Battletech (Genesis)

You're a Clan Wolf MechWarrior: the pilot of seven stories and 60 tons of densely packed explosives and attitude. In Battletech for the Genesis, the future of the Clans rests on you and your Madcat Heavy OmniMech, but it's an assignment you'll gladly accept.

Walking Thunder

In the style of Jungle Strike and Desert Strike, Battletech drops you into a series of ground-based missions, each with several objectives that must be completed in order. The game play resembles the Strike games, consisting mainly of stomping around and pureeing anything that moves.

The engaging graphics feature well-detailed sprites that are easily identifiable. Your 'Mech is particularly lifelike as it strides along, rocking from side to side and raising plumes of dust or leaving tracks in the snow.

Point and Shoot

Numb one-player controls make the game difficult. The body of your 'Mech is a swiveling turret that can move independently of the legs; you can march in a straight line while you try to drill nasties coming in from all points of the compass. However, vague controller action can send your shots wide and your 'Mech crashing into walls. These problems become more than a nuisance when you run across an enemy 'Mech -- your lack of agility can get you dead, fast.

Fortunately, what's difficult for one player is exciting in the two-player cooperative mode, where one player controls the legs and one controls the turret. Before long, you'll be yelling warnings to each other while your 'Mech calmly tracks enemies.

From the cool voice of your 'Mech to the chatter of incoming fire, the sound effects will grab you. However, the lack of music during the levels adds a solemn, lonely feel to the proceedings.

Clan Wolf Wants You

One of the few drawbacks is the short feel of the levels -- more objectives would be welcome. Most gamers, however, will find some of that "just one more time" challenge, and Battletech requires enough strategy to make it more than a mere firefest. Join us, youngling of Clan Wolf, and remember: Do not tread lightly.

Coming to the Genesis in cartridge and CD form, Battetech will satisfy anyone's hunger for mech combat. Based on the popular FASA simulation/RPG, you are a mech pilot, controlling one of many powerful armored suits.

In the one-player mode, you start off as a rookie mercenary for a Bandit Kingdom, but soon you face off with the nastiest of adversaries: the Clans! In this mode there are 25 different missions, and 5 different terrains. A bloodthirsty two-player mode is also possible. Picture two giant mechs circling one another, and dishing out astonishing amounts of firepower. Cool, huh?

There are all kinds of enemies in this game, from the the old favorite (the Marauder) to the latest in Elemental design. You'll definitely have your hands full. Just don't overheat!

Battletech depicts the board game version extremely well. The graphics are very good, and if you play the game already, you'll see some familiar sights. Battletech is a nice change from the average shoot-'em-up.

Geared for Battle!

All the passwords you'd ever need, or even want. Enjoy anyway.

It is the 28th century, where huge 40 ton man-shaped armored vehicles fight desperate battles for control of distant remote worlds. Battletech is a game of armored combat that is based on the hit role-playing board game. In this game, you control one of the mighty Mechs, on an intense 3-D playing field, and are pitted against five formidable enemy clans in 25 different missions over five different land types. Or if you're feeling really gutsy, you can go head-to-head with another Mech in a tactical struggle for control.

MISSION 1

You will start your Mech adventure in this mission. Destroy the different radar sites around the playing field. As you stomp around the level, dust flies up around the feet of your huge armored warrior, and you hardly even notice things like the enemies' ground units and buildings!

MISSION 2

The huge canyon walls of Mission Two form a maze-like level that you have to work your way through in order to eradicate the enemy. Small ground units and other Mechs are everywhere.

MISSION 3

This is a partial map of Level Three. This level is on an ice world where you will put your Mech in a lot of danger, because when you get on the ice you slide right into the walls made of spikes. There are also some really dangerous enemy Mechs that will surely give you a lot of trouble.

MISSION 4

Here in Mission Four you must take your Mech through a maze of canyon walls in order to seek out and destroy the enemy. Your Mech is almost unstoppable and can blow through just about anything in its way, sometimes even the walls!

This brand new 16-Meg game was designed by Sculptured Software and features eight 52-sprite BattleMechs for use in combat. There are two modes. The first is Career Mode, where the player lives out the life of a warrior for more strategic play. The second is the Melee Mode where aggressive players can jump right into the middle of a heated battle. You can customize your mechs with 16 types of weapons, so no two battles will be alike. Expect this game to be similar to the VR Battletech game.