Super Robot Taisen W [import] review

Being a mech with a brain the size of a planet isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you keep getting attacked by other robots whose brains seem distinctly smaller. How can you tell? Simple. They can’t even manage the rudimentary math that would tell them taking on your 4,000-odd HP with the strength of 215 isn’t a very good idea. Not that we were complaining about that once 100 enemy mechs appeared on our DS screen all at once.

The manga-y animations for the actual attacks are quite flashy, if kiddy, with the ‘bots slashing and brandishing knives around like nobody’s business, lending this robo-strategy the weight of personality. Still, get past the graphics and it all comes down to adding up numbers - which is actually quite a relief, given that every single menu option’s in Japanese.

Saying that, with the help of Mr. Internet, you’ll easily be able to understand everything you need to, including how to enable your spirit/special powers, heal nearby ailing mechs and join forces to beat off attacks by the surrounding enemy.

Unfortunately not being able to understand any of the storyline means that your experience feels slightly miserable because of it. There’s no buildup or peppy manga dialogue - just long strings of 25-symbol kanji followed by an exclamation mark that signals it’s time for your turn.