Pokemon-inspired iPhone game Little Masters battling onto the App Store tomorrow

Little Masters is battling onto the UK App Store later tonight, which should be good news for all you lapsed Pokemon fans.

Riida's iPhone game is out now on the New Zealand App Store, you see, which means it'll be available in the UK at around midnight.

The App Store is full of games 'inspired' by famous console series, but Little Masters is one of the cheekiest we've ever seen. It's all about collecting little fantastical monsters, training them up, and sending them into battle.

Okay, so it isn't the first game to copy that particular premise, but just take a look at the artwork. It's got that familiar 16-bit top-down JRPG style, the spiky-haired protagonist - heck, even the monster design is a cheeky lift. In place of Pikachu and Charizzard, try Whiscat and Pyreft.

Still, if the developer can nail even half of Pokemon's easy-going charm and compulsive collecting appeal, it'll be onto a winner. There's also the intriguing addition of real-time multiplayer battles over wi-fi or mobile networks.