Slime-tastic!

Lee Babin

Every once and a while a concept makes an appearance that is so bizarre, you can't even begin to explain it without people giving you weird faces. So, when my wife asked what the game in my DS Lite was (Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (Rocket Slime from now on in)), I didn't even attempt to explain it. She had one look at the game in action and understood why. While Rocket Slime may appear to be a game for children on the surface, for those of us who were weaned on the original Dragon Warrior, those of us who loved Dragon Quest VIII to death, and even those of us who can play a cutesy game and still enjoy it for the sheer fun, Rocket Slime can be an exemplary (if short) exercise in fun.

Rocket Slime is, in essence, an action role playing game. You maneuver your slime around different locales, fighting enemies and collecting items in real time as you would in any Zelda-esque title. And, in the same Zelda vein, you will encounter puzzles that must be solved (albeit on a much simpler scale) and characters that must be interacted with. The similarities to other games in its genre end at this exact moment in time however.

While the idea of spending time combating foes in an action RPG might seem like usual business, how many games require you to waste baddies by stretching your slime out and then slinging him (like a rubber band) directly at your enemy? Strangely enough, while you never do anything more than sling your slime at enemies, the action remains interesting due to the varied baddies you will go up against (and fun boss battles). Once you have nailed an enemy, you are then free to grab them and either toss them at other foes or collect them to add to your town. While not the most engaging of battle systems, it is certainly workable and remains fairly fun throughout the game.

Now, I mentioned collecting. Nearly every part of this game revolves around collecting something. You are on a quest to save your fellow slime by collecting (freeing them from chests) them and returning them to town. You collect bad guys because if you grab enough of them, they will then serve you in your tank. Nearly everything else you can interact with in the game (including a sweet bevy of Dragon Quest paraphernalia including weapons!) can also be collected and subsequently used to arm your tank and/or alchemize into more useful ammo.

So what is all this about a tank? Ah yes, the part of Rocket Slime that makes the game truly zany. Early on in the game you will come into contact with your very own tank. Now, this tank is the only thing capable of taking apart the enemy and you must quickly learn how to make good use of it. Tank battles are both simple yet filled with strategy (if you so wish). You customize your tank with ammo which can be pretty much anything found around the action-RPG levels. Then, once you have your tank armed and get into a battle with another tank, you will have a fast-paced skirmish with your opponent.

At its core, battling in tanks revolves around picking up ammo that is periodically deposited into different parts of your tank and then loading it into one of two cannons. Based on the ammo and which cannon you pile it into, the ammo may or may not get through and damage your enemy's tank. Now, as you might imagine, different ammo will have different speeds, strengths and abilities. On top of the wide variety of ammo, your tank's attributes, your crew members and your style of play will play a very diverse role in how you fight your tank battles. Battles can range from you frantically firing ammo after ammo piece all the way to firing your own crew members while you make your way over to the opponent’s tank and smash/sabotage it from the inside. Needless to say, tank battles are hectic, frantic and a huge amount of fun.

The plot of Rocket Slime is not War and Peace. The story of Rocket Slime is basic and endearing. Save your 100 fellow slime brethren that have been captured by the platypus-like enemy. It doesn't really get more complicated than that although some of the characters you will meet are friendly and somewhat interesting. However, if you are playing Rocket Slime, you are playing it for the gameplay, not for the drama. If you are expecting a highly complex, meaty narrative, you have come to the wrong place.

The aesthetics in Rocket Slime are really quite pleasing, at least to me. Bright, colorful and well detailed sprites populate the land of Rocket Slime making it look a lot like a children's cartoon. Don't let that sway you though, fans of the Dragon Quest mythos will love seeing familiar items, characters and weapons immortalized in this new style. The art direction is very solid and I quite enjoyed finding new items just to have a look at how they are portrayed versus their Dragon Quest VIII counterparts. I quite enjoyed the visual style and those of you who enjoy a bit of nostalgia will probably appreciate it as well.

Similar to the graphics, those who find themselves feeling a tad nostalgic while viewing this game will likely appreciate the music for the same reason. The tunes simply "feel" like Dragon Quest and while none of them would be considered for any awards or anything, they really do get the job done and feel right in place. I particularly liked all of the sound effects that harkened back to earlier games in the series. While none of the soundtrack's pieces ever reached a point where I wanted to turn off the volume, neither did any of them strike me as being so beautiful that I can remember them on a whim.

All in all, Rocket Slime is all about having fun. Nothing in it demands a great deal of concentration nor should you find any difficulty completing the game. It works perfectly as a portable distraction in that it can be played in short, bite-sized pieces and is simple enough that you won't feel frustrated in the slightest. That being said, it is a little on the short side to complete the main quest but you can continue adventuring once the credits roll so I didn't really leave the game wanting for more. Overall I think Rocket Slime is a great game and would, nay, should be enjoyed by all, young and old. Give it a try if you are hankering for a sweet, but brief, adventure on your DS.

Related:

• Official Website