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Retro|Spective 107: Steel Battalion

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    Retro|Spective 107: Steel Battalion




    The History in Games:
    2002 - Steel Battalion
    2004 - Steel Battalion: Line of Contact
    2012 - Steel Battalion: Heavy Armour


    Overview:
    Infamous for its controller and a heavy price tag that is probably not so eye watering these days, Steel Battalion was a bold choice. To create a niche genre game, couple it with a complex and expensive controller and then put it on a new platform that was unpopular in Japan. No, this wasn't a Sega project - it was Capcom. A move so bold they tried it three times, with a follow up coming the next year that was online only but found itself being deactivated a year later. The third game tried to appeal more to US audiences by adding in WWII theming and removing the controller from the equation, a bold choice given the 40 button device was the only real reason the game drew attention in the first place. The motion based gameplay went down line the Hindenburg though and the series died a sharp death with the 360 entry.








    Share your thoughts and memories of Steel Battalion

    #2
    Had great fun with this; from the strange looks walking out with the mammoth package of my local GAME, to dragging my mates kitchen table into HIs living room to set it up to his state of the art Philips 36” pixel plus crt. Many a drunken armchair general evening with it and many a strange, confused look when guests saw the controller! And then trying put it back in the box, correctly, no chance! Still have a dissembled one in the garage. Who knows I might even set it up again. Was it it really 17 years ago. Wow.

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      #3
      This was incredible. Was in there from day one with line of contact. I remember every morning getting into work to see what the state of the war was. And then the day a new faction arrived! Mercenaries! I even met a behemoth once; emp blast, all my systems went down a I frantically went through the boot sequence to try and get mobile before the behemoth arrived at my location. My vdu sprang to life moments before I was taken down by a plasma sword. Happy days.

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        #4
        That huge controller unit still looks awesome. But I didn't feel the game would be my cup of tea, so I didn't splash the cash. I remember people saying it was a hard game to get to grips with, so that also put me off.

        But I'd definitely love to have a go on it. Doubt I will though. Maybe I will see one at a retro show someday.
        Last edited by Leon Retro; 07-10-2019, 22:54.

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          #5
          I remember trading in so much stuff to afford the Line of Contact box. I worked in GAME at the time and the staff discount was 25% on games but they refused to do it and I had to do the 10% hardware discount.

          Love the game but really regret not trying the online. One of those gaming things that is gone forever.

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            #6
            What's the game actually like to play? Is it similar to Armoured Core?

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              #7
              I asked my friend about it today as he owned it for a while.

              I think he regretted buying it as it was really expensive, a bit of a faff to set up/pack down and didn't enjoy the game!

              I love this set up, though:
              Steel Battalion was released for the Xbox in 2002, and remains one of the most hardcore mech simulators of all time. It became legendary for its huge twin-stick controller covered in buttons, and f…




              It's on permanent loan to The Museum of Art And Digital Entertainment in Oakland, California.
              https://themade.org/big-steel-battalion-box/


              360 degrees startup video!


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                #8
                Originally posted by wakka View Post
                What's the game actually like to play? Is it similar to Armoured Core?
                It’s very sim like, slow and abit clunky until you get used to it. Infact you can struggle balancing the mech and it can tip over, if you go too fast or make sudden movements. There was a great cheat code you could dial in with the controller that unlocked everything. So much fun when you mastered the control unit. If you didn’t eject before destruction, you went back to lv1, so the risk /reward really cam into play. Very unique. Never played the online version though.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by QualityChimp View Post
                  I think he regretted buying it as it was really expensive, a bit of a faff to set up/pack down and didn't enjoy the game!
                  I had a feeling that's what would happen with me, so I didn't bother.

                  It still seems strange that Capcom released such an epic piece of kit -- and for the Xbox, which was a new brand back in 2002. It would be quite funny if Steel Battalion sold more units in the West than Japan.

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                    #10
                    It was a fantastic game, totally unique. I owned it for several months in the 2000s, and I felt I got enough out of it that I'd happily never play it again, but those hours spent playing it were great.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Asura View Post
                      It was a fantastic game, totally unique.
                      It was when the controller lights up was an event in its self. I remember even my Uncle wanting to play the game on Christmas the game came out. I also loved the game gritty filter look and it was such a blast to play. I still have mine but to set it up these days is a pain these days

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