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Posts with tag mecha

Metareview: Drone Tactics



Drone Tactics launched a few days ago in the U.S., introducing a novel combination of insects and strategy to our DSes. The game already appeared as one of our suggested alternatives to Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, so how does it stack up against Intelligent Systems' gem? Look! Some people answered that question for us:

Game Informer -- 70%: Game Informer's Adam Biessener served up a second opinion on Joe Juba's review, remarking how Atlus' game isn't what it first appears to be: "At first glance, this seems to be yet another piece of kid-friendly shovelware, but there's actually a decent game hiding under the sub-Saturday morning cartoon presentation. The RPG elements in this grid-based battler are thin but well thought out, and the combat itself features several reasonably balanced rock-paper-scissors relationships that make for interesting tactical decisions."

Nintendo Power -- 70%: Nintendo Power follows a similar tune, snickering at the story, but praising the core gameplay: "The result is a storyline that will elicit nothing but eye-rolls and nasal snorts from anyone over 12, but the game at the core of Drone Tactics is surprisingly well-made." [June 2008, p.87 -- excerpt found at Metacritic]

Games Radar -- 80%: Meanwhile, Games Radar gave Drone Tactics its best review to date, singling out the title's lifespan and customization options as the best bits: "Another high point is the high level of customization the game allows. You choose the paint jobs and decorative emblems. You choose the bugs that go into each battle. You decide the weapons and armor that each bug carries into battle. You even get to put together your own deck of preferred battle cards. The further you go in the story mode, the more your insect army starts to feel uniquely "yours." [...] It'll take you 40-plus hours to finish the story mode. Longer if you try to complete all of the optional badlands missions. That's 40-plus hours worth of awesome battles and addictive customizing."

Gallery: Drone Tactics

More creepy crawler machines introduced in Drone Tactics

In the latest batch of Drone Tactics screens, we get to see some new insect mecha. These drones, which are part of the "Black Swarm," include a centipede, cockroach, moth, and spider. From the amount of different units available and their varying strengths and weaknesses, this title is looking just as deep and challenging as Advance Wars.

It's still another month before we'll be able to get our hands on this game, but you can bet we're looking forward to it. Which drone do you guys find to be the coolest looking so far?

Gallery: Drone Tactics



[Via press release]

Front Mission 2089 screens: no robots allowed

Much like the first trailer for Square Enix's Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness (and to a certain extent the boxart), the company has decided to emphasize the storyline in the latest screen update about the SRPG. And "storyline" is a euphemism for "the part that doesn't involve awesome big fighting robots."

What we get is an introduction to the Vampires, the mercenary unit who are the major opponents in the game. They have mythologically-influenced names like "Golem" and "Chimera," and they wear very complex, futuristic pants. With metal plates and stuff attached. They pilot black Wanzers with mysterious specs and capabilities. The robots' legs are entirely metal, thus eliminating the need for separate metal pants.

Boxart battle: Emblem of Gundam vs Front Mission 2089



Above, we have the covers for two upcoming strategy titles, Emblem of Gundam and Front Mission 2089. Both series have similar themes -- giant mechas battling it out against an intricate backdrop of political drama -- so it's startling to see the different approaches in their packaging designs.

Front Mission 2089 puts more emphasis on its character lineup, masking a lone Wanzer in the mist, and the result is a lusterless jacket that looks as unexciting as the starring crew's listless expressions. Emblem of Gundam's cover has more action to it, giving its mobile suits and story characters even billing. One guy is flying through space with a rapier! Another has a gun! And a massive Gundam oversees the entire scene, jets blasting and fingers positioned like a master pianist preparing his next attack. This is how you design a box!

Today's lesson: If you have huge robots, use them. Pilot your mecha past the post break for a better look at the two covers.

Continue reading Boxart battle: Emblem of Gundam vs Front Mission 2089

We think Drone Tactics is still okay

At first, we were excited about Drone Tactics for obvious reasons: insect mecha. What's not to love about skinny, metallic antenna waving around in the middle of battle? But lately, the pithy one-liners we've seen in the screenshots are starting to win us over. On the face, these short lines of dialogue don't seem too important, but the "Booyas" and fools' deaths, we're finding the characters charming, if a little clichéd. Who knew we would look beyond the bugs? Check out the latest screens in our already-packed gallery and perhaps you'll agree.

Gallery: Drone Tactics


[Via press release]

DS Fanboy Review: Front Mission


Good things often come in small packages (see also: the DS), and sometimes, they even come in small doses. That's the best way to describe Front Mission, the tactical strategy title that originally debuted on the Super Nintendo, and has now come to the DS. The re-packaged port looks good in its transition to the DS, even without having too much done to it -- not that the series, which hasn't ever achieved major popularity despite being fully awesome -- really needed much more than a spit-shine.

But just what is Front Mission? It's an epic tale of giant stompy robots, known here as "wanzers." The story begins in 2090, and two major powers, the O.C.U. and U.C.S., are about to undertake a war of epic proportions. In this version, you can choose either side in battle, though the game recommends that newcomers not only go through the tutorial, but begin with O.C.U. as well.

Gallery: Front Mission DS

Continue reading DS Fanboy Review: Front Mission

Super Robot Discount 2

Has your anxiety for Front Mission DS's distant October release become unmanageable, affecting your work and love life? If it's any consolation, you can get your mecha SRPG fix with Banpresto's Super Robot Taisen: Original Generations.

Atlus, the North American publisher behind this chibi-robot game, is notorious for its low print runs, but finding a copy won't be hard at all. GameQuest Direct has marked the GBA title down to $9.99, half of its usual price! Get it while the getting's good!

[Via CAG]

Front Mission 1st promotional trailer

Preparing for Front Mission 1st's March 22nd release in Japan, Square Enix has released a two-minute promotional video for the futuristic SRPG. The trailer features a touchscreen demonstration and several dozen gameplay clips bookended with two gorgeous FMV scenes.

Players will command an army of customizable mechas, directing their turn-based skirmishes over a 21st century battlefield. While Front Mission 1st will be a remake of the identically-titled 2003 Playstation game (already an enhanced port of the first 1995 SNES original), this first entry to the Front Mission series has never seen an official North American release. Most of the screenshots at the Front Mission 1st site indicate that essential menus will be in English, but the Japanese-heavy dialogue and plot text is still a high barrier for possible importers.

[Via NeoGAF]

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