Developer : Sacnoth
Format : NeoGeo Pocket Color
1999
*****
An extremely
playable strategy game similar to the
Front Mission series or
X-Com, where you pilot a totally-configurable
giant robot (called a
Toy Soldier or
TS) around
2D levels. It's
turn-based, but all the turns are played out
simultaneously (you input a list of commands and then they are carried out). The 13 missions are linked by a plot about a war in the fictional
Middle-Eastern country of
Istar, and there is plenty of
intrigue and
excitement, all played out in beautifully stylised
cutscenes.
Other notable features of the game are the intro cinematic (complete with vocals!) and the ability to play deathmatch via a link cable or radio link (should you be able to get hold of one on import). You can also even suspend the game mid-mission, allowing you to play a quick couple of turns on the bus. With the exception of the slightly unambitious in-game graphics and the occasional requirement to replay a mission over and over (although this does force you to develop a strategy), this is pretty much as cool as handheld console gaming gets. Each mission is like a quick 20-minute interactive comic, making it perfect for a quick blast.
Apparently, fewer than 5,000 English language copies of this game were made. As SNK recalled all their stock when the NeoGeo Pocket line was discontinued in Europe and the US, there may be even fewer copies out there.
http://www2.neogeo.co.jp/en/soft/c_fasele/index.html
http://www.sacnoth.co.jp
Units
Editors! A note on the unit writeups: Before wantonly nuking the all the unit writeups I have done so far, bear in mind that this info isn't available in any
FAQ yet. The more scant writeups will gain some more data once I have finished finding all the secret units. It takes an incredible amount of time to unlock stuff in this game, so bear with me.
Toy Soldier Units :
(names are -Manufacturer/Developer- -Model-)
(* = secret)
ToyBox Units :
Others :
Weapons & Items
Coming Soon. (There are rather a lot of weapons and items in this game. Hundreds, in fact.)
For now, I want to mention the item type CPU (Computer). Each TS Unit must be equipped with one CPU, which determines how many program chips the TS can have loaded at any one time. Here are the CPU items :
EN Name JP Name Capacity
PT-008 Pentam8 08
JOE009 Ultra9 09
R10000 R-ichiman 10
ING-11 Ingram 11
MNK-12 Monkey 12
FR-13D Golgodine 13
VVD-14 Valentine 14
AP-G15 Apo-G15 15
MAGI MAGI 16 (secret)
The observent among you may notice the developer's little jokes (added in the softlinks above).
Obtaining secrets
Secret weapons, items and TS units can be collected by replaying missions in "Task" mode. Sometimes when you beat an enemy they will drop a food item. If this item is then sold to Sanchan, he will either reward you with a secret item or (if he doesn't like that food) a Repair Kit. Very rarely (in 5% of encounters, only once your rank is 2nd Lieutenant or above) you will encounter Sanchan piloting a secret TS (first time:
Onda Homura) in task mode. Defeat him and you recieve that TS.
(Some of this info was obtained via Babelfish - it appears that the unlocking of secrets is on a time release, and that additional items become available for discovery over a period of weeks? Also, you have to defeat and therefore own a secret TS before another new one becomes available.)
Missions
Characters
Istar Rebel Forces, 13th Independent Armoured Division "Faselei" :
Istar Govt. Forces :
Istar Govt. Special Forces "Jackals" :
Others :
* I speculate that "Adublerw" might be a really crappy romanisation of "A.W." or possibly "Abdul".
N.B. : All names are from the English language version. Refer to the specific WU or the Faselei! FAQ for Japanese equivalents.
More secret TS Units and Weapons coming soon ...