Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy Announced for 3DS in Japan

During the recent Nintendo 3DS Direct in Europe, it was announced that the third entry in the Inazuma Eleven handheld series would be coming to Europe this summer. As it's the 3DS version (not DS) it seems to be the enhanced edition that was part of a trilogy release in Japan — no trilogy was mentioned, so it looks like Nintendo of Europe is happy for Inazuma Eleven and Inazuma Eleven 2 to remain as DS-only releases. If that's the case, it's a pity that the rather tasty trilogy offering isn't being recreated, but the Japanese market had enjoyed all three titles for a good while before the remake package was released.

Even with that upcoming release, Europe is still lagging far behind, as the series games keep coming thick and fast in Japan. 3DS-exclusives and spin-offs Inazuma Eleven GO and Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone have already had plenty of time to settle in, and today it's been confirmed that yet another GO title is heading to 3DS in Nintendo's homeland. Revealed in CoroCoro magazine, this one will be called Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy; it'll be the third GO title and sixth handheld release in total.

Considering the fact we haven't have a whiff of the first GO game in Europe, this is one for importers that own a Japanese 3DS to look forward to. The Inazuma franchise is hugely popular in Japan, which explains the frequency of game releases, but the handheld games in particular are rather fun and enjoyable, making the slow localisation a frustrating affair. If you're a soccer/fantasy RPG fan in North America, meanwhile, you have our sympathies — none of the titles have made it over the Atlantic, probably due to Nintendo of Europe picking up the publishing duties and Nintendo of America not being inclined to do the same.

Based on the current speed of localisations, we reckon 2015 for this one in Europe, if at all. Still, maybe we'll get very lucky and enjoy these GO titles sooner.