front mission parts brands

Front Mission (known in re-releases as Front Mission First) is a turn-based tactical role-playing game developed by G-craft and published by Square in 1995 for the Super Famicom. It is the first game in the Front Mission series and the second piece of media released under the Front Mission brand, the first being

Game progression in Front Mission proceeds in a linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up wanzers during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. The player travels to locations on a point-and-click world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map. Towns and cities act as intermission points where the player can organize, backtrack, and set up their units for the upcoming mission. Battle zones are where the missions take place, though they become inaccessible upon the completion of a mission.

In Front Mission, players use playable units called wanzers, a term for mecha derived from the German word Wanderpanzer, or "walking tank". A wanzer differs from the typical combat unit in that it has four modular parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs, in accordance with the MULS-P standard. Each part has a specific function and its own health bar. The legs parts enable movement and evasion, the arm parts are necessary to use hand and shoulder weapons, and the body part maintains the wanzer"s operability. In the event the body is destroyed, the wanzer is removed from play completely. Destruction of arm and leg parts does not remove the wanzer from play, but it severely cripples its performance. While the player fights mostly wanzers, vehicles, aircraft, and mobile weapons platforms are also featured. These enemy units generally have only one part, the body, and are much stronger than wanzers themselves.

In the customization aspect of Front Mission, wanzers can be customized with a variety of parts, computers, auxiliary backpacks, and weapons. The player has full control over customizing their wanzers and can do so as long as its total weight value does not exceed its given power output. To field a wanzer in battle, it must have a complete frame of parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Parts with built-in weapons in the body or arm sections can also be equipped on a wanzer. Computers improve the accuracy of the weapons equipped on the wanzer. Auxiliary backpacks and weapons are not mandatory equipment to use wanzers, but are crucial in order to progress through the video games. Auxiliary backpacks serve to give a wanzer special features during combat; they allow a wanzer to carry support items such as ammunition reloads and increase the power output of the unit, allowing it to carry heavier gear.

There are four classes of weapons: melee weapons, short-range weapons, long-range weapons, and support fire weapons. Melee weapons are weapons used at melee range and have a tendency to strike the body part of its target. Tonfas and rods are examples of melee weapons. Short-range weapons are weapons used at close range and deal damage to all parts of a target. Machine guns and shotguns are examples of short-range weapons. Long-range weapons are weapons that have long firing ranges and are ideal for avoiding counterattacks. Bazookas are examples of long-range weapons. Support fire weapons are indirect fire weapons; they can never be counterattacked, but have limited ammunition supply and minimum firing ranges. Missile launchers are examples of support fire weapons. Lastly, shields can be equipped on wanzers to absorb some of the damage taken from incoming attacks.

Front Mission has other notable features incorporated into the game. The arena is a unique feature in which the player can fight AI-controlled enemy combatants, or face another player to earn monetary rewards. Likewise, Front Mission sports a briefing feature that details basic information about the composition of enemy forces for the upcoming mission. Missions in Front Mission are traditional tactical RPG fare, ranging from destroying all enemy targets or protecting a particular allied target.

Set in 2090, the story of Front Mission takes place on Huffman Island and revolves around OCU captain Royd Clive. An OCU reconnaissance platoon led by Royd is assigned to investigate a USN munitions plant in the Larcus District, located on eastern Huffman Island. Upon reaching the premises, the platoon is ambushed by USN wanzers led by an officer named Driscoll. He quickly ambushes Karen Meure, Royd"s fiancée, and destroys her wanzer. As the two forces engage in battle, Driscoll detonates explosives inside the plant and escapes. The USN accuses the OCU of the attack, later known as the Larcus Incident, but the OCU insists that the incident was a set-up. Both sides soon declare war, setting off the 2nd Huffman Conflict. The OCU pins the blame of the incident on Royd"s platoon, discharging them from the military and classifying them as MIA during exercises. One year later, OCU colonel Guri B. Olson seeks him out at a wanzer arena in the town of Barinden. Using the prospect of killing the person responsible for Karen"s death, he manages to recruit Clive to the Canyon Crows mercenary outfit. With the Canyon Crows, Royd is assigned to help the OCU military reverse its fortunes and win the war.

In the DS remake, the connections with Front Mission 5 are fleshed out further through expanded and new scenes and the appearance of characters such as Glen Duval, Walter Feng, Randy O"Neill, and Hector Reynolds. The tie-ins with Zelt wanzer, and the inclusion of Darril Traubel and Billy Renges.

Front Mission is currently the game that has had the most ports and remakes overall in the franchise. The WonderSwan Color version was a simple port with no new content.

The game was released as Front Mission 1st for the PlayStation in 2003. This is the first version to feature new material, which included a new story campaign with the opportunity to play from the USN"s point of view.

The Nintendo DS version of Front Mission was a remake of Front Mission 1st. It released in Japan on March 22, 2007, and in North America on October 23, 2007. In this version, battle sequences are tuned to use the console"s dual screen setup for an easy view of the action, and can be sped up. The DS version also includes a number of changes and additions. Playable, large mobile weapons platforms previously seen as boss units in Front Mission"s SNES and PlayStation versions, as well as Numsekar from

Sakata Industries was a pharmaceutical, design, and wanzer manufacturing corporation. They play a prominent role in Front Mission as a major antagonist, working with Driscoll and colluded with the Republic of Zaftra on the B-Device project. In Front Mission 2089 they are minor antagonists along with the background specifics and lengths of their B-Device research being explored. They supplied wanzers to both the O.C.U and the U.S.N during the 2nd Huffman Conflict; Later being bought out by Iguchi Corporation following the B-Device research being revealed to the public and becoming a scandal.

After the establishment of Sakata Industries, it licensed other companies to largely handle WAP manufacture while designing the WAP parts and rapidly grew as a military-related company. The performance of their computers was highly evaluated. It outsourced the license to manufacture and sell some of it"s Wanzer designs to Iguchi Corp. (maintaining ownership via OEM contracts) as a way to expand and promote its products, lastly it was the only company in OCU to sell weapons to USN. They later formally subcontracted Iguchi to manufacture weapons and new WAP just before the Second Huffman Conflict.

Most Sakata Industries equipment is clarified in later titles surrounding Huffman Island where as in Front Mission First they appear to only be a Wanzer manufacturer.

Black knight is a deviation of the Scintilla Set. You will be able to purchase the black knight deviations later on, like in the mission 20s? The main bonus of the black knight set is that it has set bonus +5/10% max HP. Strikers get banged up a lot, so more max hp is nice. Since set bonuses also apply to deviations as well, you can do things like have a Black knight chest, and scintilla limbs since scintilla is lighter. Oh, and black knight chest has anti shock on top of +%max hp.

But Legaia was right on his FAQ, there is no best setup ever. Everyone has a different playstyle. I favor using the strongest weapons, quickly wiping out a squad, and repairing on the way to the next. (very nice for making those mission bonuses). So I like builds that have lots of free weight. If your playstyle doesn"t like targeting Jammers first, or you"re not too confident in your unit placement, things like status and damage type protection may seem more attractive to you. My best suggestion to you is play through the game with your starting set a bit, and choose wanzer parts based on what you want and how you play.

Front Missiontactical role-playing game developed by G-Craft and published by Square, and was released in Japan on February 24, 1995 for the Super Famicom. Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission is part of a serialized storyline that follows the stories of various characters and their struggles involving mecha known as wanzers.WonderSwan Color in Japan on July 12, 2002.

A port of the game developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd. was released for the PlayStation in Japan on October 23, 2003, titled Front Mission 1st.Nintendo DS with more additional content and was released in Japan on March 22, 2007. Only the Nintendo DS port, renamed as Front Mission, was released in North America on October 23, 2007. This release marked the third time that a Front Mission title was localized and published outside Japan.

Game progression in Front Mission proceeds in a linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up wanzers during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. The player travels to locations on a point-and-click world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map. Towns and cities act as intermission points where the player can organize and set up their units for the upcoming mission. Battle zones are where the missions take place, though they become inaccessible upon the completion of a mission.

In Front Mission, players use playable units called wanzers, a term for mecha derived from the German word Wanderpanzer, or "walking tank".modular parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Each part has a specific function and its own health bar.

In the customization aspect of Front Mission, wanzers can be customized with a variety of parts, computers, auxiliary backpacks, and weapons. The player has full control over customizing their wanzers and can do so as long as its total weight value does not exceed its given power output. To field a wanzer in battle, it must have a complete frame of parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Parts with built-in weapons in the body or arm sections can also be equipped on a wanzer. Computers improve the accuracy of the weapons equipped on the wanzer. Auxiliary backpacks and weapons are not mandatory equipment to use wanzers, but are crucial in order to progress through the games. Auxiliary backpacks serve to give a wanzer special features during combat; they allow a wanzer to carry support items such as ammunition reloads and increase the power output of the unit, allowing it to carry heavier gear.

There are four classes of weapons: melee weapons, short-range weapons, long-range weapons, and support fire weapons. Melee weapons are weapons used at melee range and have a tendency to strike the body part of its target. Tonfas and rods are examples of melee weapons. Short-range weapons are weapons used at close range and deal damage to all parts of a target. Machine guns and shotguns are examples of short-range weapons. Long-range weapons are weapons that have long firing ranges and are ideal for avoiding counterattacks. Bazookas are examples of long-range weapons. Support fire weapons are indirect fire weapons; they can never be counterattacked, but have limited ammunition supply and minimum firing ranges. Missile launchers are examples of support fire weapons. Lastly, shields can be equipped on wanzers to absorb some of the damage taken from incoming attacks.

Front Mission has other notable features incorporated into the game. The Arena is a unique feature in which the player can fight AI-controlled enemy combatants to earn monetary rewards. Likewise, Front Mission sports a briefing feature that details basic information about the composition of enemy forces for the upcoming mission. Missions in Front Mission are traditional tactical RPG fare, ranging from destroying all enemy targets or protecting a particular allied target.

Set in 2090, the story of Front Mission takes place on Huffman Island, a fictional Pacific Ocean island roughly the size of Oahu, created by volcanic activity south of Mexico"s west coast in 1995.United Nations control. However, in 2020, the United States of the New Continent (USN), a unification of North American and South American countries, made a bid for control of the island after withdrawing from the United Nations.South Asia, South East Asia and Australia that was created in 2025, dispute this claim when the two superpowers colonized the island in 2065.Huffman Crisis in 2086, when a series of skirmishes across the island causes chaos. Tensions flare up and end in war when the OCU is blamed for inciting the Larcus Incident on June 3, 2090.

The plot of Front Mission revolves around OCU captain Royd Clive. An OCU reconnaissance platoon led by Royd is assigned to investigate a USN munitions plant in the Larcus District, located on eastern Huffman Island. Upon reaching the premises, the platoon is ambushed by USN wanzers led by an officer named Driscoll. He quickly ambushes Karen Meure, Royd"s fiancée, and destroys her wanzer. As the two forces engage in battle, Driscoll detonates explosives inside the plant and escapes. The USN accuses the OCU of the attack, later known as the Larcus Incident, but the OCU insists that the incident was a set-up. Both sides soon declare war, setting off the 2nd Huffman Conflict. The OCU pins the blame of the incident on Royd"s platoon, discharging them from the military indefinitely. One year later, OCU colonel Guri B. Olson seeks him out at a wanzer fighting arena in the town of Barinden. Dangling the prospect of killing the person responsible for Karen"s death, he manages to recruit Clive to the Canyon Crows mercenary outfit. With the Canyon Crows, Royd is assigned to help the OCU military reverse its fortunes and win the war.

In the PlayStation and Nintendo DS version Front Mission 1st, the player can also play a second scenario revolving around USN officer Kevin Greenfield. Months before the Larcus Incident, Kevin and his teammates in the Black Hounds special forces unit are participating in an operation against a terrorist organization known as "The Star of Freedom". Upon finding out the location of their headquarters in the Andes Mountains, the Black Hounds execute an operation to eliminate the group. A grave mistake on Kevin"s part gets him fired from the unit and arrested by USN MPs. In a last-ditch effort to remain in service, Greenfield accepts a post to the USN special weapons research division known as the "Nirvana Institute". He is then deployed to the Nirvana branch on Huffman Island, which is led by Driscoll. After a few operations with the division, the 2nd Huffman Conflict breaks out and Kevin is recalled to active duty. As the new leader of the Silver Lynx strike force, he aids the USN offensive to defeat the OCU and help end the war quickly.

Understanding Front Mission in its entirety requires playing through both the OCU and USN campaigns. They each have their own unique events and mysteries, the latter of which is fully explained only by playing the other scenario. The two scenarios also have a plot connection when a link between the Larcus Incident and the Nirvana Institute is established.

Development of the first Front Mission started with discussions between software developers Square and G-Craft.Toshiro Tsuchida presented a proposal for a game called “100 Mission” to Square through his own development company, Solid, on G-Crafts behalf.

Square and G-Craft worked together making the title, including aspects like the games graphics and sound.Yoshitaka Amano painted an illustration for the game, and it was intended to be used as the front cover of the cartridges packaging, but it was too “imposing” and only a portion was used.

A direct port of the game was released for the WonderSwan Color in Japan on July 12, 2002. Front Mission was ported to the PlayStation on November 23, 2003 with the title Front Mission 1st. This port included new content and offered a new USN scenario to play through.Front Mission 1st also included new characters that would later be seen in Nintendo DS port, which was released in Japan on March 22, 2007, and in North America (as Front Mission) on October 23, 2007. The PlayStation version was re-released as a PSOne Classic on the PlayStation Network in Japan on November 12, 2008.

The Nintendo DS version features battle sequences that make use of the console"s dual screen setup for an easy view of the action.Front Mission titles were added to the game"s storyline, such as Griff Burnam and Glen Duval. New parts and weapons from other Front Mission entries were added. This version also boasted nine secret missions that further expanded the storyline.

Front Mission"s soundtrack was composed by the joint team of Noriko Matsueda and Yoko Shimomura. Shimomura"s work on the soundtrack was requested by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the vice-president of Square, due to the need for a more experienced composer to work on the project along with Matsueda. While Shimomura intended to turn down this request due to her preoccupation with the Hidenori Iwasaki for the PlayStation and DS remakes.Front Mission 1st Special BGM Selection, arranged by Isawaki, was released in 2003.Front Mission, Take the Offensive and Manifold Irons, were orchestrated for the

Dengeki PlayStation Editorial, LogicGate, ed. (March 2007). Front Mission World Historica - Report of Conflicts 1970-2121 (in Japanese). Mediaworks. ISBN 978-4-8402-3663-8. 2020, The United States and Canada took the advantage of Latin America"s bid for unification, and have proclaimed the birth of "The United States of the New Continent" (USN). The new nation works toward eliminating the wealth gap between its people, while guaranteeing basic human rights for its citizens. In the same year, the USN withdrew from the United Nations and submitted a motion to the UN, OCU and the "European Community" (EC) proposing that Huffman Island be treated as USN territory.

Dengeki PlayStation Editorial, LogicGate, ed. (March 2007). Front Mission World Historica - Report of Conflicts 1970-2121 (in Japanese). Mediaworks. ISBN 978-4-8402-3663-8. In 2019, Australia joins the Bangkok Economic Alliance. Later at a summit, leaders of the alliance voted to change the name to "Oceania Cooperative Union" (OCU). The new name reflecting the intention of the nations to work towards establishing a union framework for the coalition, originally formed in 2005.

Iino, Fumihiko; Iwasaki, Hideo (1995-07-22). Front Mission - Front Line Report (in Japanese). LOGOUT Paperback Adventures, Aspect Novels. ISBN 978-4-89366-375-7.

Front Mission(フロントミッション, Furonto Misshon) is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix.Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Development Division-6. Since the release of the original Front Mission in 1995, the series has gone on to encompass several media, including film, manga, novels, radio dramas, mobile phone applications, and toys. While the series is primarily rooted in the turn-based tactical role-playing genre, it has also ventured into other genres such as side-scrolling shooter, real-time strategy (RTS), massive multiplayer online (MMO), and third-person shooter through its spin-offs. The Front Mission video games have achieved moderate success, selling over 3 million units worldwide since the release of

The main selling point of Front Mission is its storytelling approach. Taking place during the 21st and 22nd centuries, the series revolves around military conflicts and political tension between powerful supranational unions and their member states.Front Mission video games use self-contained, standalone stories, these tie into a greater overarching storyline that encompasses the entire series. In combination with the stories from its other media, the series possesses a level of storytelling depth and continuity comparable to a serial drama.Front Mission is its use of giant mecha called "wanzers" (from the German word Wanderpanzer, or walking tanks) in battle.

Development of the first Front Mission started with discussions between software developers Square and G-Craft.Toshiro Tsuchida presented a proposal for a game called “100 Mission” to Square through his own development company, Solid, on G-Crafts behalf.

There are two types of Front Mission installments: the numbered entries and the non-numbered entries. The numbered Front Mission titles are all structured as tactical role-playing games. All other Front Mission titles that do not have a number assigned to it are genre spin-offs.Front Mission: Gun Hazard is a side-scrolling shooter video game. Front Mission Alternative is a real-time strategy video game. Front Mission: Online is a massively multiplayer online third-person shooter video game. Front Mission Evolved is a third-person shooter video game with rail shooter segments. In an RPGamer interview with Front Mission developer Koichi Sakamoto in 2007, he suggested that the development team is interested in combining real-time and turn-based aspects for future installments.

Since 1995, the Front Mission series has released 15 video games, seven of which are main (numbered) entries and the other five are spin-off entries.WonderSwan Color. A year later, the video game entry received a Sony PlayStation remake under the title Front Mission First on October 23, 2003.Front Mission History was released in Japan on December 11, 2003. The compilation contained the Front Mission First remake, a modified Front Mission First also spawned an enhanced port of the game on March 22, 2007 for the Nintendo DS.Nintendo DS in Japan on May 29, 2008.Nintendo Switch.

While all Front Mission video games have seen releases in Japan, only a few been localized overseas. Front Mission First, which saw a release in North America on October 23, 2007.Front Mission title was localized for the North American region.

Although Front Mission video games venture into multiple genres, each of them contain core elements that are universal to the entire series. In the Front Mission series, players use playable units called wanzers, a term for mecha derived from the German word "Wanderpanzer", or "walking tank". Wanzers differ from the typical combat unit in that it has four modular parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Each part has a specific function and its own health bar.

Wanzers can be customized with a variety of parts, computers, auxiliary backpacks, and weapons.Front Mission titles, computers must also be installed; these improve the accuracy of the weapons equipped on the wanzer. Auxiliary backpacks and weapons are not mandatory equipment to use wanzers, but are crucial in order to progress through the games. Auxiliary backpacks serve to give a wanzer special features during combat. For example, storage backpacks allow the player to carry extra ammunition or armor repair items.

Arena, introduced in Front Mission, allows the player to participate in special fights to earn monetary rewards or new parts. These fights take place in either individual matches, or team battles. This feature is also present in Front Mission 2, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness, and Front Mission: Online.

Action Points (AP), introduced in Front Mission 2, determines the number of actions that can be taken during a Player and Enemy Phase.Front Mission 3, Front Mission 4, and Front Mission 5: Scars of the War.

Links, introduced in Front Mission 2, allows multiple units to assist each other in battles. A linked unit can provide support to other units offensively and defensively. This feature is also present in Front Mission 4, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, and Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness.

Network, introduced in Front Mission 2, is a pseudo-Internet that allows players to gain a better understanding of the Front Mission world, its characters, and the storyline through a series of websites. The player can also access online shopping (to purchase new equipment), battle simulations, and check e-mail messages through the Network. This feature is also present in Front Mission 3.

Battle Simulator, introduced in Front Mission 3, allows the player to participate in VR training exercises. These training exercises can be used to increase the fighting proficiencies of the player"s pilots and can be taken as many times as needed. This feature is also present in Front Mission 4, and Front Mission 5: Scars of the War.

Survival Simulator, introduced in Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, is a survival simulation in which the player goes through a set number of floors with one pilot. Along the way, parts and weapons can be collected and brought back for usage in the main game upon the completion of a simulation. This feature is also present in Front Mission 2089-II.

The music of the series includes the soundtracks to the main series, composed of Front Mission through Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, as well as the spin-off games, which include Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard, Front Mission Alternative, Front Mission: Online, Front Mission 2089 and its remake Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness, Front Mission 2089-II, and Front Mission Evolved. The soundtracks of the series" installments have been released in album form in Japan, with the exceptions of 2089, 2089-II, Border of Madness (which reuse music from the other installments) and Evolved, which was published in 2010. The soundtrack to Front Mission was released in 1995 by NTT Publishing, which also published the soundtrack to Front Mission: Gun Hazard in 1996. DigiCube published soundtrack albums for Front Mission 2 and Alternative in 1997 and 3 in 1999. Square Enix published the albums for Front Mission 4 in 2004, and 5 and Online in 2006.

In April 1995, Front Mission"s original release on the Super Famicom was well received. Mega Fun gave the game a Gold for an import game.Fun Generation a 7 out of 10, while Super GamePower gave it a 4.2 out of 5.Greg Kasavin of Hardcore Gaming 101 noted it was not a very deep real time strategy game, but praised its branching stories and variety of endings.GameSpot noted that Front Mission 2.Final Fantasy Tactics, but cited the graphics transitions between overhead play and individual battles as spotty.

Front Mission 4 holds a 75% on both GameRankings and Metacritic.GameSpot gave generally positive feedback for Import RPG of the Year make note of the game"s improvements and excellent execution in design and functionality. The game was also voted the runner-up Strategy RPG of the Year by RPG Fan in their "Games of 2006" awards.

Since 1994, the Front Mission series has spawned numerous products in various media outside of video games.manga and novels that are expanded universe supplements to the stories of the Front Mission video games. Likewise, the series has produced two live-action films directed by Yoshihiko Dai and a ten-episode radio drama directed by Hiroshi Yamaguchi, both of which further expand the Front Mission universe.Banjō Ginga, Hiromi Tsuru, Dax Griffin, Danielle Keaton, and Tina Coté.soundtracks that have been published under the Front Mission brand name.

Pineda, Angelo; Thompson, Kyle; Tam, Wilson. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Front Mission". Gamespy. Archived from the original on 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-07.

Dengeki PlayStation Editorial, LogicGate, ed. (March 2007). Front Mission World Historica – Report of Conflicts 1970–2121 (in Japanese). MediaWorks. ISBN 4-8402-3663-1.

Iino, Fumihiko; Iwasaki, Hideo (July 1995). Front Mission – Front Line Report (in Japanese). LOGOUT Paperback Adventures, Aspect Novels. ISBN 978-4-89366-375-7.

Front Mission is the first video game in the Front Mission franchise. Released on February 24, 1995, the game was a distinctive title in the turn-based strategy and RPG markets in Japan. Set in a near-future version of the planet Earth in the late 21st century, Front Mission"s storyline weaves a complex tale of military, political, and technological conspiracy, all centered around a major conflict set in a fictional Pacific Ocean island known as Huffman Island. A central focus of this is the inclusion of mecha known as "wanderpanzers" (German for "walking armor") or "wanzers" in short. This tale was the first of many that would later be revealed as small parts of an overarching serialized storyline running through numerous Front Mission titles.

Front Mission received a direct port for the Bandai WonderSwan Color on July 12, 2002 in Japan. This port came with no new features other than the ability to speed up the battle sequences. One year later, a remake of the game titled Front Mission 1st was released for the Sony PlayStation on October 23, 2003 in Japan. This remake had many changes and additions, the most notable of which was a second campaign to play the game through. Front Mission 1st would later get an enhanced port on the Nintendo DS, with even more changes and additions to the game. This version of the game was the only one to be localized into English and was released in North America on October 23, 2007.

The story of Front Mission is set on a near-future Earth in A.D. 2090. In the early 21st century, a global recession and other worldwide crises forced many nations to set aside their differences and form large regional entities known as supranational unions. These large super-states heralded in what was called the "globalization revolution", as many people around the world were willing to move past national boundaries to work for the greater good of mankind. However, it would not be long before new wars and conflicts were fought between the supranational unions and their member states.

Front Mission is a turn-based strategy game, designed to resemble to Intelligent Design"s Fire Emblem series. The camera is angled isometrically on a grid-based map where characters are placed. Each round plays out beginning with the player acting first, followed by the opponent. Players move all of their characters in their turn. When characters engage in combat, the game shifts to another screen. Players choose the weapon they wish to use or the action to take if on defense. Then, in turn, each wanzer will take their action. Each wanzer has 4 health bars, two small bars for each arm, and two large bars, one for the body, and one for the legs. If an arm is destroyed, whatever the wanzer was carrying in that arm becomes unusable. If the legs are destroyed, the wanzer"s movement is greatly limited. Finally, if the body is destroyed, the wanzer becomes inoperable.

In between combat, players can customize their wanzers. The game"s stores offer a variety of wanzer parts to beef up the player"s units. There are a variety of weapons, bodies, legs, CPUs, and other items with which to customize. Each wanzer is limited by the supply of power it has, and its weight. The player cannot overload a wanzer with too many weapons, as it will surpass the allowed power. There are upgrades to power, but it is never unlimited. There are a variety of weapons in the game, melee, short-range, and long-range. Wanzers can simply punch with their arms, use hand-mounted melee weapons, shotguns, flamethrowers, machine guns, rifles, and the long range missiles. Each arm can carry one weapon, and a long range weapon or a shield can be place on the shoulder. There are also a number of options for the wanzer"s legs and movement. The most common options are legs, but wheels, treads, and hover types are also available.

In the future, many military forces are dependent on huge mech robots, called Wanzers (Walking Panzers) for combat. At Huffman Island, located in the the pacific ocean, wanzers are deployed by both the USN (United States of the New Continent) and the OCU (Oceana Community Union), who dispute ownership over the island. One night, the OCU forces stage a covert recon mission on a facility located in Larcus, a USN-held territory and weapons facility. Lead by a soldier named Roid, this mission was entirely unofficial and violated the peace treaty. During the mission, USN forces lead by Commander Driscoll appeared and ambushed the OCU soldiers. During the combat, Roid"s fiance, Karen is killed and the USN facility is blown up; placing the blame on the OCU. This became known as the "Larcus Incident" and the OCU denied all knowledge of it"s soldiers actions. Ultimately it would be a leading cause to the second Huffman War.

Front Mission is a turn-based strategy RPG played from an isometric perspective. Players progress in the story through large strategic battles involving multiple units and cutscenes between them. At certain places, usually towns, the player can visit multiple locations including bars and shops, and talk to people. Shops are also found to purchase new weaponry, parts and make repairs. In combat, each Wanzer robot is a separate unit that has a large variety of weapons and attack styles depending on what"s equipped. Units get experience for defeating enemies and also for using various techniques. The more an attack is used, the more powerful it becomes.

The Stealth system retains the simplicity and adjustability we"ve all come to love from Pivotal, but without the unsightly top patch. The Stealth system threads in from the bottom, giving the seat a sleek look. Check out the updated Mission Carrier V2 seat kits here!

FRONT MISSION 1st: Remake comes back with updated graphics and modern approach! Choose your side and enter the battlefield equipped with the armed Wanzer—the future of Huffman Island is in your hands.

With dozens of characters to meet, its mature story, and non-Manichean protagonists, Front Mission is the classic tactical Japanese RPG, finally available worldwide.

And beneath it all, Front Mission is an undeniably superb strategy game. The battlefield mechanics are simple. During the player phase, you select your units one at a time, moving them and then opting to either attack (if in range), or use an item. Then, after the enemy phase, the cycle begins again. There"s nothing sophisticated here, like managing initiative, or moving after you attack, or using action points or anything like that. No, the challenge, and the difficulty (which can be fairly steep), arise from negotiating the terrain, which provides varying degrees of cover, and from learning to make effective use of your pilots, and their skills and wanzer configurations.

Which means that the time you spend in the hangar, buying new parts, and assembling perfect fighting machines, specially tailored to each member of your team, is every bit as important as the time you spend out in the field. It has to be said that the interface design doesn"t make this part of the game particularly easy, since it"s not always easy to compare your new parts with old ones. Moreover, picking the right wanzer parts and configurations, and matching them to your pilots and their skills is overwhelming enough as it is. But with effort and determination, would-be wanzer captains will soon start to get a feel for what works on the field of battle, and that"s when the game really clicks.

They"ll also enjoy a load of other stuff, like the ability to participate in and gamble on one-on-one arena encounters, to earn money for parts. Or, since the game is modelled on the PSone re-release of the SNES original, the ability to play through a second single-player campaign (which tells the story from the side of the USNC, unlike the original campaign, which features the OCU). Indeed, Front Mission fans will also relish the many minor DS-exclusives too, such as playable characters from later games, along with new parts, new weapons, new areas, and new missions.