My Played Video Games Review: BattleTech for the Sega Genesis

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BattleTech is an isometric view, mech-based video game developed by Malibu Interactive in 1994. It was the first BattleTech-based game to be released for the Sega Genesis.

I was surprised that the mechs in this game looked similar to the mechs of my favorite 1980s mecha anime TV series, Robotech. I kinda liked it because it felt new at that time.

The Story

It is the future year of 3050. You are a Mechwarrior of Clan Wolf. You pilot a battle-ready Mech, a Mad Cat to be exact. Guided by Galaxy Commander Craig Ward, it is your mission to eliminate certain threats to Clan Wolf, so that your Clan Wolf can dominate the world.

Box and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

The graphics are pretty good for a Genesis game, with a lot happening on-screen at once. Your Mech is bigger than the other enemies, but the enemy and building designs all look the same, and the enemies' weapons have the same graphical effects as yours do. Every planet looks different, and some weapons cause fire when they hit the ground. Your Mech leaves tracks in places, and you can tell when a building has been destroyed. Some enemies' pieces litter the ground when you destroy them and stay there for a few seconds until it vanishes into thin air.

Sadly, there is no level music in this game, which be boring, so you may want to play rock songs while playing this game. Every weapon has a different sound effect, but most explosions sound the same. A female computer voice tells you when another Mech is nearby, or if you are about to die. The sound isn't very memorable.

Gameplay video sample of Battletech. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

You control a giant robot tasked with various missions ranging from killing an enemy spy to destroying the enemy bases. It is done in top-down isometric view. Before each mission, the player chooses which weapons to take on the mission, and then a drop-ship drops the player's mech on the mission map. It is like the Jungle Strike or Desert Strike games. It is a difficult game because of the lack of in-mission saves with missions that can take up to an hour to complete.

A nice feature is the ability to play the game cooperatively. One person can control the mech and the other controls the turret, it makes for some awkward but fun, multiplayer sessions.

The controls in this game are very hard to master, and the lack of any in-mission saves makes it difficult. Patience is key.

Replayability is good. You can try to use all of the possible weapon combinations, which will take a while, and discover new ways to kill enemies.

My Verdict

Battletech is a good game. It might be difficult. But if you are patient, there is a surprisingly deep game that lies underneath it all.

Play it on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive or on a reliable emulator. Try to play co-op with a friend.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!