Super Robot Wars

The games' main feature is the use of mecha units from several Anime and Manga titles, mixing them together in a battle simulation and adding a complex plot involving some of their respective storylines, characters, and backgrounds. Another feature is a simple menu interface that can be understood by the gamer, even if he or she cannot understand how to read Japanese.

The very first SRW game was released for the Nintendo Game Boy system in 1991. The first anime mecha series featured on the game (and the ones usually present in all the series' games) are Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and the earliest incarnations of the Gundam series. The first two, both creations of famous Japanese manga artist Go Nagai, are representatives of the "Super Robot" type of units, while Gundam represents the "Real Robot" type of units.

As more games where released, more characters and units were added to these games, either from old and recent mecha series, and/or original units design by Banpresto exclusively for the games, using complex story lines to tie the plots together. Some anime titles known in the US market that have been included in some of the games are Neon Genesis Evangelion, Macross (adapted outside Japan as the first part of Robotech), Nadesico, and some incarnations of the Gundam series like the original Gundam, G Gundam and Gundam Wing.

Other mecha series included in the games, like Giant Robo, Heavy Metal L-Gaim, Steel Jeeg,and countless others are less known or not known at all in the US. Most of these mecha series, originally broadcasted in Japanese TV, have never been released commercially in the US, some of them not even in Japan itself.

Since the appeal of the game resides in the knowledge and familiarity that the gamer would have on the Japanese anime branch of mecha anime, the games have their biggest and most successful fanbase in Japan. For that same reason (and due to the limited availability of old mecha-based anime shows in the States), the games have not been made available officially in the US. Super Robot Wars 3 however, has received a complete fan translation. Other games like Super Robot Wars 1, 4, Gaiden, and R have received partial translations, mostly limited to menus.

Basics

In most of the entries in the series, most missions involve a storyline directly taken from a specific mecha series. This ensures that some of the gamer's actions must follow some steps according to the events of the specific mecha series to accomplish the mission or acquire a new unit. In some cases those events are predetermined and will occur no matter the player's course of action, sometimes one action taken by the gamer will lead to or skip an event.

Additionally, most recent games allow you to choose an original character, which you can customize. You can also choose a storyline path or route that you want for the character to follow. This will affect the storylines, missions and outcome of the game.

Units, Weapons and tactics

Mazinger Z, for example, a "Super Robot", has high hit points and armor, which enable it to sustain heavy attacks; and powerful weapons, like the Rocket Punch, and Breast Fire, that can destroy an enemy easily. However the Gundam Rx-78, a "Real Robot", is faster and more agile than Mazinger, but has less armor and hit points. It can dodge attacks more easily, and has better accuracy toward some opponents. However, its weapons cause less damage. Furthermore, it requires less energy for its weapons, while Mazinger would lose its energy faster when using its poweful attacks.

The game also allows you to exchange pilots between similar mecha. The pilots are critically important in carrying out the missions. The title character pilots are usually the best pilots. Kamille Bidan and Judau Ashta, from Z Gundam and Double Zeta Gundam, respectively, can be switched from their respective similar mechas. The same applies for characters like Tetsuya Tsurugi and Koji Kabuto, from the Mazinger series. All of them can improve their initial stats as they earn experience points for defeating enemies in combat.

Some units are usually treated as "support units", which give health and/or energy to other units. While most of these units are weaker in attack and defense, they tend to be valuable in a lot of battle situations. These resupply units are usually the sidekicks of the title character units. Examples are Aphrodite A and Boss Borot (from Mazinger Z), the Methuss (from Z Gundam), and Ginrei Robo (from the Giant Robo Ginrei specials OVAs).

The games also feature battleships, whose main purpose is to transport units and resupply them. Ships like the White Base from Mobile Suit Gundam and the Ra Kailum from Char's Counterattack, to the SDF-1 from Macross and the Exelion from Gunbuster are some of the battleships used in some of the games.

The enemies featured in the games range from simple A.I-controlled mechanical minions and units with common pilots to giant beasts and powerful arch-enemies in mobile suits. Classic anime villians, from Char Aznable and Master Asia to the Great General of Darkness are a few of the very powerful foes you can encounter. In addition, some of your enemies may join your side (as additional pilots with their own mecha or without), depending on the situation: some of them have to be defeated a number of times before you can convince them, others may join you automatically later in the game.

Influence

Banpresto also has released a Game Boy Advance version called Super Robot Wars: Original Generation, that reunites the original Banpresto characters and units that had appeared through the series. This version of the game has been very popular, creating a fanbase around the storylines and plots involving the original Banpresto characters and mechas.

The JAM (Japan Animation-music Makers) Project, consisting of veteran anime theme musicians like Ichiro Mizuki, Hironobu Kageyama, Rica Matsumoto, Eizo Sakamoto, Masaaki Endo, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui & Yoshiki Fukuyama, has also contributed to many of the SRW games soundtracks, with updates of old songs from the anime series and new original songs and themes.

But the games' main influence has been in the creation of anime shows influenced by original units and characters that were created for the games. The best example of this is the Mazinkaiser OVA released in the US in 2002, which was inspired by the giant robot of the same name that appeared for the first time in the game Super Robot Wars F, released for the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation in 1997 (Mazinkaiser is in fact a modified version of Mazinger Z, it was created by Banpresto for the game). Another one is Shin Getter Robo, a unit based on the original Getter Robo created for the Super Robot Wars 4 game, released for the SNES system in 1995. An OVA, called Shin Getter Robo: the last day, was released, inspired by the same mecha.
A completely original unit (not inspired by other units), the MasouKishin Psybuster (alternately transliterated as Cybaster or Cybuster), that appeared on the second SRW game in 1991, would be the basis for an anime series called Cybuster, with a modified story line. Finally, Banpresto is planning an anime OVA series called Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation, to be released
in May 2005.

Super Robot Wars titles

(Note: this is a list of the games' first availability for a certain console. Some titles have been re-released for other consoles).

Nintendo Game Boy/Game Boy Color