During Level-5 Vision 2016 the esteemed Japanese studio showed the trailer for the anime pilot episode of Inazuma Eleven Ares, the next entry in the popular soccer-based RPG franchise.

The title takes place after the events of the very first Inazuma Eleven game. Three main protagonists are included this time around - Ryouhei Haizaki, Asuto Inamori and Yuuma Nosaka - and the series is expected to make its debut in Japan next year.

Sadly no information was given about the video game version of Inazuma Eleven Ares. This could indicate that it's headed to to NX, which is yet to be officially shown off - hence the lack of solid info in this case. If it were headed to 3DS then they would surely be no reason to hold back confirmation. A smartphone version is also expected.

However, Level-5 did confirm that Ares will launch alongside a special NFC-enabled "Eleven Band" which tracks your steps and uses that data to boost characters in the game.

While it's naturally too early to talk about a western release, previously titles in the series have seen release in Europe. What do you make of this latest episode? Does the Eleven Band interest you? Let us know with a comment.

[source perfectly-nintendo.com]