Play Pokemon Conquest (EU) Online

Game Overview

Pokémon Conquest is one of those weird, brilliant mashups that shouldn’t work but totally does. Imagine Fire Emblem, but with Pokémon—you’re leading little warlords and their monster buddies across a feudal Japan-style map, taking over territories one turn-based battle at a time. At first, I thought the strategy layer would feel tacked on, but the way your Pokémon’s abilities sync up with terrain and positioning actually makes every fight matter.

You start with just one warrior and their partner Pokémon (mine was an Eevee, which felt fittingly scrappy), but soon you’re recruiting more fighters and their monsters by winning battles or convincing them to join you. Some pairings are surprisingly clever—like a ninja with a Zubat that blinds enemies, or a samurai rocking a fierce Arcanine. The battles themselves are quick but satisfying, especially when you pull off a well-timed move that flips the whole fight.

It’s not as deep as mainline Pokémon games, but the mix of light kingdom management and tactical combat gives it this weirdly addictive rhythm. You’ll take a castle, train up your team, then push forward again before the enemy lords regroup. And yeah, the pixel-art battle animations are still weirdly charming, even on the DS.

If you’ve ever wanted to see Pokémon through the lens of a war game, this is your best shot.