Writing
Retro Revival: Battleclash - Published by N-Philes, Jan 17, 2006
The Scoop
As everyone knows, science fiction often depicts the future as bleak and hopeless, which is just one sign of how damnedly optimistic we all are. Battleclash makes use of this time-honored mold, depicting a futuristic age where governments have collapsed and life is ruled by the Battle Game. Opponents duke it out in large mechs, know as Standing Tanks (STs), and the victor of the battle wins control over the loser. Anubis is the merciful ruler of this archaic system of dominance and submission, but can he hold onto power forever?
The best way to take down a mech is to tickle under its arms
Enter Mike Anderson. Part revolutionary and part avenger, he wishes to end this era of chaos and earn vengeance for his father by defeating Anubis, who, obvious to anyone familiar with the concept of vengeance, had killed Mike's father. However, before he can take a single shot at the Battle Game champion, Mike must first defeat army of Battle Chiefs. To achieve this end, players made use of the Super Scope to rain out their onslaught on enemy ST units, as well as using their shots defensively to take out incoming weapons fire.
Iterations
Battleclash a.k.a Space Bazooka (JP), SNES, 1992
Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge, SNES, 1993
Everybody loves the Super Scope!
Notable Appearances
Mike Anderson wasn't popular enough to appear anywhere else. Sorry, Miguel.
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Battleclash was one of the few SNES titles to make use of the clunky Super Scope peripheral. Due to the limited functions of that crazy device (the Super Scope only has two buttons: fire and pause), players could only fire rapid shots or charged shots at the opponent. Fortunately, players could take advantage of opponent STs' weak spots and deliver more damage per shot, depending on where they aimed the weapon. The first game in the series offered nine stages, each one with a single ST to defeat.
If the round lasted longer than 10 minutes, you lost the match
The sequel to Battleclash, Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge, was similar in gameplay, though it expanded on that gameplay with more weapons and enemies, a training mode, and a ranking system. If players completed the game they could unlock a second controllable character, Carol Eugene (who came with a slightly different story).
Not even cool Anime artwork saved the game in Japan
Battleclash and Metal Combat, both developed by the folks at Intelligent Systems, were released Stateside in 1992 and 1993, respectively. In Japan, where the Super Scope was even less successful, Battleclash hit stores in 1993, and Metal Combat was never given a release.
Revival Potential
Can Nintendo's other famous Falcon take flight?
Hey, does this look familiar?
A game that pits large mechs against each other in futuristic urban battlefield with little regard for the surrounding environment sounds like something that would be a mainstay in gaming, yet there haven't been any concrete modern examples of mech fighting games on Nintendo systems. The exception is Custom Robo, though that title came off as a shallow, cartoonish button masher by the general gaming consensus.
As Nintendo strives to catch everybody in their net of all-access gaming, they will need broad software to appeal to the hardcore gamer. Battleclash can easily rise to such a challenge by offering large battlefields with strategically-placed obstacles, realistic fantasy visuals, and mech customization. The game itself can retain its arcade feel with a "quick match" mode, while adding a deeper storyline with more elaborate scenarios would appease those who want more substance. However, the real meat and potatoes of the game falls completely under multiplayer; being able to play with others co-operatively or competitively, online and offline, is what could potentially make a new entry in this series a hit.
That is where the Revolution comes in. The system will be online right out of the box, and because Nintendo will allow users to play their games online at no cost, a decent mech fighter could very well attract MechAssault and MechWarrior veterans. Not only could the game be played offline with a slew of friends (LAN support maybe?), but online as well, with everything from team-based matches to individual free-for-alls accommodating up to 16 players, if not more. The Revolution's nunchuck control set-up will do wonders for those who fumble around with the sometimes-confusing control of mech games. The analog stick can allow you to move the mech while the remote's aim controls the direction the mech is facing as well as where the player wants to shoot. With more buttons than the Super Scope had to offer, players can have dedicated primary and secondary buttons as well as the ability to jump, or perhaps even fly. The system will have no problems generating all forms of destructible environments that the players can use to their advantage, by hiding behind structures, leveling all buildings (to keep others from hiding), or by having them fall onto opponents. Keeping with Metal Combat's ranking system, an online system would not only rank all players based on who they defeat, but anyone who ranks under them would be able to make a challenge to try to move up.
Because the Revolution's controller is so perfect for this style of game, and because there's a huge overlap in the video gamer demographic and the giant robot demographic, I think there is a good chance Mike Anderson will be battling for justice once again. Nintendo has the resources to create such a game. In the event they don't feel Battleclash is worth their time, there is no reason why it, as well as Metal Combat, shouldn't appear as downloadable games (and there are rumors circulating that it might have already made the cut). After all, the Revolution controller is very much like the Super Scope. Let's just hope it has a better battery life.
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