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MechWarrior 3050

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MechWarrior 3050
North American cover art
Developer(s)Genesis
Malibu Interactive
SNES
Tiburon Entertainment
Publisher(s)Genesis
Extreme Entertainment Group
SNES
Producer(s)Bernard Whang
Designer(s)Michael Case
Noel Hines
David H. Luehmann
Randy Oyler
Denny Thorley
Mick West
Bernard Whang
Programmer(s)Michael Case
Mick West
Artist(s)Noel Hines
Christian G. Sean
Composer(s)Keith Arem
SNES: Brian L. Schmidt
SeriesBattleTech
MechWarrior
Platform(s)Sega Genesis, Super NES
ReleaseSega Genesis:
  • NA: February 2, 1994
Super NES:
  • EU: 1995
  • NA: October 1995
  • JP: February 23, 1996
Genre(s)Sci-fi mech simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, cooperative

MechWarrior 3050, also known as BattleTech in its original Sega Genesis release and in Japan as BattleTech 3050 (バトルテック3050), is a 1994 mech-based video game developed by Malibu. The first BattleTech based game to be released for the Sega Genesis, it was later ported to the Super Nintendo by Activision as MechWarrior 3050. The Super Nintendo game was localized and published in Japan by Ask Group.

The story takes place during the events of the Clan Invasion in the 3050 era. Players are assigned the role of a Clan Wolf Mechwarrior, who is sent to eliminate several Inner Sphere assets which threaten to destroy the Clan's dominance on the battlefield, and given Timber Wolf/MadCat mech.

This video game is viewed in an isometric view as opposed to the first person view of the previous game. The game also features a two-player mode where one player controls the bottom half of the mech to navigate it around the map while the second player controls the gun turret.[1]

Gameplay

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The game features an isometric perspective and centers around controlling a Mad Cat/Timber Wolf mech to destroy the Inner Sphere bases. Gameplay unfolds across five distinct stages, each featuring a unique environment such as swamps, deserts, or frozen wastelands. All missions are presented to the player in the form of a news feed.[2]

Mission objectives range from destroying enemy radars and factories to conducting rescue operations, all of which involve extensive use of weaponry. The Mad Cat/Timber Wolf mech, with its ability to rotate 360 degrees, is armed with an array of weaponry, including missiles, lasers, mines, and flamethrowers, which the player chooses at the beginning of each mission. Limited ammunition necessitates frequent restocking from crates scattered around the map.[2]

Damage inflicted by enemies increases the Mech's damage and overheating indicators. If these indicators reach critical levels, the player loses a life. Collected coolant fluid can reduce overheating. The game also offers an innovative cooperative mode for two players, with one player controlling the robot's legs and the other managing the torso and weaponry.[2]

Reception

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Though the four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly complained that the game's single-player mode is difficult to the point of being inaccessible, all but one of them gave the Genesis version a positive recommendation, citing the diversity of missions, strong challenge, and impressive animations.[3] They were evenly split on the Super NES version, with two of them recommending it based on the diversity of levels, and the other two focusing on the frustratingly difficult single player mode and the confusing controls. They scored it a 6.75 out of 10 average.[4] A critic for Next Generation gave it three out of five stars, assessing that, compared to the Genesis original, it has sharper graphics but clunkier animation and worse control. He praised the game itself for its frantic, challenging onslaught of enemies.[5] GamePro's Scary Larry was uneasy at how the two-player mode demands that the two players be in perfect sync with each other, and said that the failure to do so could lead to bitter arguments. He also criticized the undetailed graphics, choppy animation, and limited sound effects, but recommended the game for its challenging, strategic, and overall fun gameplay.[1]

Victor Lucas of Electric Playground lauded the game, drawing comparisons to the gameplay of Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf. Lucas particularly appreciated a control feature that allowed the player to shoot without changing the course of movement, but he did note that the game's graphics could have been more refined, specifically regarding enemy detailing.[7] Similarly, drawing a comparison to Jungle Strike from the Strike series, Nikos Constant of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment found BattleTech to be considerably more engaging. In his view, BattleTech is a "great war game", where success hinges on the player's ability to simultaneously utilize strategy, skill, and a bit of luck.[6]

Ken Horowitz from Sega-16 commented on the sense of power that BattleTech offers to the player when controlling a massive combat robot. Horowitz noted that the game more closely resembled a solitary MechAssault entry, characterized by its methodical and thoughtful gameplay pace.[8] In a retrospective review, Jim Evans from the Ultimate Nintendo collection felt that while the game could have seen Desert Strike-style success, its overly complex gameplay, heightened by the appearance of enemy Mechs and time constraints, made the game unnecessarily difficult. Evans posited that with a more balanced difficulty level, the game could have become a "classic".[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "ProReview: MechWarrior 3050". GamePro. No. 87. IDG. December 1995. p. 104.
  2. ^ a b c d e Evans, Jim (2019). "MechWarrior 3050". Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the SNES Library 1991-1998. Contri Code Productions. ISBN 978-0-9973283-2-5.
  3. ^ a b "Review Crew: Battletech". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 61. Ziff Davis. August 1994. p. 32.
  4. ^ a b "Review Crew: MechWarrior 3050". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 75. Sendai Publishing. October 1995. p. 33.
  5. ^ a b "Mechwarrior 3050". Next Generation. No. 11. Imagine Media. November 1995. p. 189.
  6. ^ a b Constant, Nikos (October 1994). "BattleTech". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (69): 75.
  7. ^ a b Victor Lucas (14 August 1995). "Battletech". Electric Playground. Archived from the original on 1 May 2001. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b Ken Horowitz (12 January 2006). "BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat". Sega-16. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
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