Pokemon and Nobunaga come together for this interesting crossover idea that is actually pretty well done.
Pokémon Conquest takes place in the world of Rensei, a land full of Warriors and their Pokémon partners. There is a legend in Rensei that says if a Warrior unites the land, the creator of Rensei will appear before said Warrior. Nobunaga, a mighty warrior, has decided to wage war against Rensei and unite the land to obtain the creator of Rensei…and destroy it. So, it's up to you to go and save the world.
Rensei is divided into 17 different countries, each focusing on a different type of Pokémon (Fire, Grass, Water, etc). You must move your army to each country and take out its Warlord. Once you defeat him/her in combat, you will obtain their country. Now, you can obtain other warriors and set them to defend each country that you own. Because your enemies are just as jazzed to battle you as you are to knock their faces in.
In each country, you will find a couple things. An item shop (self explanatory), ponigeri shop (an item that raises tension, which allows Pokémon to fight better), a mine (where you can get money), and couple areas where you can fight warriors and wild Pokémon. Some countries have special areas that do different things, but they generally have no real effect on your team.
Unlike most Pokémon games, your team is comprised of different warriors, each with their own Pokemon. Up to 6 Pokémon can join you on the battlefield, and you will move your Pokémon around to take on the opposing army. During your turn, you will move your Pokémon, Attack with your Pokémon, use items (which must be equipped before battle), and use your Warlord Powers, which give you a boost in battle. The battle ends when one side runs out of Pokémon. Though, some battles are won through obtaining Banners and holding them for a set number of turns (or, sometimes, just getting all of the Banners will earn you victory when you get the last one).
Each Pokémon only has 1 attack. This adds a degree of strategy, as they have different ways of hitting a foe. For example, Quick Attack can hit something directly in front of the Pokémon. Ember, however, can only hit an enemy Pokémon that is two squares away. There are a variety of different attack types, and it's good to have a team with different types of attacks.
Obtaining Pokémon is much easier in Conquest then in any game prior. To obtain Pokemon, you must Link with them. This is done by moving your Pokémon next to a wild Pokémon and selecting the Link option. Once you've selected the option, you will be entered into a rhythm based mini-game. In this game, there is a circle at one end of the screen and light balls that go across the screen to the circle. You have to press A when the ball enters the circle. Doing this will raise a tiny meter slightly with each successful press. When the meter is filled, you will obtain the Pokémon. It's not that hard.
The inclusion of the Nobunaga's Ambition characters really doesn't feel like a tack on in this game. Their inclusion feels very natural and the Pokémon that are teamed with the characters are very fitting. For a crossover that I originally thought was going to tank, it was very well done. It took about 10 hours to complete the main narrative. There are extra story mode chapters available after completing the main story, as well as downloadable chapters available via Wi-Fi. The soundtrack was also better then I was expecting.
The only negative I've found is that the menus are really hard to use. I was about half way through the game before I found out how to switch Pokémon. And I was almost at the end of the game before I figured out how to equip items. But, outside of this, there aren't a whole lot of problems with the game.
If you want a different kind of Pokémon game, and you have about $35 to throw around, I highly recommend Conquest.