DS Review - Super Robot Wars: Endless Frontier

Overview: The Super Robot Wars series is based on various anime shows, specifically ones that focus on giant robots, such as Mobile Suit Gundam. Each game is a kind of crossover, blending the characters and robots of their respective shows into a seamless story. Although it's not well known outside of Japan, it's enjoyed plenty of success. It's spawned animated series, sound tracks and spin-off settings.

The SRW: Original Generation games that were released in America for the GameBoy Advance are two examples of the franchise deviating from its crossover format. Each one features characters, a plot and mecha designs made exclusively for the titles. Super Robot Wars: Endless Frontier is the latest installment of the series for the Nintendo DS and departs even further, giving mecha a backseat and instead focusing on an almost martial arts theme.


Story: The game starts you off as Haken Browning, a freelance bounty hunter, whose sidekick is an alluring female android assistant. To describe the overall plot that drives Endless Frontier, I'm pressed to mention how eerily similar it is to that of my earlier review of Suikoden Tierkreis.

Each game is based on the idea of parallel universes, a subject that I find to be very fascinating and refreshing for a game. In the case of Endless Frontier, various worlds are connected by jumpgates, allowing people to traverse between them. Haken makes a living excavating ancient ruins in these worlds along with his crew and ship, the Zeit Krokodil. It's hard to be specific, as it seems like whole chapters of the story have been told. It felt like starting a TV series in the middle of the first season, requiring you to figure out who everyone is and what's happened by following the rest of the episodes.

Suffice it to say, mysterious crystals have been forming out of the ground on the various worlds. In addition, ancient robots are being reactivated, including androids who have some connection to their larger mecha counterparts. Much of the game is spent learning about the connection between the worlds, the proliferating crystals, and what the ancient machines have to do with them. Unfortunately, I personally don't find too much to be interested in concerning the plot. But the colorful characters and epic battles more than make up for the alienating, ill explained story.


Gameplay: Super Robot Wars is set up a lot like the console RPGs of old. You'll come to a town, buy supplies, upgrade your equipment, progress the storyline, traverse the overworld, visit various dungeons, come to the next town, repeat. It's a familiar pattern, but it works. I've even found that I needed to grind my way up to certain levels in order to beat a boss, or make enough money for that nice weapon. Fortunately, it doesn't take much grinding to catch up to the more challenging enemies, once you get the hang of the nuanced battle system.

The overall feel of the game may not be particularly deep, but the fast paced, fluid battle system is one of the most interesting and fun I've used in years. It's hard to describe, but it almost feels like a turn based version of Street Fighter. Each character gets special moves that you can queue up to have them use in battle. Once they hit enough, or are hit enough, their rage meter fills, allowing for special attacks. Characters are either put in the front line, who do most of the damage, or put in a back line, who conduct supporting attacks and skills. Mixing and matching the characters between each line is an interesting way to find new strategies and attack combos.

Graphics: The distinct fighting styles, appearances and animation of the characters is breath taking. The 2D pixel art is simply masterful, it feels almost like you're playing, not watching, an anime. If you love animation, the game is worth the price for that alone. Just about anything goes in this category. There are humans, androids, (insert animal here) people, and even some robots. Characters use every kind of weapon, slashing, swirling and firing them in every direction. The amazingly high quality of the animation sequences is part of what makes a Super Robot War game so great, and its definitely noticeable in this title.

A special move animation, complete with fan service :-)

Music & Sound: This is another area in which the Super Robot Wars series excels. The musical score is exciting and colorful, again sounding very much like something from an anime series. Some of the tracks are remixes from earlier Super Robot Wars titles and sound great. The music in this game may be of the rare kind that is good enough that you won't tire of it too soon. I especially liked the bgm for the catgirl merchant. The sound is also well done, with all of the effects you'd expect to hear come out of robots, clashing swords and various heavy gunnery.

Conclusion: The story won't go down as the deepest or most memorable in RPG history, and the battles can seem brutally unfair. But if you're willing to take the endurance matches that these fights tend to be (the enemies have easily in the thousands of hitpoints and require incredible amounts of damage to kill), you'll find a charming, enduring title with characters that are hard not to like. Their interactions, backgrounds and personality traits more than make up for the confusing plot. If you like RPGs, anime, robots, somewhat perverted humor, and large chested women, then Super Robot Wars: Endless Frontier is a fine choice.

Status: Approved.

Pros: Top notch 2d animation, original and fun cast of characters, refreshingly different combat system.
Cons: Story seems confusing at times, leveling up can be grindy, some boss battles can be frustratingly hard.