For RPG gamers the advent of the Game Boy was a dream come true. As any fan of this genre can tell you that there is never enough time to play an RPG, so having the ability to take the game with you on the go allows more time for what's important…building up your experience points! At the 2006 E3 Expo several new RPG games for the Game Boy Advance were rolled out. Some stuck with the tried and true format that has been popular since the classic NES turn-based systems, while others developed new approaches to the battle systems.
This is an especially good year for fans of Japanese style RPGs as the majority of the titles previewed were from Atlus U.S.A. Atlus has made quite a name for themselves by bringing popular titles from Japan to the shores of North America. Their booth ran the gambit of different styles, from the more action oriented Battle B-Daman and Summon Night: Swordcraft Story, to the strategy based Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation, and finally the card based Yggdra Union. The games were in various stages of completion, some still in Japanese, but they each proved to be strong titles from the land of the rising sun.
Traditional Japanese RPGs aren’t the only one still in style, Capcom unveiled the latest addition in their popular series, MegaMan Battle Network 6, and Vivendi Universal Games demoed a special sneak peak at their traditional RPG, Eragon. MegaMan Battle Network 6 has something for everyone, mixing traditional RPG, arcade style action and card-based gameplay. Capcom is releasing this latest chapter in two different editions, Cybeast Gregar and Cybeast Falzar. Ironically the best old school style RPG at the show is based on the upcoming movie, Eragon. Vivendi Universal isn't exactly known for this particular genre; as a matter of fact this is their first for the GBA, and based on the crowds around the demo you can tell it's going to be a winner.