Our Top 5 Robot Games
Robots in retro games have long been a fascination with gamers. There is something satisfying about building mechs and going into battle. So we thought it was about time we revisited some of our old favourites. Here’s our list of top 5 retro robot games.
Mechwarrior 2
Released in 1996 by Activision, Mechwarrior 2 was the long-awaited sequel to the original Mechwarrior (which we could have also included in this list). But the thrilling 2nd edition lived up to hype and expectation so gets our vote.
Subtitled ‘Mercenaries,’ Mechwarrior 2 is a full-on, all-out action game that is so addictive I threw more than one sickie to get out of school. To make it even better, the graphics cards in the PlayStation 2 had taken gaming up a notch, and Nintendo fans were not left in disappointment with the rendering upgrades in Mercenaries.
Mega Man 3
Mega Man 3 may have a clichéd gaming plot, but this is such a great game to play, the plot doesn’t even matter. Essentially, players take on the role of a robot that combat other robots before a major battle with the master robot at the end of each stage.
Classics encounters indeed, but Mega Man 3 added a little twist by throwing in a robot dog to help players in tricky situations, and arguably one of the best soundtracks Nintendo produced.
Custom Robo
If robot-on-robot violence floats your control pad, then Custom Robo will give you an all-time high. This one arrived a little later than the other retro games featured in our list, but is worthy addition for its sheer ferocity.
Players have to unlock robo parts to weapon-up before entering into the final battle. If you don’t have enough weapons or custom armour you will struggle to win your battles. You are given a blaster to start with, but as the game progresses you can pick up improved weapons such as flamethrowers, rocket launchers and 3-way cannons. Brilliant.
Earth Siege 2
Earth Siege 2 was released shortly after Mechwarrior 2 so perhaps didn’t quite get the recognition it deserved. It might not be quite as good as its rival, but this is still an awesome game.
You play a rookie pilot in a war against Cybrid robots. The aim to disable enemy landing pads and attack enemy aircraft. Once you complete this mission, you fly to the Moon to battle Prometheus. Failure means extinction for mankind. As the mission progresses the battles get fiercer, but you can earn weapon upgrades to help you get through the mayhem.
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri
Terra Nova was a breakthrough in 3D action simulators. There were some 3D games that retro consoles simply could not render, but Looking Glass Technologies nailed the polygon build so that perspective appeared more natural.
The game itself was all-out assault. Taking the role of squad-leader, players stomped across rocky terrain blasting anything that moved. The play dynamics to this one are as good as any retro game produced in the 1990’s and I had plenty of late nights glued to the TV with this one.
What are your favourite retro robot games? Email your suggestions and we will add requests to our events nights.
About the author
Zeeshan Mallick
Co-Founder of SuperRetroGamer.com
