Not prone to review games on retrolio, I felt I just had to give a hearty thumbs-up to this very solid and highly-addictive strategy RPG by Atlus. Having played a number of strategy RPGs in the past (including Fire Emblem, Disgaea, and Final Fantasy Tactics) I was expecting more of the same. Instead, I encounted an innovative game that perfectly blends an Atlus Shin Megami Tensei RPG (characterized by dark, occult-based story-lines and customizable demon sidekicks, ala pokemon) with a grid-based strategy game.Although this might sound like an odd combination at first, once you delve into the game proper this odd formula becomes highly addictive and extremely rewarding. Yes, some of the battles are challenging, especially for someone who has limited experience with Shin Megami Tensei games and strategy RPGs. However, even the more challenging battles are quite winnable with a good bit of foresight and a well-equipped party.For this reason, I'm giving the game a perfect 5 out of 5, as Atlus accomplished exactly what they set out to do: which is to create a genuine Shin Megami Tensei-style adventure that fits perfectly on the DS handheld. Buy it, play it, love it.... you won't be disappointed. :)