The latest entry into the mecha mashup franchise, Super Robot Wars 30, is heading for a western release. The first since the series graced audiences outside of Asia back in 2006.
It has been 15 years since the western players have come across a Super Robot Wars title with an official global release. Coming in the form of a spinoff, Super Robot Taisen Original Generations was the game and was playable on the GameBoy Advance. Since then, the franchise has been a mostly Asian release, with those releasing outside Japan having English texts in them.
Via Asian Market
The games were playable in English indeed, but they were not necessarily intended for the western market. The issue seemingly boils down to licensing that could take a long time to process. That is, considering also the number of IPs included in every installment. Which, as it appears, involves the likes of Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z, Magic Knight Rayearth, GaoGaiGar, S.S.S.S. Gridman, etc.
To those unfamiliar with the franchise, Super Robot Wars is a grid-based, strategy game which features many popular franchises in the mech genre. It is essentially a fan service to those who love the idea of fighting robots against enemies that harbor the same. Aside from the machines themselves, the series also highlights prominent characters seen in each IP. For instance, in the case of Gundam Wing, there’s Heero Yuy and his axillary mobile suit, Wing Gundam. There is plenty of names to go for, each of which would come off as familiar to the fans.
Official Western Release in Years
But as the franchise celebrates its 30 years in the business, things are making an unusual turn. In celebration of this momentous occasion, Bandai Namco is releasing a fresh entry in the franchise to the western market. Aptly called Super Robot Wars 30, it marks the series’ strong mainstay, with mech-lovers as among its target audience.
While some titles in the genre are known for their hardcore approach to strategy, the series is more inviting to the casual players. The game, for the most part, requires only some basic understanding of how the game works. The learning curve itself is not particularly steep, but draws a bit from role-playing games in some aspects. This makes the franchise open not just for those who generally love mecha, but also for RPG fans as well.
Super Robot Wars 30 will run on PS4, Switch, and Steam. As per Steam, it will officially arrive to both North America and Europe on October 27, 2021. Although the date may vary, according to the region.
Image used courtesy of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Southeast Asia/YouTube Screenshot