LEGO Dimensions was everything for approximately two years, carving its niche in the peripheral-happy video game landscape. But while we absolutely loved getting official LEGOs of some of our favorite TV and film characters, that wasn’t the main appeal. No, the main appeal was the sheer amount of crossover: hearing the actual actors actually interacting, seeing them dive into and comment on each other’s stories. Hearing the Twelfth Doctor disparage Doc Brown’s DeLorean. Listening to two characters played by the same person (or the same character played by two different people) try to work out how they felt about each other. That was what we were there for.

Meanwhile, Super Robot Wars has been doing just that—minus the peripherals and with giant robot anime—for decades.

Super Robot Wars is a long-standing video game franchise by Bandai Namco (formerly Banpresto). Launched as a Game Boy spinoff of Compati Heroes in 1991, the games bring together giant robots and their pilots from across the worlds of anime and manga. Major players over the decades include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gurren Lagann, and the notably robot-less (but spaceship-rich) Cowboy Bebop. Central to every major title, though, will be the works of Go Nagai (specifically Mazinger Z and Getter Robo) and the Gundam franchise. Also present are Original Generation robots and pilots, created by Banpresto as the glue that holds these disparate series together. One of these heroic pilots will be your player character.

The majority of the game plays out in two styles: visual novel and tactical. Any important conversations play out in the former style, with actual levels taking place on an overhead grid. On each level, you deploy the units at your disposal to fight familiar (and OG) baddies, unleashing attacks straight out of the shows you love. And then once you’ve set your turn up, you watch them play out. In the modern day, that means fully animated, fully voiced cut scenes, featuring the original voice actors and animated true to the show’s style and era.

Up until 2019, being a Super Robot Wars fan anywhere outside Japan required a lot of patience and a variety of skills. Save for the Original Generation titles, which used only the aforementioned unique Banpresto characters, there were no official global releases of these games. That was largely because the licenses for the many shows featured were spread far and wide. Most weren’t licensed in North America; those that were belonged to different companies. And titles were spread across platforms. Some were exclusively Nintendo, others were exclusively PlayStation. There were even three made for Bandai’s WonderSwan handheld consoles, which were never released outside Japan. At best, you need to learn the kanji for “Move,” “Attack,” and “End Turn.” At worst, you had to jailbreak your consoles.

Then Super Robot Wars V dropped in 2019, marking the first console non-OG game to have an English language text option. It was also the first Super Robot Wars game to be released on PC. And, notably, licensing for both anime and video games is very different from how it was in 1991.

Super Robot Wars T also received an English text option, but 2021’s Super Robot Wars 30 received an honest-to-goodness global release on Steam. No more learning Japanese and reading story summaries online; no more adding a new lid to your PS2 so you could hot-swap discs. Now, there is nothing standing between you, Gridman, and a whole boatload of Gundams going to space together.

Obviously, if you’re a giant robot fan, it’s a no-brainer. There’s nothing like pairing up all your faves and shouting the attacks along with the voices you know and love. But even if you only know a Gundam or two, these are a delight for gamers—especially if you’re into hex wargames. Because at the end of the day, that’s really what Super Robot Wars is: war gaming with awesome animation and an unreasonably cool soundtrack. Plus, the interlocking storylines tease the plot of their respective anime, and more often than not will introduce you to at least one show you’ll want to see. (It was, in fact, a Super Robot Wars game that got me to watch GUN x SWORD; I never would have given it a try otherwise.)

Five years ago, I would never have dreamed of pushing Super Robot Wars on any but the most loyal giant robot anime nerds. It’s a great and enduring tactical RPG, but it would only be worth the labor for people who knew and loved the shows it referenced. Now, though? The giant robot world is your oyster. Download, play, and pray with me that it will eventually get successful enough to convince Bandai Namco to port some classic titles to newer systems.

Featured Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship show of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, LeRon Dawkins, Stephanie Klimov, and Pat Klein, as well as their friends, fellow creators, developers, and industry veterans, share their gaming experiences. They discuss what they’ve been playing, explore rotating segments, debate the Boss Rush Banter topic of the week, answer community write-ins, and more. Patreon subscribers at any tier enjoy exclusive access to the Boss Rush Podcast Patreon Show twice a month along with other perks and extras.

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