Front Mission

by Square Enix

Product Features

• Utilizing Nintendo DS Touch Screen functionality and stylus-driven controls, players can effortlessly navigate through the game’s menus with a tap of the screen
• All-new dual screen presentation keeps gamers immersed in the action while providing them with vital information at a glance
• Experience a rich storyline, including the addition of exciting new missions and new wanzers, along with the appearance of familiar characters from other titles in the FRONT MISSION series
• Friends can now challenge one another to intense wanzer battles through the all-new multiplayer element, accessible via DS Wireless Play
• Choose a side in the warfare between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. and experience both sides of the conflict

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000SSPI4C
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 23, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,004 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #65 in Video Games > Nintendo DS > Role-Playing
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

Front Mission focuses on the conflict over Huffman Island, located in the neutral zone between two superpowers known as the Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.) and the Unified Continental States (U.C.S.). Tensions between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. spark the First Huffman Conflict in 2070, a two-year war ending with a ceasefire agreement that divides the island into two territories. After many years of relative peace, the sudden destruction of a U.C.S. military factory triggers the Second Huffman Conflict in 2090. Experience the war from the perspective of Royd Clive, the leader of the O.C.U. mercenary outfit "Canyon Crows", or Kevin Greenfield, the commanding officer of the U.C.S. Special Forces squad "Black Hounds." Battle through missions against wanzers, tanks, attack helicopters, and giant mobile weapon platforms, and unravel the true motives behind the war over Huffman Island.

Features:

• Use the Nintendo DS Touch Screen functionality and stylus-driven controls to navigate through the menus with a tap of the screen
• Dual screen presentation keeps gamers focused on the action while providing them with information at a glance
• Experience a storyline that includes the addition of new missions and new wanzers, along with the appearance of characters from other titles in the Front Mission series
• Challenge others to wanzer battles through the multiplayer element accessible via DS Wireless Play
• Choose a side in the warfare between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. and experience both sides of the conflict
• Yoshitaka Amano, character designer of the Final Fantasy franchise, provides the character illustrations

Product Description

The FRONT MISSION saga focuses on the conflict over Huffman Island, located in the neutral zone between two superpowers known as the Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.) and the Unified Continental States (U.C.S.). Tensions between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. spark the First Huffman Conflict in 2070, a two-year war ending with a ceasefire agreement that divides the island into two territories. After many years of relative peace, the sudden destruction of a U.C.S. military factory triggers the Second Huffman Conflict in 2090. Experience the war from the perspective of Royd Clive, the leader of the O.C.U. mercenary outfit “Canyon Crows,” or Kevin Greenfield, the commanding officer of the U.C.S. Special Forces squad “Black Hounds.” Battle through missions against wanzers, tanks, attack helicopters, and giant mobile weapon platforms, and unravel the true motives behind the war over Huffman Island.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You'll like it if you liked it in the first place, November 12, 2007

By 

B. Larsen (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Front Mission (Video Game)

Try going to IGN or 1up if you want a thorough review. As for me, I really enjoy this game. I don't recommend it for younger DS owners, as the learning curve is pretty steep [you really do have to read the manual if you're new to the series], and it has quite a bit of complexity. There actually is a tutorial mode, but it only shows you how to do the very VERY basics. The game is made by Square Enix, the same people that do the Final Fantasy series; and the similarities between the two are obvious from the get-go: classic turn-based battles [which sometimes last more than an hour], a deep storyline that will really suck you in, and very thorough "wanzer" [as the giant robots you battle with are called] customization. The actual battles are seen from a 2-D isometric camera angle [think Starcraft or Simcities]. Like I said in the title, most of the people that enjoy this game were already fans of the Front Mission series.

Fun/Gameplay: 4/5... I had to play for a while for the game to actually get really good, but if you've got the patience, then your money is well spent. If you want, you can play the ENTIRE GAME using just the stylus, but I prefer the good ol' buttons, as some of the places you have to tap with your stylus [ie: choosing a place to move on the battle field, selecting from a list of weapons to use] are pretty tiny, and I sometimes tapped the wrong option.

Graphics: 3/5... Entirely 2-D, but that's not a problem with me, as a 3-D engine would hog too much space on the game-card, thus severely limiting the amount of content the game could have

Sound: 2/5... This game IS from the SNES and PS1 era, and seeing as how the effects, voice, and music quality back then were very basic...

Reply Value: 4/5... Even though the game is MOSTLY direct copy of the original, they crammed in an entire new story [you can pick which of the two countries you'll fight for]. Even if you choose the same country to fight with, there are alot of things you can do differently, although the main plot itself doesn't allow for much deviation.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Front Mission......., October 29, 2007

By 

blackaciddevil (in the USA somewhere.....) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Front Mission (Video Game)

Front Mission hasn't exactly been a fan favorite here in America. Since its' debut, it hasn't did all that well which makes it even more surprising that Front Mission for the Nintendo DS was even released at all. That's unfortunate because Front Mission is a Strategy-RPG that will appeal to both casual gamers and the hardcore set with its' addictive gameplay, wicked wanzer designs, deep storyline and memorable characters. I'm glad it has been released because this is the first time that the first Front Mission has been released here in America and it is a treat that shouldn't be missed. My first introduction to Front Mission was with FM4 on the Playstation 2 and I've been hooked ever since.

Upon first look, you'd think it's a little more serious take on the Super Robot Taisen series but, the fact of the matter is, this series has been around quite awhile and has more of a cult following here in the states. Sure, Super Robot Taisen has been around since the days of the NES but it only found success recently here on the Gameboy Advance.

The story focuses on the conflict over Huffman Island, located in the neutral zone between two superpowers known as the Oceania Community Union (O.C.U.) and the Unified Continental States (U.C.S.). Tensions between the O.C.U. and the U.C.S. spark the First Huffman Conflict in 2070, a two-year war ending with a ceasefire agreement that divides the island into two territories. After many years of relative peace, the sudden destruction of a U.C.S. military factory triggers the Second Huffman Conflict in 2090. You play Royd Clive, the leader of the O.C.U. mercenary outfit Canyon Crows, battling through missions against other Wanzers(mechs)-tanks-helicopters and other mobile weapons. Then, after you finish the game from the OCU point-of-view, you play as Kevin Greenfield who is the commanding officer of the U.C.S. Special Forces squad Black Hounds in a second campaign. Be prepared, though, as it's more challenging than you might expect. It was for me.

Fans of more tactical Strategy-RPGs like Super Robot Taisen:Original Generation 1&2, Advance Wars, Panzer Tactics, or even games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre will love this game. In my opinion, none of those games have anything on Front Mission. I mean, what could be cooler than a thousand pound mech with guns and missiles??

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Game But Rough Edges, February 11, 2008

By 

Stephen Rowe (Bellevue, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Front Mission (Video Game)

This is a turn-based mech combat game. It has role-playing aspects in that your characters gain skills equipment as the game progresses. The gameplay is fun. The missions are moderately challenging. The graphics are acceptable. The game's biggest downside is the interface. It's obvious that they didn't write this with the DS in mind originally. The click-regions are small. Many actions require a double-click: one to select and another to accept. Some actions, like equipping an item on a mech take too many steps. I also often found myself wanting information that was not available. For instance, if you are attacking an enemy at a distance and want to know which area to shoot at, you'll have to remember because the enemy's armor is not shown at that time.
Overall the game is a lot of fun. If you like turn-based games, check this one out.
There are two campaign sequences and each will take 20+ hours to complete so there's a lot of value for your money here.