A tactical Zone of the Enders game

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good fun, good story, able to save frequently.

Cons: Battles could be better (moving and attacking in the same turn)

The Bottom Line: 
A fun tactical RPG that builds upon the Zone of the Enders universe

Author's Review
Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars is another game in the Zone of the Enders universe. Zone of the Enders is a story, told by one OAV DVD and a DVD series, two PS2 games, and now a GBA game. In it, humanity has begun colonizing the solar system but those living on Earth develop a superiority complex and call anyone living in colonies on Mars or the moosn of Jupiter "Enders" (where those living on Mars call those on the moons of Jupiter Enders). Different parts of the story are told in the various mediums but they all end up connecting in some way. The basic storyline is that rebels on Mars want more independence from Earth while Earth is cracking down. Higher ups on both sides are using the conflict for their own means and high-end mechs which awesome abilities are the center pieces of the series.

In The Fist of Mars, a tactical RPG for the Game Boy Advance (the PS2 verisons are fast paced mech fighting games), you control one of the rebel groups on Mars fighting for more rights. The main character, Cage, gets caught up in the events, finding a mech and a mysterious girl and joining the Mars group BIS (Born in Space). Though he is the main character, during combat there are different mechs to use, tanks, APCs, etc. They gain experience, get upgraded abilities and new equipment. Being a tactical RPG, the actions are turned based, allowing all your characters to perform their actions and finishing then other sides being allowed to do the same. You can plan out where to move units, which units to attack or which to support. And being turn-based and a tactical RPG, there are more opportunities to save, which is a nice feature for those of us who may lack a lot of time (even saving mid-battle).

An interesting aspect of this game is that the ability to hit an enemy is not just decided on a set of numbers. When you attack, you are brought to a second screen that allows you to control a targeting recticule. The enemy has to be in it in order to strike them (and if you get the right spot, a critical hit). As you improve, the time allowed, how fast the enemy tries to dodge and how big the targeting square is all improve too. On the other end, when an enemy attacks your characters, you are allowed the chance to dogde. Again, the better the enemy, the harder it is to dodge their targeting.

The graphics are pretty standard for a GBA game. The cut scenes show a background and then character faces as they talk and sometimes change expressions. The main screen is a top-down view of the battlefield which switches to the targeting screen and a small animated scene when the attack is performed (showing guns firing, etc). I felt they could have done more with animation, especially in the cut scenes. The sound is pretty standard - not talking but music, sound effects, etc.

In between battles, you can upgrade your mechs by spending money on them (money is earned by defeating enemies). You can increase their armor, adjust their defense/offense, increase their weapons' power levels, ect. As you increase each level, it becomes more and more expensive to do. A nice feature, though not all the mechs are able to do this for some reason.

One aspect of the game which I did not enjoy is the fact that you cannot both move your mech AND attack during the same turn, unless you perform a melee attack (which means you have to be next to the enemy to do). Though this also goes for the enemy. So you are stuck, either moving to a better spot or attacking; if you are too far away, you cannot move close in and attack, you have to wait to the next turn to attack.

Overall, this is a fun game and I recommend it to either fans of the Zone of the Enders series, anime fans or fans of tactical RPG's. It has a lot in it, different mechs to use, and a good story that builds upon the rest of the series though it can stand alone easily by itself.