Mecho Wars Micro-Review: Landians Versus Wingians… Really?
Mecho Wars brings to the iPhone and iPod Touch a solid turn-based strategy title in the vein of Advance Wars, delivering the game with a flashy art style and interesting time twist.
But loaded down with absurd design decisions that have you playing as a commander of the Wingians taking on an army of the Landians, can Mecho Wars solid design make up for it’s silly aesthetic?
Loved
Advance Wars On iTunes:The iPhone and iPod Touch need more strategy games. Of all the genres available for a developer to tap into, you’d think it would be obvious what a perfect fit this one is for the touchy portable. Mecho Wars is one of the few out there and it’s heavy use of the design and mechanics of popular Nintendo franchise Advance Wars makes it the best.
Environmental Effects:I would have been happy with a straight-up Advance Wars clone on the iPhone, but the developers added one little twist: A changing environment. Every turn is measured in hours, not days, and when you slip past midnight the plentiful water of most levels freezes over allowing you to march troops across it. Better still, come morning the ice freezes and all of the units still out on the ice fall into the water and are immediately destroyed. It’s a minor change that can have a major impact on strategy.
Hated
Art Style:I just can’t stand the art style of the game. The unit types are so whimsical that it’s impossible to tell at a glance what exactly they are supposed to be, and more important what sorts of attacks they have. That’s a major issue with strategy games of this type. Better to be bland than indiscernible in a strategy title.
Mecho Wars, despite it’s over-the-top art style, is a great little game for the iPhone. It is slightly too short, and without the inclusion of multiplayer that could be a deal breaker. Fortunately, I’m told that the developers plan to add multiplayer to the game as a free update in the near future.
If you’re into strategy titles and need a fix of Advance Wars, Mecho Wars is the best thing currently out for the Touch and iPhone.
Mecho Wars was developed and published by Oyaji for the iPhone and iPod Touch on June 13. Retails for $US4.99. Played through the campaign and all challenges.
Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.
- Next Post: Arkham Asylum Behind The Scenes: Batman In A Box »
- « Previous Post: Trine Now Available On Steam
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@realityengine:
I would *love* to see what you're doing right now, because you do know. There are people in the industry here. And we actually do read your comments.
Krigo
@Luc Bernard: there's an huge difference from gray-brownish tones and your oversaturated graphics Luc... (personally I'd like more something like Bahamut Lagoon or Tactics Ogre) Maybe you're able do distinguish well the sprites because you actually made them, errors like that one are common when a single person does an entire part of a game like all the graphics
@mpikklz: agreed...
@JonasJuice: iWars.
PaxtonAstypalaea
@Pikachu Mariachi: We lol, so we don't =(: You're Bernard* , I mean
Pikachu Mariachi: We lol, so we don't =(
@Luc Bernard: Hi! You're Bernardo, and I am BernardO, the Mexican version.
Pikachu Mariachi: We lol, so we don't =(
@Lc Brnrd:
Myb y shld g fck yrslf, nd ctlly mk dcnt gm fr nc.
CountingConflict
@Luc Bernard:
Honestly we love our jobs. Its just we hate hacks who feel that are above everyone else when they are no where near the talent to warrant it. Along with that statement the coolest people in the industry who have actual talent and sold the most units don't bother posting and beating their own drum like this.
mpikklz
@Malfunktion v2: Of all the things you could've foreseen, art style would've been the most obvious...
Maybe we should include in a update
Good mode, Space Marine Brown Mode
For all people that hate colors LOLLL
Luc Bernard
@Joghobs: Quite clever.
So funny, Luc Bernard's first game is praised for art style and bashed for gameplay, and his second game the complete opposite. I like the art style so I think I will get my friend with an iPhone to buy it.
Pikachu Mariachi: We lol, so we don't =(
@Luc Bernard: They probably work at gameloft.
Yes I hated the art style. It's so confusing telling one unit from another. I understand it could be learned with time, but why impose that on the user?
@Witzbold: well only people in the industry that are replying like children must be frustrated people who hate their job
Luc Bernard
@realityengine: As much as Id like to agree with you, you would be suprised how many folks are within the industry here.
Which would mean we just have assholes in the industry too.
But hey thats the same for any field.
Welcome to the human race and please enjoy your stay.
@enewtabie: star defense is fun but brings out an anger that i like to refer to as "halo rage".
I'll check this out. I recently purchased Star Defense and Ngmoco really have their act togther in the iphone space. They've made a sort of Xbox Live for the iphone.
no.. no.. its kotaku.. full of anonymous fanboys who talk shit on games and how it should be better, but have never done anything remotely close or bothered to get off the couch to prove their ability in designing a better product.
Positive review followed by whiny ass comments? I thought this place had more class.
I really think Luc Bernard is colorblind
It took me about three weeks before I figured out 'Missiles' are for air and 'Rockets' for land. You just have to learn what pixel clusters fire upon what.
@Michael Dukakis - Mets fan: I hear DLC will introduce a new race called the Seaians, or Pondians. Possibly the Oceans. The name's not finalised yet!
Stompy1
i bought it last week, it wasn't bad, kept me busy on a long road trip
The review here is spot on how I feel about this game. The art is kind of confusing, not nearly as straight forward as Advance Wars. Still, a decent iPhone game that is better than the millions of text based RPG.
Mooberry
@Joghobs: Haha that was great, maybe took me longer than it should have but I got it. Bravo.
Damn, no mp? No buy then.
Wahrheit
@Dragooncancer: a shorter Mission, by exactly one character.
Kazama Sogetsu ♥ BlazBlue
I agree with this completely. I bought the game during the $1 sale and deleted it shortly after because of the weird Dr. Seuss-esque art style. The whole game felt like an acid trip and it was just very unappealing.
@Dragooncancer:
The first 6 letters of the word mission.
Wingians? Why not just call them Airians? Oh...
So why can't you play as landians?
What the hell is Missio?
F' That luc I dont care to remember his name. His wanna be goth snorks supposed "style" is horrible. He isnt a artist and I just spent a bit of cash on iPhone games and nothing ever with his name attached ill be spending any money on ever.
mpikklz
Can't wait to play some Advance Wars lite this weekend.
JonasJuice
They really got original with the names.
Funny that the one thing you hated is what this game's supposed to be famous for. Legendary whiner Luc Bernard's art. =P
Ashurahori