Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars

"Freedom to Mars!"

Normally, I don't feel the need to write reviews for games I've played, even the greatest ones, since there are typically several of them out there already by the time I get around to playing the game. But The Fist of Mars is an exception. This game is so underrated, yet so great...the minute fanbase the game has doesn't do the game justice. So I felt compelled to write a review for this game, in the attempt to increase its fanbase. I hope what I am about to say convinces you to buy this game.

Graphics: 9/10

I'll get the less important stuff out of the way first (though some people buy games solely because of their graphics, which I think is just sad). Considering that this game is not from a next-gen system, the graphics are pretty cool. The battle animations are quite impressive and vary considerably from mech to mech. But my favorite part about the graphics is the well-done anime portraits of the characters during dialogue scenes. Each character has several different facial expressions and it really adds to the context in which they are saying something. This game proves that you don't have to come from a CD to have good graphics.

Sound: 9/10

Here's a hint: WEAR HEADPHONES WHEN YOU PLAY THIS GAME. The GBA's sound capabilities are not that impressive through one speaker, but wearing headphones exponentially increases the quality of the sound. The sound effects themselves are decent (the critical hit sound and the explosions are pretty good). But the music is what gives the game's sound a good score. During dialogue, the music excellently conveys the mood of the scene, and the techno battle themes are definitely enjoyable. But you really need to have the headphones to appreciate the music in this game.

Gameplay: 9/10

Now we're moving on to the important stuff. The Fist of Mars is a strategy/RPG: you control an army of mechs on a map divided into squares with different terrain types on each square, and you battle against enemy mechs. Each scene has different objectives: it may be to kill all enemy forces, it may be to defeat the boss, you may have to defend something...the scenarios are pretty diverse, and it's generally very easy to tell what you're supposed to do, which is a very good thing. Moving and attacking with your units is the order of the day, and you can use the terrain to boost your defensive capabilities. When you attack and defeat enemy units, you gain experience and may level up, as well as cash which can go toward upgrading your mechs in between scenes. You can also gain some abilities by downloading them from local servers, which are located in certain areas on the mission maps. In addition, as you defeat enemies or sustain attacks, your Spirit rises. When you reach certain amounts of Spirit points, your mech will gain new attacks. These attacks are very cool, allowing you to do much more damage than before. Add to that a couple of other in-battle abilities, such as Repair and Supply, and you pretty much have the game's combat in a nutshell.

But wait! There's more. There are actually two ways to play the battles in this game: Standard and IAS (Interactive Action System). Standard battles calculate the accuracy of attacks done by you or the enemy based on the attack used, the terrain, and the stats of both the attacking and defending pilots. IAS battles are more arcade style. When you attack, you are given a certain amount of time to hit your enemy, and you must lock on to your moving target and fire. When attacked, several crosshairs will appear on the screen, and your job is to avoid them all by the time the time limit runs out. Which method you use is really just a matter of preference: IAS is by far the easier mode, but it adds an element of action to the game. I preferred Standard because of the added challenge.

Normally I don't like strategy games, since you have to take the time to build stuff and it ends up dragging out way too long with little actual progress. But The Fist of Mars has great gameplay. It's nice and simple, and concentrates on the areas that gameplay should be about.

Storyline: 10/10

Now this is where the game changes from great to phenomenal. I’d say that roughly half of the game is dialogue…and DON’T be discouraged if you judge games solely on gameplay. The plot is what makes the game so addicting. I never found myself so motivated to finish a game because I always wanted to find out what was going to happen next. There are lots of things that seem to make little sense, until the big revelation comes along…usually sparking lots of emotion and conflict. The story has the right amount of simplicity, but is also very deep with its themes. There are lots of great, memorable quotes in the game. Even if you don’t like dialogue in games, you’ll love it. And if by some chance I’m wrong, you can always hold down R and skip it all…but you’ll seriously be missing out on the heart and soul of the game.

Since Golden Sun is widely regarded as currently being the best game for the GBA (Why? Don’t ask me), I shall compare the two, assuming that the reader has already played Golden Sun. The amount of text in both games is pretty close, but come on, admit it, Golden Sun had terrible dialogue. They could go on and on about one stupid little thing in that game that often didn’t have much to do with the main objectives, which, by the way, never changed throughout the course of the game: beat the villains and save the world. Actually doing that took up a really small portion of the game; the rest of it was completely irrelevant. I played Golden Sun right before I played The Fist of Mars, and yes, I suffered through all its dialogue. Then when I played The Fist of Mars…it was like I had forgotten that excellent stories existed, and this was the first one I ever saw. I’d like to tell you the whole thing, but I guess that would be considered spoiling, and I wouldn’t want to do that.

Characters: 10/10

I had to include a separate category for the characters since they’re just so cool. I mean, FF9 had great characters, but this game tops them. I’ve never seen such a diverse bunch in my life. Cage, the boy who had such a simple life until the game begins, and has to cope with things he’s never imagined experiencing. Myona, the strong-willed girl who is trying to remember who she is and where she came from. Razma and Semyl, with their comical love-hate relationship. Yukito, a sarcastic individual who’s mind is always off on another planet. I won’t describe all of them, this review is already long enough. But that’s just a few of the good guys. The villains…one in particular…you will absolutely loathe. And that’s what makes them so cool.

I could compare the characters in this game to the ones in Golden Sun as well, but I think I’ve pretty much already made my point. If you only buy one game for the GBA in your lifetime, make it The Fist of Mars. You won’t regret your decision.

Freedom to Mars!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/14/02, Updated 05/14/02