Square Enix's Mana series was critically acclaimed but for reasons unknown, the quality has taken a nose dive with the company pumping out uninspired sequels. Heroes of Mana for DS is the latest casualty, a game with solid controls but lackluster gameplay.

The game doesn't abandon its real-time combat roots, but replaces action with strategy. The DS with its stylus seem perfectly suited to utilize the mechanics that RTS fans know and love, and this is really the only place Heroes shines. Tapping the screen to select a target may take a few tries every once in a while due to the small size of character sprites, but it is still quite functional. Selecting a group is achieved by circling the units the player wishes to select, which feels much more satisfying than most console work-arounds.

Yet, the developers hampered this ease of control with far too many odd design choices that end up making what should be a walk in the park a cumbersome chore. Gameplay is frequently interrupted with conversation between characters, forcing players to constantly wade through the unspectacular dialogue and story elements. If that doesn't slow players down, the combat's slow pace will. For a real time strategy game, things rarely get frantic.

The game's complexity provides depth for those who love to micromanage and supervise resource intake, but when that style of play gets mixed with the unfolding of an epic, RPG-like story, there is very little time left for the actual fun of battle.