Great RPG's on handheld systems have been few and far between, with some rare exceptions being Crisis Core and Golden Sun, but you can usually count on the Tales series to deliver something great. And with Tales of Hearts R, Bandai once again brings an exceptional entry in the long-running series out of Japan. R manages to keep the pace going brilliantly while in-battle, allowing you to use the "chase link" system to deliver some amazing combos to your enemies. The flow between each confrontation doesn't come off like a traditional RPG, but that's what makes it work so very well. As you continue to increase each skill using the Soma system, you'll begin to notice that despite the relatively simple system, it's actually quite efficient in the way it allows you to customize the most important areas. It's a thrilling mix of combat and character, exactly what great RPG's are made of.
