Geek Review: Super Robot Wars T

Super Robot Wars is a classic series of turn-based tactical RPGs where the player unites a team of robot pilots from many different robot anime series into the same game. This classic series has been around for more than 25 years, and for Super Robot Wars T (SRW T), Bandai Namco crossovers mechs from 25 different anime series, and reimagined them in the game’s signature super-deformed art style.

If you have played any Super Robot Wars games before, SRW T will be a breeze to pick up. There are almost no changes to the core gameplay, where the game still features two types of robots: super robots which are tanky and does a lot of burst damage, and real robots which are lightly armoured, but dodges enemy fire well. There are also some units that can repair or recharge energy/ammo.  A new game mechanic added in, Support Command, uses a shared pool of Supporter Spirits Points and is rather easy to figure out.

Storyline

This time, you play as an ACE pilot in a mercenary company, going around completing military based missions. This is a nice setup, where the story flows better than the previous Super Robot Wars game which involved dimension warping to multiple locations. With a mercenary company’s operations as the backbone of the story, and a single universe, it is easier to understand how some units are hired by the merc company or alliances with bounty hunters to maximize profits.

Improvements

SRW T is the first Super Robot Wars game on the Nintendo Switch, and now features a 3D isometric map, and some User Interface improvements such as a “Shoot down” indicator to inform players that the attacked unit will be destroyed if the attack hits. This is useful to select a lighter attack to help conserve ammo/energy. Each of the new units which appeared in the series gets new attack animations too.

New Series Featured

Playing this game will be a good way to immerse yourself with both the new and old mecha anime series. New units from popular anime series such as Expelled from Paradise, Cowboy Bebop, Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX, and Magic Knight Rayearth.  Many popular classics anime such as Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Aura Battler Dunbine and King of Braves Gaogaigar returned to the series too.

The Nostalgic Music

As always, the soundtrack of all Super Robot Wars games never fails to impress. The game opens with a hot-blooded song performed by JAM Project just for the game. During combat in-game, selecting a robot and using it to battle will play a MIDI version soundtrack from the anime series. For me, hearing a familiar tune will send down waves of nostalgic.

Final Thoughts

Although the game can be quite repetitive since you are mostly smashing through enemy units while keeping your key units and battleship alive, SRW T can still be a fun game to play for Mecha anime fans, to discover the new anime series while taking a trip down memory lane. Everyone else though should look elsewhere.