The Pokémon franchise has seen its fair share of spin-offs since the franchise began. Some worked (Snap, Stadium), some didn't (Dash, Box) and some choices were just downright unexpected (Learning with Pokémon: Typing Adventure).  Pokémon Conquest falls into both the first and last category.

When Pokémon Conquest was announced in Japan (under the name Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition) it sounded strange enough that many assumed it would never get released in the West, particularly as the franchise is 20 years old and has never left Japan.

Set in feudal Japan, you take on the role of a young warlord with a trusty Eevee as s/he aims to overthrow (in a child-friendly manner) the warlords that preside over the 17 kingdoms of Ransei. It all plays out very sweetly (as feudal Japanese warlords weren't known to say "well done, I'm impressed" upon being overthrown) and is hardly the most complicated but it works well as a backdrop for the gameplay.

The tactical RPG plays a bit like Final Fantasy Tactics and Advance Wars, with your Pokémon dropped onto a battlefield to beat your enemies Pokémon. You can move within a limited area and then either wait or fight, depending on if you're close enough to an enemy. You can also use a 'Warrior' move, a unique move that each of the 200-odd Pokémon has, which generally acts as a stats boost.

Pokémon Conquest adds some variation and twists to the gameplay; with certain moves being done from a distance, traps to avoid and certain areas (e.g. water, fire) only being traversable by particular types of Pokémon. These variations keep things interesting and help to create a bigger challenge.

Just like in the main titles, Pokémon elements become important in battle. Each of the warlords run an army featuring Pokémon belonging to a certain element. Being able to exploit elemental weaknesses will make the task much easier, although you can of course battle through.

As you progress throughout the title you'll recruit more warlords, and consequently their Pokémon, and delegate them to different kingdoms that you have conquered. The strategic elements increase throughout Pokémon Conquest, meaning that rather than becoming stale the title actually becomes more enjoyable and challenging as you work your way through.

Recruiting warlords requires you to beat them in battle, although there are some further stipulations that are explained once and never again. This is a problem that plagues Pokémon Conquest, key information comes and goes never to be seen again and considering how much text you have to read through it can be easy to skip past it without realising.

Warriors and Pokémon can build a stronger 'link', with battles building that link until it hits the 100% maximum. Pokémon can only achieve a 100% link with their ideal master, although it is not possible to ascertain this easily. While battling wild Pokémon you get an indication in the form of medals but it's hardly an accurate system. However, much like elements within the main games this extra level of strategy and depth can be disregarded and not affect your enjoyment or progression

You must delegate your warriors to the kingdoms you have overtaken, due to threat of attack from other warlords according to the game. In actuality it is a pretty empty threat and it just becomes a place to store your warlords, and thus their Pokémon, until you need them. Swapping around warlords, which requires you to 'march' them from one kingdom to the other, is clumsy but functional.

Overall Pokémon Conquest isn't a shining example of the genre, but rather a good attempt and a well balanced integration of the beloved franchise. Some parts work well and some parts don't. It is certainly interesting seeing the Pokémon we know and love featured in feudal Japan and adds to the (rather loose) wider canon of their historical existence developed in the other games and anime.

The storyline isn't particularly complex but it is interesting enough, and very slightly touches upon Japanese history (albeit in a child-friendly way), and the gameplay is surprisingly deep and enjoyable. Pokémon Conquest will take you many hours to complete and is a great game to keep you entertained during the summer. It could easily be written off as a timekiller until Pokémon Black & White 2 comes out but that would discredit the genuine fun that you can have in Pokémon Conquest.