Your tank is in my fantasy!

Remember Ring of Red?  The tactical RPG about an alternate history Japan divided and conquered by the Nazis and Soviets in the bizarro Cold War?  With its various infantry classes supporting giant diesel powered walking tanks and hybrid grid and third person action views?  I don't think so.  It was a great game, but just too durned hard and unforgiving for me to finish.  But why do that when its spiritual successor is on the PS3?

So there's Valkyria Chronicles.  The graphics are reminiscent of the sketch and watercolor style of the newly remade Final Fantasy Tactics.  The setting feels like something in Ace Combat's ancient past, what with the contorted but vaguely familiar continents and country names.  The cultural setting feels like World War II, fought with 1920s technology, fought by people out of the Crimean War.  And there's a bunch of coed draftees around and old yet somehow most advanced evar tank.

Good times.

Also joined the legion of DS owners, and have been skirmishing through Final Fantasy Tactics A2.  It's more of a remake of FFTA than a sequel so far, and it feels much more polished, which is just great for a game that was a polished and less spiky version of the original FFT of old.  (Both that and Disgaea on the PSP are more unforgiving and leveling-intensive).  So FFTA2 will probably be my DS game of choice for a while... apparently there's a new Valkyrie Profile coming to the DS soon!

Game on.