lie within its ability to better itself with each game. Every single Inazuma 11 core series game has something grand about it. As for this game, it's the realism. Yo've got a lovely town to explore as you learn the secrets of the legendary soccer team, in order to help your team climb up the ranks, & win the Soccer Frontier tournament. The gameplay mainly consists of fast paced soccer action, but every once in a while you'll be in a situation where you'll need to need to complete certain conditions in order to keep the story going. Like scoring a goal with Kevin Dragonfly or else the goalie will keep stopping the rest of your shots easily. This gimmick can get annoying at times especially when I can't even move tired players after the event has passed & my formations get screwed up. Seriously, it's bad enough that good Earth Strikers are endangered. While this version carries several issues, it can still be enjoyable like any underrated RPG as long as you're motivated. With multiple profiles at hand, I created an anime theme team, made up of the players from the show & teaching them the appropriate special moves. Like teaching Evans Fireball Knuckle. Of course there are much more powerful moves to teach after unlocking Mr. Veteran's Shop. And let's not forget that you can recruit all sorts of powerful players from defeated teams. Sadly, you're stealing power from other teams by doing this. Recruit Royal Academy's King of Keepers & they are basically a pushover now. You're facing teams who don't substitute tired players or play at full power because you've taken away they're best players. In the sequels, there's an extra competition system where you virtually time travel & face teams you've created before at full power. No key players are removed & its also pretty fun to see players fight themselves. The post game is only at an acceptable level without the extra challenges at into the upgraded international versions. After defeating Zeus Jr. High, you can now face...stupid strong Zeus Jr. High. Yeah its a pretty lame hidden boss fight. It's basically a much more challenging version of the final boss without any dialogue or story events interrupting you. And the amount of grinding you have to too in order to challenge them isn't really worth it. On the bright side, you get a ton of adequate rewards after game completion. From hidden special moves to rare equipment, it feels nice to stroll around through Inazuma town one more time while checking out all of the new hidden areas. Sadly, the feeling the doesn't last long when you realize that's all you're going to be doing for the rest of the post game. And then there's the Flash Training Facility, the only legitimate dungeon in the game. It's a nice challenge to take if you're in a good mood. It's full of strong soccer battle challenges, rare items, a Professor Layton cameo, & you get to raise you players stats after completion. Only problem is that these don't give off good experience points. Making this place once big luck-based challenge if your searching for rare move manuals. If you're playing the game for the story, the anime may be superior, but its nice to have to the freedom of creating your own ultimate team. Multiplayer does get a chance to shine, since you get the ability to trade players, choose your own team name, & even add a fun emblem. This game can possibly be at its best when a friend is involved. It was a rocky start for me, but I still love this series… Expand
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