When the DS first launched in 2004, everyone predicted that the little system would see an influx of real-time strategy titles, since the touchscreen could be used to mimic the mouse controls that made the PC such a popular platform for the genre. And yet here we are four years later, and aside from a few notable exceptions, the DS has seen few quality RTS titles. Tecmo’s seen fit to try to remedy the situation, by bringing us Robocalypse from developer Vogster Entertainment. The game is bursting with personality, and while it may not be flawless, it is one of the best examples of the genre on the DS yet.

When a mix-up on the production line causes advanced prototype military robots to be equipped with ultra-polite toaster AI, they glitch out and begin to mount a very polite assault on mankind, with the ultimate goal of complete domination. Their creators, the crew at Thermidoom Labs, are at a loss as to what to do next, but programming nerd Myron’s got the solution: create an opposing team of good robots to stop the evil-yet-courteous army. There isn’t time to program them, but luckily there’s a lost squad of WWII troops conveniently nearby, so a quick brain-scan later, they’ve got an army of machines with personalities and fighting spirit straight out of a John Wayne film. Using his dual-screened Robo-Controller, Myron commands his troops into combat, and this is where the player comes in. The story is pretty interesting, and it’s presented with all the charm and life of a Saturday-morning cartoon. That makes sense, considering the plot was conceived and written by Jay Lender, one of the creative minds behind Spongebob Squarepants. Like that show, Robocalypse features plenty of jokes that will appeal to kids and adults, and the upbeat vibe of the story is a great counterpoint to the game’s tactical combat action.

The game’s cinematics are done in this cartoon style, and feature a lot of energy and humor.

Robocalypse’s gameplay is pretty standard, by RTS standards—you’ll take control of a small army, and each map features an opposing squad that you’ll have to confront. Vogster has introduced a few new or altered mechanics to streamline the gameplay and get around the technical limitations of the DS. Instead of being in direct control of each troop as usual, your standard units are directed via Action Flags, which alter the behavior of nearby units and can be placed anywhere you choose. Place an Action Flag on your home base and the nearby soldiers will patrol the area and defend it from attacks; plant one on the enemy base, and your troops will carry out an assault on it. It’s a pretty easy system to get used to, and works remarkably well, letting you still control the actions of your units without having to worry about issuing direct orders to each unit. Many of the more tedious aspects of the genre, like resource collecting, are automated to a degree here (just make Builder units, and they’ll gather scrap, your basic resource, on their own), so you’re able to focus on the fun of combat.

Even without Action Flags, your troops are smart enough to take some basic actions, like self-defense, without your help.

Your Hero units, on the other hand, work a little differently. These are the colorful characters that are introduced in the cinematics, each possessing the personality of a different WWII vet, and with it, their own skills and abilities. There are six different Hero units, and they’re unique—that is, you can’t have more than one “instance” of a given Hero on the battlefield at a time (as opposed to, say, soldier units, which can be reproduced ad infinitum). Hero units are the only troops you can control directly; by tapping them, then giving an order, you can command your Hero units to make a direct attack on the enemy, or perform any number of different actions depending on that particular Hero’s abilities and personality. Sergeant Payne, for instance, can summon a squad of soldiers and medics to follow him and even boost their attack power, while Viper the Sniper can use invisibility and his sniper rifle to take out enemy troops from long range. Your hero units gain experience in combat, and can become much more powerful as the game goes on. Most of your successful strategies will involve building and utilizing Hero units, so it’s important to use and develop the ones that suit your particular playing style.

Having the right Hero units of the field can spell the difference between victory and defeat in any given combat encounter.

The gameplay has its share of issues, though. As with many RTS titles, pathfinding can be a problem—sometimes giving a unit an order causes them to march around the far side of a building instead of taking the quicker, more direct route. RTS veterans might be upset over the relatively few unit types available and the streamlined approach of the game (which removes some of the control from the player), but these are both necessary sacrifices, to make the genre feasible on the hardware, and to increase the game’s accessibility. Also, while every RTS has tons of vital information to give the player, Robocalypse’s user interface is confusingly organized. This makes it tough, especially in the heat of battle, to decipher exactly what the game is trying to tell you and what you need to do about it.

Once you’ve learned to “read” the game it becomes more easily navigated, but at first the screens can be confusing to look at.

The single-player campaign is long and varied. There are seventeen missions to conquer, each with a few primary objectives and plenty of secondary ones. You can attempt the secondary objectives or ignore them as you like, although they often grant bonuses or expand the storyline. Even the mandatory primary objectives are usually achievable in several different ways, so there’s plenty of replayability to the story mode.

Or you can try your hand at multiplayer. Up to four players can go head-to-head in Robocalypse, although the game restricts you to local matches, and every player has to have their own copy of the game. Still, the multiplayer action is fast and furious, and as with most RTSs, it’s much more fun to dominate your buddy’s army than the AI.

The game uses a 2D, sprite-based visual style that captures the energy and look of a cartoon. Units are interesting to look at, and animate smoothly and usually comically. During battles, the robots spout out one-liners frequently, which add humor and character to the fighting. The backgrounds and buildings are very detailed, with the entire world looking like a metal-and-rivets version of a WWII battlefield. The music, too, helps establish the game’s cartoony mood; most battles are accompanied by Looney Tunes-style bouncing military themes, which keeps the tone of the game upbeat and pleasant even when the fighting becomes intense. There’s a little bit of voice work here, too, and each voice clip helps cement the personality of a given Hero.

During combat the troops make little comments, and it really adds flavor and humor to each encounter.

It might not be the best RTS of all time, but Robocalypse takes a well-loved genre and makes it viable on Nintendo’s handheld. Between the single-player campaign and the limited-but-functional multiplayer offerings, there’s plenty of content here to keep amateur military leaders busy for a long time. If you’re an RTS fan looking for something to play on the go, or a DS owner with an interest in the tactical genre, you couldn’t go wrong to pick up a copy.

Gameplay: 8.2
The developers have taken all the necessary ingredients of a real-time strategy game and whittled them down to something that’s feasible on the DS. Genre fans might be disappointed at what they see as a watered-down RTS, but the game still has all the tactical action you need, just delivered in a more streamlined package. Some minor gameplay issues (pathfinding, etc) don’t outweigh the solid strategy gameplay.

Graphics: 8.5
The 2D visuals here pop with color and life. Each unit is immediately recognizable, with their own cartoon look and style. Characters animate smoothly, environments are detailed, and the overall “look” of the game is attractive and unique.

Sound: 8.0
The music is bouncy and energetic; it’s cartoony while still retaining a military vibe. The sound can get pretty chaotic, especially during fighting, but it sounds like a battle should. The limited voice clips your robots have add some personality and charm to each character.

Difficulty: Medium
A detailed tutorial sequence teaches genre newbies all they’ll need to know to succeed in combat, but genre fans can increase the challenge by attempting the more difficult secondary objectives. The game does take some solid strategic planning, but with enough effort and intelligence any player should be able to make it through.

Multiplayer: 8.0
Four-player free-for-alls are great fun, and an easier alternative to LAN parties. Still, it’s a shame that there are no Wi-Fi Connection options, or at least some kind of stripped-down single-card game modes.

Concept: 8.5
The idea of military robots with the personalities of WWII vets is a great set-up, and provides plenty of laughs, as well as a unique feel to the storyline. I’ve compared the game several times to a cartoon, and the story really would work well as a Saturday morning show.

Overall: 8.3
The DS finally has an RTS capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the system’s wide selection of great turn-based strategy games. Don’t let the cartoon vibe throw you—Robocalypse has enough strategy goodness to keep any genre fan happy.