Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble
Developer: Area 35
Publisher: Area 34
Genre: Simulation, Strategy
Price: $14.99
Also Available On: Switch
It’s a testament to the depth and breadth of the Advance Wars series that it continues to be viewed as the gold standard insofar as turn-based defeat-all-enemies-type games that require no small measure of strategy are concerned. The first title (released way back in 2001 for the 32-bit Game Boy Advance), direct sequels Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, and the stand-alone Advance Wars: Day’s of Ruin all compel gamers to either vanquish rival forces or capture opposition headquarters. Several interface options are on offer, but the Campaign Mode, where an intricate storyline unfolds in the midst of deliberate, if engrossing, action, takes the cake.
Considering the success Advance Wars has engendered, other titles aiming to break through in the same genre have invariably used it as a model. Needless to say, the aim of their developers is to build on and improve upon it. Because the bar has been set high, however, few manage to come close. Fortunately, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble proves able to get the best aspects of its inspiration en route to surpassing it on the whole. Indeed, it delivers on its promise of bringing an immersive experience, and, at $14.99, boasting of a price point a full quarter lower than closest competitor Wargroove, to boot.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble picks up from where its predecessor left off. Commander Wolfram, head of the mercenary group White Fangs, finds cause in doing battle against artificial-intelligence-controlled soldiers from the kingdom of Dinolda even as she embarks on a search for her long-lost brother. In aiming to hold down forces out to claim world domination via the excavation of ancient technology seen to shift the balance of power, she gains allies in Artemisia and Zipang, starring Captain Nathan Gries and Lord General Tsukumo, respectively.
For all the scope and grandeur of the narrative, however, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble shines most in its gameplay. In this regard, credit goes to developer Area35’s willingness to listen to community feedback and incorporate suggestions from those who thoroughly enjoyed its 2017 release but who likewise saw the need to introduce improvements in the next one. For instance, supply line management has become a critical component in strategy building, particularly when it comes to the use of any of the three new mech units, which can drive through obstacles others would need to go around or pulverize enemies with superior firepower, but with attendant fuel and ammunition costs.
Parenthetically, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble not just enables the deployment of commander units (11 all told) on the battlefield, but underscores the importance of gamer choice by imbibing characters with unique skills that can turn the tide of combat one way or the other. The obvious nod to Advance Wars enjoins those who worked on it to trumpet it as a spiritual successor. At the same time, they make sure to underscore the differences. Among the most prominent: assault, which dislodges an enemy from a certain position; focus fire, which enables various units to lock on a target and attack simultaneously; and flanking, which allows for greater damage vis-a-vis frontal skirmishes.
As a tactical role-playing game, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble earns its keep with its progressive knowledge engineering. Even as victory can be accomplished in a variety of ways, gamers are kept on their toes by the remarkable capacity of the AI to predict even seemingly well-laid plans. Often, the chief complaint with similar offerings is the predilection of the programming to play checkers on the chess board. Not so with Area35’s pride. It doesn’t merely react and keep up; it analyzes, and then attempts to move a step ahead.
Aesthetically, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble retains the flavor of its predecessor. It casts proceedings in a colorful and decidedly military-themed anime art style and audio track. On the flipside, English voiceovers seem to have been recorded in various volumes, not to mention spouting lines of dialogue that can be borderline meretricious. Meanwhile, toggling to Japanese audio will yield better acting, but the accompanying subtitles could be better and can occasionally show errors. That said, the negatives are irritants at worst and, in the face of stutter-free on-screen activity, do not at all serve to dampen the interest of gamers.
Certainly, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is worth its salt, and more. It openly associates with Advance Wars for all-too-apparent reasons. At the same time, it distinguishes itself via enhancements that ultimately allow it to surpass its muse. It’s a can’t-miss affair even for gamers who didn’t pick up Tiny Metal, or for those who haven’t yet dabbled with SRPGs. Featuring an extensive and newbie-friendly tutorial, an intricate story-driven campaign with extra missions completists will appreciate, and other gameplay options that further raise its value, it comes off as an intellectual property no library can do without.
THE GOOD
THE BAD
Addendum: Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble on the Switch arguably provides more bang for the buck vis-a-vis its Steam version owing to its portability. Even as it loses absolutely nothing in the translation to the hybrid console, it gives gamers the option of taking it in while on the go. Controls are responsive, and while some stuttering is evident when the screen gets busy, the gameplay remains unaffected in the face of its turn-based mechanics. A can’t-miss release in any case. (9/10)
It’s a testament to the depth and breadth of the Advance Wars series that it continues to be viewed as the gold standard insofar as turn-based defeat-all-enemies-type games that require no small measure of strategy are concerned. The first title (released way back in 2001 for the 32-bit Game Boy Advance), direct sequels Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, and the stand-alone Advance Wars: Day’s of Ruin all compel gamers to either vanquish rival forces or capture opposition headquarters. Several interface options are on offer, but the Campaign Mode, where an intricate storyline unfolds in the midst of deliberate, if engrossing, action, takes the cake.
Considering the success Advance Wars has engendered, other titles aiming to break through in the same genre have invariably used it as a model. Needless to say, the aim of their developers is to build on and improve upon it. Because the bar has been set high, however, few manage to come close. Fortunately, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble proves able to get the best aspects of its inspiration en route to surpassing it on the whole. Indeed, it delivers on its promise of bringing an immersive experience, and, at $14.99, boasting of a price point a full quarter lower than closest competitor Wargroove, to boot.
Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble picks up from where its predecessor left off. Commander Wolfram, head of the mercenary group White Fangs, finds cause in doing battle against artificial-intelligence-controlled soldiers from the kingdom of Dinolda even as she embarks on a search for her long-lost brother. In aiming to hold down forces out to claim world domination via the excavation of ancient technology seen to shift the balance of power, she gains allies in Artemisia and Zipang, starring Captain Nathan Gries and Lord General Tsukumo, respectively.
For all the scope and grandeur of the narrative, however, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble shines most in its gameplay. In this regard, credit goes to developer Area35’s willingness to listen to community feedback and incorporate suggestions from those who thoroughly enjoyed its 2017 release but who likewise saw the need to introduce improvements in the next one. For instance, supply line management has become a critical component in strategy building, particularly when it comes to the use of any of the three new mech units, which can drive through obstacles others would need to go around or pulverize enemies with superior firepower, but with attendant fuel and ammunition costs.
Parenthetically, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble not just enables the deployment of commander units (11 all told) on the battlefield, but underscores the importance of gamer choice by imbibing characters with unique skills that can turn the tide of combat one way or the other. The obvious nod to Advance Wars enjoins those who worked on it to trumpet it as a spiritual successor. At the same time, they make sure to underscore the differences. Among the most prominent: assault, which dislodges an enemy from a certain position; focus fire, which enables various units to lock on a target and attack simultaneously; and flanking, which allows for greater damage vis-a-vis frontal skirmishes.
As a tactical role-playing game, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble earns its keep with its progressive knowledge engineering. Even as victory can be accomplished in a variety of ways, gamers are kept on their toes by the remarkable capacity of the AI to predict even seemingly well-laid plans. Often, the chief complaint with similar offerings is the predilection of the programming to play checkers on the chess board. Not so with Area35’s pride. It doesn’t merely react and keep up; it analyzes, and then attempts to move a step ahead.
Aesthetically, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble retains the flavor of its predecessor. It casts proceedings in a colorful and decidedly military-themed anime art style and audio track. On the flipside, English voiceovers seem to have been recorded in various volumes, not to mention spouting lines of dialogue that can be borderline meretricious. Meanwhile, toggling to Japanese audio will yield better acting, but the accompanying subtitles could be better and can occasionally show errors. That said, the negatives are irritants at worst and, in the face of stutter-free on-screen activity, do not at all serve to dampen the interest of gamers.
Certainly, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is worth its salt, and more. It openly associates with Advance Wars for all-too-apparent reasons. At the same time, it distinguishes itself via enhancements that ultimately allow it to surpass its muse. It’s a can’t-miss affair even for gamers who didn’t pick up Tiny Metal, or for those who haven’t yet dabbled with SRPGs. Featuring an extensive and newbie-friendly tutorial, an intricate story-driven campaign with extra missions completists will appreciate, and other gameplay options that further raise its value, it comes off as an intellectual property no library can do without.
THE GOOD
- A true spiritual successor to Advance Wars and direct sequel to Tiny Metal
- Immersive campaign mode
- Enhanced gameplay mechanics
- Outstanding AI
THE BAD
- Uneven English voice track
- Quality of subtitles could be better
- Commander units don’t seem to have weaknesses
- Multiplayer mode shows promise, but brought down by low player base
- No map editor
RATING: 9/10
Addendum: Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble on the Switch arguably provides more bang for the buck vis-a-vis its Steam version owing to its portability. Even as it loses absolutely nothing in the translation to the hybrid console, it gives gamers the option of taking it in while on the go. Controls are responsive, and while some stuttering is evident when the screen gets busy, the gameplay remains unaffected in the face of its turn-based mechanics. A can’t-miss release in any case. (9/10)
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