Tecmo Robocalypse

Name: Tecmo Robocalypse
Rating: 3.50
Author: GamePro staff

Robocalypse aims to fill the DS' RTS void.

GamePro staff

GamePro (online)

14/11/08

Expert Rating

3.50 / 5

Pros

Simple and fun take on the RTS genre, good variety of missions and unit types

Cons

Questionable AI, selecting individual units can be difficult at times

Bottom Line

An interesting take on the RTS genre for the DS, Robocalypse won't blow your mind but it's a fun way to kill a few hours.

Would you buy this?

Yes 2
No 0

Price
TBA (AUD)

I'm surprised there aren't more RTS titles on the DS. The stylus and dual screens seem like a natural fit for the genre but aside from a handful of titles, it's sort of slim pickings for RTS fans. Robocalypse aims to fill that void with a robotic take on the genre that, for the most part, succeeds.

I'm surprised there aren't more RTS titles on the DS. The stylus and dual screens seem like a natural fit for the genre but aside from a handful of titles, the RTS genre has been sort of overlooked on Nintendo's handheld. Robocalypse aims to fill that void with a simplistic robot combat title that more or less succeeds.

The story takes place in a factory where prototype robots and toasters are being produced-talk about an odd combination! But when military combat routines are accidentally installed into the new robots, it turns them into strategic killers. To save humanity, a factory worked named Myron creates a new batch of robots that have been implanted with the brain scans of retired World War II vets. The setup's pretty wacky but the gameplay definitely relies on tried-and-true RTS conventions.

The Campaign mode offers 17 unique missions complete with hidden objectives and a reward system for meeting specific criteria. There's also a good variety to the unit and weapon types, with each robot possessing its own set of skills and armaments. You control the action with a simple point and click interface that's complimented by an Action Flag system that greatly reduces the difficulty of commanding multiple units but it can be frustrating to search for a specific unit, especially in the heat of battle. Your bots are smart enough to make some decisions on their own but I noticed some questionable behavior every now and again.

Despite these issues, I still liked the game's unique style and I'm happy to see the DS getting more RTS love. It's an easy game to pick up and I would recommend it to RTS lovers who game on the go. It won't make you forget about Starcraft II or the new Red Alert but it's a good way to kill a few hours.