Front Mission (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a tactical role-playing game
developed by G-Craft and published by Square Co., Ltd.
, and was released in Japan
on February 24, 1995 for the Super Famicom
. Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission
series. Front Mission is part of a serialized storyline that follows the stories of various characters and their struggles involving mecha known as wanzers. A direct port of the game was released for the WonderSwan Color in Japan on July 12, 2002.
An enhanced remake of the game developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd.
was released for the PlayStation in Japan on October 23, 2003, titled Front Mission First. This version of the game received an enhanced port that was released on the Nintendo DS
in Japan on March 22, 2007. Only the Nintendo DS port, renamed as Front Mission, was released in North America
on October 23, 2007. This release marked the third time that a Front Mission title was localized and published outside of Japan.
Likewise, a complete fan-made English translation patch for the original Front Mission version was released on September 24, 2001 by the group Front Mission Translation Project.
In Front Mission, players use playable units called wanzers, a term for mecha derived from the German word "Wanderpanzer", or "walking tank". Wanzers differ from the typical combat unit in that it has four modular
parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Each part has a specific function and its own health
bar. The legs parts enable movement and evasion, the arm parts are necessary to use hand and shoulder weapons, and the body part maintains the wanzer's operability. In the event the body is destroyed, the wanzer is removed from play completely. Destruction of arm and leg parts does not remove the wanzer from play, but it severely cripples its performance. While the player fights mostly wanzers, vehicles, aircraft, and mobile weapons platforms are also featured. These enemy units generally have only one part, the body, and are much stronger than wanzers themselves.
In the customization aspect of Front Mission, wanzers can be customized with a variety of parts, computers, auxiliary backpacks, and weapons. The player has full control over customizing their wanzers and can do so as long as its total weight value does not exceed its given power output. To field a wanzer in battle, it must have a complete frame of parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Parts with built-in weapons in the body or arm sections can also be equipped on a wanzer. Computers improve the accuracy of the weapons equipped on the wanzer. Auxiliary backpacks and weapons are not mandatory equipment to use wanzers, but are crucial in order to progress through the video games. Auxiliary backpacks serve to give a wanzer special features during combat; they allow a wanzer to carry support items such as ammunition reloads and increase the power output of the unit, allowing it to carry heavier gear.
In terms of weapons, there are four classes of weapons: melee weapons, short-range weapons, long-range weapons, and support fire weapons. Melee weapons are weapons used at melee range and have a tendency to strike the body part of its target. Tonfas and rods are examples of melee weapons. Short-range weapons are weapons used at close range and deal damage to all parts of a target. Machine guns and shotguns are examples of short-range weapons. Long-range weapons are weapons that have long firing ranges and are ideal for avoiding counterattacks. Bazookas are examples of long-range weapons. Support fire weapons are indirect fire weapons; they can never be counterattacked, but have limited ammunition supply and minimum firing ranges. Missile launchers are examples of support fire weapons. Lastly, shields can be equipped on wanzers to absorb some of the damage taken from incoming attacks.
Front Mission has other notable features incorporated into the game. Arena is a unique feature in which the player can fight AI
-controlled enemy combatants, or face another player to earn monetary rewards. Likewise, Front Mission sports a briefing feature that details basic information about the composition of enemy forces for the upcoming mission. Missions in Front Mission are traditional tactical RPG fare, ranging from destroying all enemy targets or protecting a particular allied target.
, created by volcanic activity south of Mexico's west coast in 1995. In 2002, the land mass was classified as an island, and was ceded to United Nations
control. However, in 2020, the United States of the New Continent (U.S.N.), a unification of North American and South American countries, made a bid for control of the island after withdrawing from the United Nations. The Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.), an alliance of Oriental Asian nations and Australia that was created in 2025, dispute this claim when the two superpowers colonized the island in 2065. The tensions heat up and eventually lead to the 1st Huffman Conflict in 2070, with Huffman Island being divided into two halves at the end of the war. An uneasy peace is maintained until the Huffman Crisis
in 2086, when a series of skirmishes across the island causes chaos. Tensions flare up and end in war when the O.C.U. is blamed for inciting the Larcus Incident
on June 3, 2090.
In the PlayStation remake Front Mission First, the player can also play a second scenario revolving around U.S.N. officer Kevin Greenfield. Months before the Larcus Incident, Kevin and his teammates in the Black Hounds special forces unit are participating in an operation against a terrorist organization known as "The Star of Freedom". Upon finding out the location of their headquarters in the Andes Mountains, the Black Hounds execute an operation to eliminate the group. A grave mistake on Kevin's part gets him fired from the unit and arrested by U.S.N. MPs
. In a last-ditch effort to remain in service, Greenfield accepts a post to the U.S.N. special weapons research division known as the "Nirvana Institute". He is then deployed to the Nirvana branch on Huffman Island, which is led by Driscoll. After a few operations with the division, the 2nd Huffman Conflict breaks out and Kevin is recalled to active duty. As the new leader of the Silver Lynx strike force, he aids the U.S.N. offensive to defeat the O.C.U. and bring a quick end to the war.
Understanding Front Mission in its entirety requires playing through both the O.C.U. and U.S.N. campaigns. They each have their own unique events and mysteries, the latter of which is fully explained only by playing the other scenario. The two scenarios also have a plot connection when a link between the Larcus Incident and the Nirvana Institute is established.
on November 23, 2003. This remake included new content and offered a new U.S.N. scenario to play through. Front Mission First also included new characters that would later be seen in Front Mission 4, namely Darril Traubel and Billy Renges. This remake later received an enhanced port on the Nintendo DS
, which was released in Japan on March 22, 2007, and in North America on October 23, 2007, simply titled Front Mission.
In the Nintendo DS version, battle sequences are tuned to use the console's dual screen setup for an easy view of the action. The port also includes a number of new additions. A number of characters from other Front Mission titles were added to the game's storyline, such as Griff Burnam and Glen Duval. New parts and weapons from other Front Mission entries were added. This version also boasted nine secret missions that further expanded the storyline.
and Yoko Shimomura
. Shimomura's work on the soundtrack was requested by Hironobu Sakaguchi
, the vice-president of Square, due to the need for a more experienced composer to work on the project along with Matsueda. While Shimomura intended to turn down this request due to her preoccupation with the Super Mario RPG soundtrack, she changed her mind after encountering the company president, Tetsuo Mizuno, and being embarrassed to decline the request in front of him. Shimomura mainly composed the action themes, as well as the opening theme, describing the soundtrack as "passionate" due to their "motivated" work. The score was arranged by Hidenori Iwasaki
for the PlayStation and DS remakes. The promotional album, Front Mission 1st Special BGM Selection, arranged by Isawaki, was released in 2003. Two songs composed by Shimomura from Front Mission, Take the Offensive and Manifold Irons, were orchestrated for the Drammatica album.
The Nintendo DS port
of Front Mission received average reviews from critics. IGN
's Mark Bozon rated it at 78%, commending its "options", "depth", and "customization" compared to other DS tactics games, but was disappointed at the lack of online play, calling it a "pure" port. Front Mission received a 65 out of 100 from Nintendo Power
, which called it "a stark, futuristic 'Advance Wars
' without the happy combatants and vehicle variety."
By the end of 2007, the Nintendo DS version sold 57,153 copies in Japan.
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
developed by G-Craft and published by Square Co., Ltd.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
, and was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on February 24, 1995 for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Front Mission is the first main entry and the first entry overall in the Front Mission
Front Mission
is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and is now with Square Enix as Product Development Division-6...
series. Front Mission is part of a serialized storyline that follows the stories of various characters and their struggles involving mecha known as wanzers. A direct port of the game was released for the WonderSwan Color in Japan on July 12, 2002.
An enhanced remake of the game developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
was released for the PlayStation in Japan on October 23, 2003, titled Front Mission First. This version of the game received an enhanced port that was released on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in Japan on March 22, 2007. Only the Nintendo DS port, renamed as Front Mission, was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 23, 2007. This release marked the third time that a Front Mission title was localized and published outside of Japan.
Likewise, a complete fan-made English translation patch for the original Front Mission version was released on September 24, 2001 by the group Front Mission Translation Project.
Gameplay
Game progression in Front Mission is done in linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up wanzers during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. The player travels to locations on a point-and-click world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map. Towns and cities act as intermission points where the player can organize and setup their units for the upcoming mission. Battle zones are where the missions take place, though they become inaccessible upon the completion of a mission.In Front Mission, players use playable units called wanzers, a term for mecha derived from the German word "Wanderpanzer", or "walking tank". Wanzers differ from the typical combat unit in that it has four modular
Modular design
Modular design, or "modularity in design" is an approach that subdivides a system into smaller parts that can be independently created and then used in different systems to drive multiple functionalities...
parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Each part has a specific function and its own health
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
bar. The legs parts enable movement and evasion, the arm parts are necessary to use hand and shoulder weapons, and the body part maintains the wanzer's operability. In the event the body is destroyed, the wanzer is removed from play completely. Destruction of arm and leg parts does not remove the wanzer from play, but it severely cripples its performance. While the player fights mostly wanzers, vehicles, aircraft, and mobile weapons platforms are also featured. These enemy units generally have only one part, the body, and are much stronger than wanzers themselves.
In the customization aspect of Front Mission, wanzers can be customized with a variety of parts, computers, auxiliary backpacks, and weapons. The player has full control over customizing their wanzers and can do so as long as its total weight value does not exceed its given power output. To field a wanzer in battle, it must have a complete frame of parts: body, left arm, right arm, and legs. Parts with built-in weapons in the body or arm sections can also be equipped on a wanzer. Computers improve the accuracy of the weapons equipped on the wanzer. Auxiliary backpacks and weapons are not mandatory equipment to use wanzers, but are crucial in order to progress through the video games. Auxiliary backpacks serve to give a wanzer special features during combat; they allow a wanzer to carry support items such as ammunition reloads and increase the power output of the unit, allowing it to carry heavier gear.
In terms of weapons, there are four classes of weapons: melee weapons, short-range weapons, long-range weapons, and support fire weapons. Melee weapons are weapons used at melee range and have a tendency to strike the body part of its target. Tonfas and rods are examples of melee weapons. Short-range weapons are weapons used at close range and deal damage to all parts of a target. Machine guns and shotguns are examples of short-range weapons. Long-range weapons are weapons that have long firing ranges and are ideal for avoiding counterattacks. Bazookas are examples of long-range weapons. Support fire weapons are indirect fire weapons; they can never be counterattacked, but have limited ammunition supply and minimum firing ranges. Missile launchers are examples of support fire weapons. Lastly, shields can be equipped on wanzers to absorb some of the damage taken from incoming attacks.
Front Mission has other notable features incorporated into the game. Arena is a unique feature in which the player can fight AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
-controlled enemy combatants, or face another player to earn monetary rewards. Likewise, Front Mission sports a briefing feature that details basic information about the composition of enemy forces for the upcoming mission. Missions in Front Mission are traditional tactical RPG fare, ranging from destroying all enemy targets or protecting a particular allied target.
Story
Set in 2090, the story of Front Mission takes place on Huffman Island, a fictional Pacific Ocean island roughly the size of OahuOahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, created by volcanic activity south of Mexico's west coast in 1995. In 2002, the land mass was classified as an island, and was ceded to United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
control. However, in 2020, the United States of the New Continent (U.S.N.), a unification of North American and South American countries, made a bid for control of the island after withdrawing from the United Nations. The Oceania Cooperative Union (O.C.U.), an alliance of Oriental Asian nations and Australia that was created in 2025, dispute this claim when the two superpowers colonized the island in 2065. The tensions heat up and eventually lead to the 1st Huffman Conflict in 2070, with Huffman Island being divided into two halves at the end of the war. An uneasy peace is maintained until the Huffman Crisis
Front Mission 2089
is a tactical role-playing game developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., MSF, and Winds, and was published and released in Japan by Square Enix Co., Ltd. in 2005 and 2008 for the mobile phones. The game was released on March 7, 2005 , October 27, 2005 , and June 18, 2008...
in 2086, when a series of skirmishes across the island causes chaos. Tensions flare up and end in war when the O.C.U. is blamed for inciting the Larcus Incident
Front Mission 2089-II
is a tactical role-playing game developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., MSF, and Winds, and was published and released in Japan by Square Enix Co., Ltd. in 2006 and 2008 for the mobile phones. The game was released on September 15, 2006 and February 21, 2008...
on June 3, 2090.
Plot
The plot of Front Mission revolves around O.C.U. captain Royd Clive. An O.C.U. reconnaissance platoon led by Royd is assigned to investigate a U.S.N. munitions plant in the Larcus District, located on eastern Huffman Island. Upon reaching the premises, the platoon is ambushed by U.S.N. wanzers led by an officer named Driscoll. He quickly ambushes Karen Meure, Royd's fiancee, and destroys her wanzer. As the two forces engage in battle, Driscoll detonates explosives inside the plant and escapes. The U.S.N. accuses the O.C.U. of the attack, later known as the Larcus Incident, but the O.C.U. insists that the incident was a set-up. Both sides soon declare war, setting off the 2nd Huffman Conflict. The O.C.U. pins the blame of the incident on Royd's platoon, discharging them from the military indefinitely. One year later, O.C.U. colonel Guri B. Olson seeks him out at a wanzer fighting arena in the town of Barinden. Dangling the prospect of killing the person responsible for Karen's death, he manages to recruit Clive to the Canyon Crows mercenary outfit. With the Canyon Crows, Royd is assigned to help the O.C.U. military reverse its fortunes and win the war.In the PlayStation remake Front Mission First, the player can also play a second scenario revolving around U.S.N. officer Kevin Greenfield. Months before the Larcus Incident, Kevin and his teammates in the Black Hounds special forces unit are participating in an operation against a terrorist organization known as "The Star of Freedom". Upon finding out the location of their headquarters in the Andes Mountains, the Black Hounds execute an operation to eliminate the group. A grave mistake on Kevin's part gets him fired from the unit and arrested by U.S.N. MPs
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
. In a last-ditch effort to remain in service, Greenfield accepts a post to the U.S.N. special weapons research division known as the "Nirvana Institute". He is then deployed to the Nirvana branch on Huffman Island, which is led by Driscoll. After a few operations with the division, the 2nd Huffman Conflict breaks out and Kevin is recalled to active duty. As the new leader of the Silver Lynx strike force, he aids the U.S.N. offensive to defeat the O.C.U. and bring a quick end to the war.
Understanding Front Mission in its entirety requires playing through both the O.C.U. and U.S.N. campaigns. They each have their own unique events and mysteries, the latter of which is fully explained only by playing the other scenario. The two scenarios also have a plot connection when a link between the Larcus Incident and the Nirvana Institute is established.
Remakes
Front Mission was remade as Front Mission First, which was released on the PlayStationPlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
on November 23, 2003. This remake included new content and offered a new U.S.N. scenario to play through. Front Mission First also included new characters that would later be seen in Front Mission 4, namely Darril Traubel and Billy Renges. This remake later received an enhanced port on the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, which was released in Japan on March 22, 2007, and in North America on October 23, 2007, simply titled Front Mission.
In the Nintendo DS version, battle sequences are tuned to use the console's dual screen setup for an easy view of the action. The port also includes a number of new additions. A number of characters from other Front Mission titles were added to the game's storyline, such as Griff Burnam and Glen Duval. New parts and weapons from other Front Mission entries were added. This version also boasted nine secret missions that further expanded the storyline.
Music
Front Missions soundtrack was composed by the joint team of Noriko MatsuedaNoriko Matsueda
is a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the Front Mission series, The Bouncer, and Final Fantasy X-2. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on several games. Composing music at an early age, she began studying the piano and electronic organ...
and Yoko Shimomura
Yoko Shimomura
is a Japanese video game composer. She has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". She has worked in the video game music industry since graduating from Osaka College of Music in 1988...
. Shimomura's work on the soundtrack was requested by Hironobu Sakaguchi
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, game director and game producer. He is world famous as the creator of the Final Fantasy series, and has had a long career in gaming with over 100 million units of video games sold worldwide...
, the vice-president of Square, due to the need for a more experienced composer to work on the project along with Matsueda. While Shimomura intended to turn down this request due to her preoccupation with the Super Mario RPG soundtrack, she changed her mind after encountering the company president, Tetsuo Mizuno, and being embarrassed to decline the request in front of him. Shimomura mainly composed the action themes, as well as the opening theme, describing the soundtrack as "passionate" due to their "motivated" work. The score was arranged by Hidenori Iwasaki
Hidenori Iwasaki
is a Japanese synthesizer programmer and video game composer currently working at Square Enix. He studied at the Tokyo International University before joining Square in 1998. He first worked as a synthesizer programmer before becoming a composer. His first work as a solo composer is Front Mission 4...
for the PlayStation and DS remakes. The promotional album, Front Mission 1st Special BGM Selection, arranged by Isawaki, was released in 2003. Two songs composed by Shimomura from Front Mission, Take the Offensive and Manifold Irons, were orchestrated for the Drammatica album.
Reception
The original Front Mission was a huge success in Japan, having sold over 500,000 copies during its first week of release.The Nintendo DS port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of Front Mission received average reviews from critics. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Mark Bozon rated it at 78%, commending its "options", "depth", and "customization" compared to other DS tactics games, but was disappointed at the lack of online play, calling it a "pure" port. Front Mission received a 65 out of 100 from Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, which called it "a stark, futuristic 'Advance Wars
Advance Wars
Advance Wars, known in Japan as is a turn-based tactics video game developed for the Game Boy Advance by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It was released in North America on September 10, 2001, but put on hold in Japan and Europe due to the following day's terrorist attacks in the USA...
' without the happy combatants and vehicle variety."
By the end of 2007, the Nintendo DS version sold 57,153 copies in Japan.
External links
- Front Mission at Square-Enix.com (English)
- Front Mission First at Square-Enix.com
- Front Mission official website at Square-Enix.com
- Ten-Mou / Worldwide Network System