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Real-time strategy would seem like a sure-fire hit on the Nintendo DS, but offerings have been sporadic at best. Tecmo’s Robocalypse, however, aims high to bring portable players something other than a PC-to-portable translation. Built from the ground up specifically for the system, the game manages to fit a ton of classic strategic fun in the palm of your hands, with very little sacrifice.

RoboWar!

The story, partly penned by a writer of Spongebob Squarepants, is certainly amusing. It seems bad robots hellbent on world domination have escaped a research facility, and only a gawky nerd, his hot and condescending sidekick, and an army of good robots—lead by hero robots with the personalities of WW2 vets imbedded in their brains—can save the day. It’s as good an excuse as any for blowing things up, and the cartoonish graphics and briefing sequences add a lot of personality to the game.

As nerd-boy Myron, you control your units via a satellite uplink. You’ll have direct control over the hero robots—of which there are six—but normal units respond to command flags. Essentially, you place specific flags—move here, defend, attack, patrol—and nearby units responds. It’s a simple and elegant solution to problems with micromanaging on a tiny screen, and works well most of the time.

Tapping into Battle

There are ten specific robot units used to build your grunt army, including an array of fighters, medic, and builder bots. Your heroes, however, are the real star of the show. These personality-laden robots can be modified with different weapons and abilities, and are far tougher than the regular bots. Knowing how to use specific units and abilities to best effect is a key part of the strategy here, but the game manages to have a great balance for both novice and veteran strategy buffs.

The presentation is quite good as well. The cartoonish 2D isometric graphics are a good fit for the DS. Characters are well-drawn, with enough details to give them a surprising amount of visual personality. Voice work is humorous, and even the soundtrack has the ambiance of a classic Saturday morning cartoon.

The main problems with the game are somewhat inherent to the system. Tapping isn’t always responsive, or not instant, which can lead to confusion. The AI also doesn’t always respond effectively, requiring unnecessary hand-holding at times. Also, objectives can be vague at times, which is especially problematic when trying to complete all the optional objective.

Portable Destruction

None of these problems are deal-breakers, however. Robocalypse is easily one of the best portable strategy games out there. It’s fun, has a nice sense of humor, and the simplified control scheme works well overall. If you can find friends with the game, you can battle in four-player action fests. Overall, this is an excellent example of small-screen strategy.

Article Written By: Jason D'Aprile