Play Inazuma Eleven 2 - Blizzard (eu) Online

Inazuma Eleven 2: Blizzard came out in 2009 for the Nintendo DS, developed by Level-5. It was part of a wave of DS games that really used the touch screen for something other than menus. This one was a soccer RPG, which felt like a strange mix at the time, but it worked.

You control Mark Evans and his Raimon soccer team, navigating the world from a top-down view, talking to people, and getting into random encounters that are full soccer matches. Your main goal is to win the Football Frontier International tournament, which means traveling to different locations and beating increasingly tough teams. The signature mechanics are building your team by recruiting new players you meet and mastering special moves, called hissatsu techniques, by leveling up and combining abilities. The pacing is brisk, with matches that can be surprisingly difficult if you haven't grinded your team's levels or learned the right techniques to break through an opponent's defense. It feels like managing a sports team where every pass and shot is a tactical decision.