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Good: Charming adventure, surprising amount of depth, slime control is simple and fun, multiplayer tank battles

Bad: Doesn't really utilize the touch screen

Record: Dirtiest title for an E-rated game ever

Last fall, Square Enix released a little RPG gem by the name of Dragon Quest VIII that managed to introduce the Japanese mega-series to a whole new set of gamers this side of the Pacific. With the DS spin-off Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, it looks like that fan base will only continue to grow. Rocket Slime puts the spotlight on one of Dragon Quest's most basic monsters and gives him a simple, charming, and ultimately entertaining adventure of his own.

The story is very basic, but its charm is one of the keys to the game's appeal. Players take the role of Rocket, a little blue slime that lives in a town called Boingburg on the island of Slimenia. One day, his town is attacked by a group of monsters called the Plob, and by chance, Rocket is the only one not kidnapped (sorry, slimenapped). The main goal of the game is to rescue all 100 citizens of Boingburg and to restore the town to its former glory. Sure, it's a pretty simple story, but it works given the sheer amount of charm that's crammed in.

Another important part of the game's success is the simple nature of the gameplay. When you get down to it, the only thing you really have to do in Rocket Slime is slingshot your character around the levels to pick up items, solves puzzles, defeat enemies, break objects, etc. Most of the game is spent holding the A-button to charge up Rocket's Elasto Blast, and then aiming with the directional pad to send him flying. It sounds like a very simple setup, and in all reality it is. However, the wide variety of applications for this maneuver helps prevent things from becoming monotonous. By slinging into enemies and items, Rocket can also vault them into the air and then catch them on his back. While carrying them on his back, he can then launch them at other enemies to inflict damage or toss them on carts located throughout the levels to send them back to town.

Despite the simplistic control scheme, Rocket Slime has a lot to do. One of the most important aspects of the game is the tank battling. Early in the adventure, players will acquire the ability to summon forth a giant blob-shaped battle tank to wage battle against other tanks. Doing so makes great use of the DS's dual screens, as players maneuver Rocket on the bottom screen while keeping track of tank health and enemy positions using the top screen.

Gameplay during these battles is comprised of moving Rocket throughout your tank, picking up ammo, and then launching it at the enemy using your tank's cannons. As the game progresses, a number of other strategic options become available as well. These include upgrading the tank's hit points, selecting your tank's arsenal from all of the items you've collected, and putting together your crew from the slimes you've rescued.

Different slimes have different abilities including loading the cannons, healing your teammates, and infiltrating the enemy tank. Selecting a well-rounded team and issuing them orders during battle adds a nice layer of strategy to these battles and really lends the game a lot of depth.

Even better, Rocket Slime offers wireless multiplayer in which you can pit your customized tank against your friends in battle. Considering how fast and fun these battles are, the multiplayer options go a long way in extending the replay value beyond the already sizeable single-player adventure.

As for visuals, Rocket Slime looks very good, thanks heavily to its fun and colorful art style. The animations are often humorous, and the citizens of Boingburg look surprisingly unique, despite all of them being slimes. The levels also look very good, giving a nice sense of atmosphere in each of the game's different environments. While it might have been nice to see a little more use of the DS's 3-D capabilities, the overall graphical package is so charming, it's hard to complain.

The game's sound is exceptional, and fits the mood of the game perfectly. Music is for the most part upbeat and very nicely orchestrated. Sound effects are varied and always capture the game's light-hearted nature. Like the rest of the game, things are kept simple sound-wise, and that's perfectly fine.

Rocket Slime really is a blast to play. It offers a lengthy quest that's packed with depth, personality, and above all, fun. The only complaint I could really raise against it is that it doesn't fully utilize the DS's touch screen and graphical capabilities, but even that's minor. Rocket Slime is still great without them.

Graphics: 7.9

Sound: 9.3

First Play: 9.0

Replay Value: 8.9

Gameplay: 9.2

Overall: 9.0