You Can (Not) Port
In a surprise reveal, Bandai Namco has announced that Super Robot Wars V and X will be ported to Nintendo Switch and PC. While details are scarce at this time, the company has promised more details will arrive in the upcoming issue of Weekly Famitsu. It should be noted that Bandai Namco Southeast Asia has not announced anything yet, meaning there is a chance these may not release outside of Japan with their English translations, just like SD Gundam G Generation Genesis with its Switch port.
For those unfamiliar with these entries and the differences between them, here is a quick rundown.
Super Robot Wars V released on February 23, 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Vita, and was the first licensed title to be translated into English. We reviewed the game, awarding it a 7.5/10, highlighting a lack of difficulty holding it back. The series included are as follows, with franchise debuts highlighted in bold:
- Invincible Super Man Zambot 3
- Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
- Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash
- Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam
- Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Skull Heart
- Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: The Steel Seven
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer
- Mobile Suit Gundam UC
- Brave Express Might Gaine
- Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness
- Getter Robo Armageddon
- Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!
- Shin Mazinger ZERO vs. Great General of Darkness
- Fullmetal Panic!
- Fullmetal Panic? Fumoffu
- Fullmetal Panic! The Second Raid
- Fullmetal Panic! (Original novels)
- Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
- Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
- Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
- Space Battleship Yamato 2199
- Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
The following year, on April 26, 2018, Super Robot Wars X released for PlayStation 4 and Vita. We had a review for it as well, awarding it a 7.5/10, citing improvements in mechanics, difficulty, and visuals but a major mishandling of the story for the series included. The properties included are as follows, with first-time appearances in the franchise highlighted in bold:
- Aura Battler Dunbine
- Brave Express Mightgaine
- Buddy Complex
- Buddy Complex Final Act: Into the Skies of Tomorrow
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
- Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons
- Gurren Lagann
- Gurren Lagann the Movie: The Lights in the Sky are Stars
- Mazinkaiser
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack – Beltorchika’s Children
- Mobile Suit Gundam F91
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
- Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: The Steel Seven
- Gundam Reconguista in G
- Mashin Hero Wataru
- Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
- New Story of Aura Battler Dunbine
- Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3
- Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!
- Shin Mazinger ZERO vs. Great General of Darkness
It should be noted that while I favor the more recent Super Robot Wars T for newcomers due to solid storytelling, presentation, and difficulty options, that could potentially change with these ports.
If V has the expert difficulty mode introduced in X, and the Super Expert mode that a recent patch added to T, then its major flaw will have been addressed. In turn, V will be just as much of an ideal entry point as T is currently.
Of course, that’s also assuming these will ports will be released to regions that have the translations, so don’t get your hopes up yet.
