This is definitely a but of a rough and easy game in a lot of respects, but I still think that this is basically a masterpiece regardless and an absolutely hidden gem. There are few games I can think of that have been able to give me such a concentrated and extended amount of dopamine as this one has, but the charm combined with a selection of insanely creative and cool systems ended up barely leaving a moment where I wasn't grinning like a fool. For a fun, comfy sort of game, I also think that making it centred so heavily around the Dragon Quest slimes was an especially great choice because well, look at them!

Really most of what makes me appreciate this game so much is the fact that basically every aspect of it feels really, really clever in one way or another and manages to connect so many seemingly disparate elements into a really solid, easy to grasp gameplay loop that carries through the 12 or so hours it goes on for. Of these I think that the whole tank system is an especially awesome part of the game, both for how they work and the surprising amount of depth that can go into it, but also for the sheer spectacle. No matter how many times one of these tank battles would happen, I never got sick of controlling this 2 storey battle fortress and slowly destroying an enemy's equally massive battle fortress both from the inside and out. While it's not especially complex since this game was clearly targeted towards a relatively young audience, there's a lot of nuance to these encounters nonetheless, not only with your ammo choice, but also your crew and how you yourself interact with this lightly strategic real time battle.

This all ties nicely into the other half of the game, which is like a simplified take on the early top down Zelda titles but with some interesting twists on the formula, namely the carrying mechanic. Rather than having a wide array of tools at your disposal to use at any time, you instead can carry up to 3 items as a stack on your back, and these can be almost anything you find in the level. This not only can contribute to some neat puzzles here and there, but you can also choose to pick up what you find and transport it back to the city that acts as your home base, being able to recruit the enemies you've brought back into your party, and use the items you find as alchemy ingredients or even ammo for your tank. I love this idea because not only is this a really interesting, unconventional idea, to be able to take the raw items you find in the environment and use it as ammo, no matter what it is, but it also makes the game incredibly rewarding through and through, knowing that literally everything you find has another use that contributes to an ever strengthening repertoire.

While all of these above points would make for a very interesting game on its own, it's all wrapped up in a really comfy aesthetic, taking a selection of the cartoony Dragon Quest monsters, making them even smaller and cuter and then having a whole little goofy story with a lot of charming characters. Watching your village fill up with characters as the game progresses is absolutely lovely, and you can tell that there was some time dedicated to a lot of smaller details to really flesh things out. The fact that each of the approximately 120 NPCs in the town feel as if they have some distinct characteristic along with having entirely separate dialogue for if you decide to attack them is only one of the many extra tidbits Rocket Slime has to really flesh out the experience way beyond what one might expect from this little DS spin off title.

Regardless of how easy this game is (because frankly there were only 2 instances where I felt at all threatened), this is still a fantastic little game that is so full of charm and heart, and it's one that I could definitely see myself returning to in the future because it's so happy and comfy while also not being quite like any other game I've played. Highly recommend giving this a shot as long as you keep in mind that it is rather simplistic in a fair few ways, which might leave some people bored if they're looking for a consistent challenge, even if some post game stuff is nasty enough to really make you consider cool strategies and the like. Kinda wish this was the Dragon Quest spin off that got some more entries rather than the Monsters one, even though those games were pretty good as well.

This game has no right to slap as hard as it did. The tank battles are actually fun and in-depth; trying to look for and find every secret is satisfying, and each slime has its own personality. Being able to recruit the enemies by capturing them and sending them back to town is a fun idea, and well worth it. Really, the only bad thing I can think of is that the music could be more diverse and expansive. Actually, scratch that; the fact that none of the other games in this trilogy made it out of Japan is also bad.

This is my first time playing through this game in maybe 11 or 12 years? I found it for $7 at a GameStop years ago back when $10 games were all I could afford as a kid and big-name JRPGs were the apple of my eye. It’s some of the best sprite work I’ve seen in a 2D game on the DS. Great animations and designs for characters and the tanks. I wish so badly that this used the touch screen more since there are clear opportunities for it, but for a goofy spin-off aimed at younger audiences it is a great RPG and honestly stays really true to the Dragon Quest series, as well. I think where I have issues is that the tank battle gameplay is the only interesting gameplay, and exploring the overworld doesn’t come with many hurdles besides it being a bit of a slog and its puzzles a little obvious. But the tank gameplay is just stellar and I wish this game was out and about more because it seems like something that could’ve really developed a meta! Now that I’ve completed the story and saved all the slimes, I might take a break from this one, but I’d really like to come back and finish a lot of the side-stuff and dig my teeth deep into this one.