| Introduction
Titles like 'Command and Conquer' have dominated
both the PC and console markets for some time now and
RTS purists will tell you that there's no better way
to spend your time. Mech Platoon is the first of this
type to appear on the GBA and for good reasons too.
Most RTS's have complicated user interfaces with not
only the mouse but a fair few keys being used, not to
mention the weighty manuals which accompany them. I
first encountered this game in the ECTS late last year
where, although it was still not a complete product,
it certainly showed promise. Hopefully it's retained
those early signs of being an original and desirable
GBA title and not, as so often happens, fallen short
of what we expect.
GamePlay
For those of you who haven't played a Real Time Strategy
the object is reasonably simple but actually accomplishing
it can sometimes be incredibly difficult. Unlike a title
like 'Worms' (which is turn based) two teams simultaneously
battle it out in order to fulfill an objective or criteria.
This can range from a simple building instruction to
multiple explore and destroy missions. In addition this
is a non-linear approach to the gameplay as there will
always be multiple paths that can be taken to complete
a task or even a whole mission. What separates an average
RTS from a classic is the depth and attention to detail
and what you have in Mech Platoon is an incredibly complex
and immersive experience.
Dealing with the complexity is another matter and
although the handy tutorial takes you through your paces
there's still a lot to master. You'll start out with
very simple tasks such as mining various minerals using
droids. It's important to note here that different minerals
have very different properties. This allows you to build
more factories and so build more droids and other equipment
essential to your campaign. Obviously the more robots
you have working on a given task the quicker it will
be completed. The gameplay gets a little more complicated
when the other team starts to attack and multi-tasking
comes into play as you're not only attempting to defend
your base but also replenish lost or damaged infantry
in your newly completed factories. One handy little
piece of kit at your disposal is the map where everything
is depicted as small icons. Success relies on planning
and strategic thinking and you'll quickly realised that
this really is a game where practice makes perfect.
Although we haven't tried out the two player option
the fact that the developers had the good sense to add
this feature is a bonus. Don't get me wrong this is
a very challenging and playable title in it's own right
but there's nothing like playing against another 'real'
player. Of course they'll only be sitting across the
table but with the GBA's lack of any Internet capability
this really is the best you'll get at present. Finally
everything is saved automatically so picking up the
game from where you left off is as simple as choosing
the 'continue' option from the menu.
Controls
As mentioned in the introduction this is the reason
that a RTS has not been attempted in the past so designing
a user friendly interface was critical to the success
of Mech Platoon. Fortunately this has all been taken
care of. The manual that accompanies the game surprisingly
thin due to the excellent tutorial mode that launches
the game. Everything from battle to building is explained.
The developers have kept everything very simple so after
this initial briefing you should be more than ready
to go into battle.
Graphics
Things kick off with the most amazing FMV clip I
have ever seen on a handheld and the visuals alone would
be enough to give this title a very high rating. In-game
visuals consist mainly of menu systems with very clear
text but the animated battles are wonderful, you'll
be holding your breath hoping that your tank can take
that one last hit. In fact, everything is of a very
high standard and almost identical to what you'd find
on a PC based RTS some five years ago but the fact it's
on a handheld system now is amazing.
Sound & Music
As with the graphics all the audio is of an amazingly
high standard. The intro FMV is accompanied by a wonderful
and very clear sample and the actual in-game sound effects
are just as good. The background music utilises the
GBA's sound chip to produce a kind of electronic battle
theme which is very effective. Overall Kemco have excelled
once again and produced a title which is not only pleasing
to the eyes but the ears too.
Final Comments
Although this title always looked promising it was
also highly ambitious and therefore questionable as
to whether Kemco could actually pull the whole thing
off. The good news is that they have so handheld owners
everywhere can now enjoy the same type of RTS experience
that PC owners have been raving about for years. The
depth and attention to detail employed both in design
and presentation is really quite admirable and the fact
that this isn't on the most powerful piece of hardware
doesn't appear to have daunted the developers at all.
This is a full-on title for fans of this genre and with
the addition of two player mode and heaps of missions
you'd be a fool to let this one pass you by.
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