Front Mission DS Impressions (?)

[ATB]

There's been a bit of buzz around this title, and I'm interested in it. Anyone have it or play it yet?

[Knightshade Dragon]

I want to...but damn it the DS makes my neck hurt and I have too much to play.  I'll end up buying it anyway...uh...cuz I'm stupid.

[Destructor]

They made a Front Mission DS game? 

*digs around to look up more information on it*

[Blackjack]

Although it's UK site, I highly recommend Pocket Gamer (which only covers handhelds and mobile phone games):
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/

They had a hands-on back in July:
http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/DS/Front+Mission+DS/news.asp?c=3684&srch=Front+Mission

fwiw, this isn't a remake of the Playstation games (I loved Front Mission 3); this is a remake of the mid 1980s Super NES version. Like most Front Mission games, you customize Wanzers to a faretheewell.

[Kevin Grey]

I'm still pissed we didn't get Front Mission 5 over here.  Looked pretty damn awesome. 

[Farscry]

I'm still pissed we didn't get Front Mission 5 over here.  Looked pretty damn awesome. 

Ditto that. While I eventually learned to enjoy FM4 once I got used to the "feel" of it compared to FM3, it really sounded like FM5 was the game I had hoped 4 would be. Big disappointment it failed to arrive on this side of the Pacific!

[Lee]

Not overly impressed by the game after my initial sit down. I do need to more time into it though, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Music is horrible and you can't turn it off. Graphics are decent but nothing special for battles, but I despise the character portraits. Although the menu artwork is quite good. The font for Wanzer/pilot info is really bad and hard to read at times.

My complaint so far are the controls. Everything is too small to use with the stylus for me. Moving the cursor with the D-pad just feels weird though, I often have to work at getting the cursor where I want it. The problem is the cursor controls as if you are using a mouse, so there is a little bit of float as you move it trying to select a tile on the map. I would rather press up once and it would move a movement box to the next tile up and so on like in every other game. I also had issues with selecting units and in my first 2 battles ended up ending a units turn when I was just trying to make a different unit active.

Mech building looks neat, but there is going to be a learning curve to getting the ins and outs down for it. Looking forward to playing around with it more.

The tutorial was very basic, and there isn't an in game help system, so I need to sit down with the manual and figure out everything.

[Lee]

Ok, played a bit more and read the manual.

Getting used to the controls, still don't like them much, but I am getting around the battle field for the most part. Still don't know why I wasn't able to attack with long range weapons a couple of times when the enemy was in range. I am also not sure how initiative works other than that short range guns act before melee attacks.

Spent a lot more time messing around in the store and outfitting my Wanzers (I really hate that name, I will just call them mechs). That part is a lot of fun. So far it looks like there are lots of parts to try, and it's fun trying to get everything you want on a mech and make it all work. You have a power to weight ratio that limits you on what you can use, and you can swap out arms, legs, torso, computers, shields, etc. For weapons you have melee, short range guns, and long range guns. Short range and melee you both have to be one square away and usually have unlimited ammo it seems. Long range weapons so far seem to have enough ammo for 2-4 shots.

I can see it being really addicting building up your pilots and getting that perfect mech. So despite the controls, so far I am liking what I see. I do wish there were random battles, but so far there doesn't appear to be any. There is an arena, but it's kind of silly. One on one with no movement, you just exchange weapon fire.

[Dante Rising]

Ok, played a bit more and read the manual.

Spent a lot more time messing around in the store and outfitting my Wanzers (I really hate that name, I will just call them mechs). That part is

I hate the name "wanzer" also. I keep wanted to read it as "wanker", as in "You bloody WANKER!"

I'm enjoying the game so far, but I agree that there is something slightly off with using the d pad for movement.

[unbreakable]

+1 to Wanker.

[Canuck]

I think Wander Panzer would be a little better.  Why did they go with the German anyways?