Robocalypse Now!

With its touch interface and dual screens, one would think the Nintendo DS would be an ideal platform for a real-time strategy game. While Heroes of Mana, and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings have valiantly attempted to scale the thrills of a full-fledged RTS down to a portable system, these efforts have not been completely successful. Neither of those titles managed to capture the exhilaration of having an elite group of combatants rush and raze an enemy base.

Luckily, developer Vogster has capitalized on this gap in the DS’s library, and has created one of the most enthralling titles we have recently played on a portable system. By simplifying a number of RTS requisites, Robocalypse is able to focus on the enjoyable aspects of the genre, instead of burdening players with the details of micro-management. The game reminds us of General Chaos, a wonderful strategy game for the Sega Genesis, which also took a light-hearted approach to armed combat.

With the exception of using the d-pad to scroll the map, the game’s commands are all issued with the stylus. The game has two main types on combatants: heroes, who are under a player’s direct control, and soldiers, which move toward player-issued action markers. To move a hero, players first select the unit, and then indicate where they want to the unit to go, typically of most RTS games. Soldiers are not directly controlled, but are influenced- the gamer can use up to five marker points that the units typically respond to.

To simplify the game, factories and defensive turrets can’t be built anywhere on the maps, but rather on predetermined locations. While this would appear to be a limitation, Robocalype’s emphasis isn’t on resource harvesting, but placed squarely on combat. To maintain a fluid play experience, the game limits the size of the player’s army, but in all the hectic warfare, we barely noticed the constraint. 

Beyond the single player experience, seventeen maps are offered for multiplayer matches. Understandably, competition for multiple players does require each DS owner to own a copy of the game. Hidden within the multiplayer option is the ability to host a single-player skirmish, with up to three AI players. Gamers shouldn’t miss this option, as it adds greatly to the game’s overall value.

Overall, DS owners that have the slightest interest in playing an action-puzzler should pick up Robocalypse. It proudly stands as the best example of a RTS on any portable platform. By scaling back the complexity typically associated with the genre, developer Vogster has created a compelling title that had us glued to our dual screens. We eagerly await what the creative team will construct next.