Inazuma Eleven available today on 3DS eShop

Level-5's soccer role-playing game Inazuma Eleven is available today on the Nintendo 3DS eShop in North America and Europe, it was announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation.

Inazuma Eleven is downloadable only and available for $19.99. The game follows a young goalkeeper who sets out to found a soccer club at his high school. The game includes nearly 1000 playable characters with different skill attributes to recruit and send onto the field in soccer matches. Gameplay is also split into two parts: story-focused role-playing game-like sections in which the main characters search for recruits and needed items, and soccer matches against AI teams.

Players can level up their players and award them stat boosts so they perform better on the field. There is a heavy emphasis on shooting the ball and using characters' special attacks.

Inazuma Eleven launched for Nintendo DS in Japan in 2008. The game spawned six sequels — two on DS, three spin-off titles on Nintendo Wii and one, Inazuma Eleven GO, for Nintendo 3DS — as well as a manga, collectible card game and anime television series based on the games. Some of the handheld titles have been released in Europe, but none have been released in North America to date.