The SNES had one the finest and most varied gaming line-ups ever. Of course, the console had classics like Mario and Zelda, it had the very first Front Mission game too and was originally released back in 1995. Now, developer and publisher Forever Entertainment have given the game the remake treatment.

Assume the role of valiant pilots navigating treacherous battlefields, where the true realities of war come alive with every strategic maneuver. With a meticulously crafted narrative that surprises at every turn, the game showcases an extensive combat and battle system. Enjoy all these features through refreshed graphics and a reorchestrated soundtrack, elevating the gaming experience of the classic Front Mission series.

Technically, this would be a remake of a remake. While the original was released on the SNES in 1995, it was remade for the PlayStation in 2003. Now it has been remade again for modern machines. First, I’m going to cover the basic gameplay of Front Mission 1st: Remake, just in case you’ve never played the original. Front Mission is a turn-based strategy-action title. You command a fleet of wanzers (mechs) and take part in one of two campaigns to control of Huffman Island. You move your selected wanzer where required and battle it out against the opposing faction using basic RPG turn-based combat.

Win battles, earn exp and money. Spend that money on new parts and weapons for your wanzers. Rinse and repeat until you’ve seen the story out to the end. For me, the story is the main selling point of Front Mission 1st: Remake and you get two to choose from here. The two campaigns (OCU and USN) follow the same plot but is told from two different points of view.

The combat can be very hit-and-miss… literally. The wanzers have different parts that can be damaged. The main one being the body, destroy that and you win the fight. However, arms and legs can also take damage and be destroyed. Take out an arm and the enemy wanzer can’t use the weapon that was being held. If you do the legs in, the wanzer can’t move so freely. At first, you can’t choose which part to target and will just randomly attack whatever. This can be frustrating early in the game as you can get the enemy’s body down to one hit left, but your next attack will damage a part that has not yet been hit. The result is an easy-to-win fight needlessly dragged out, all too often.

You can take a break from the main story and take part in arena fights for money or go to a local bar and chat with the patrons for some ‘interesting’ backstories. This remake has done nothing to update the combat or basic gameplay and that can either be a good or bad thing, depending on your personal tastes. The main overhaul here is with the visuals. The old sprite-based graphics of the SNES original are gone and now replaced with 3D polygons. The previously fixed camera can now be rotated and the music and sound have had an upgrade too. This remake is more cosmetic than anything else.

Costing around £27 and is available now for PC and all the consoles. For me, that price feels a tad too high for an almost 30-year-old game that has just had a graphical upgrade. The core gameplay has not been touched over the original, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but is it worth £27? I played through Front Mission 1st: Remake and fully admit to enjoying it as much as I did back in 1995 on the SNES. However, several elements feel very outdated and the combat can be very frustrating due to the random aspect of the attacks.

This is a very slow and plodding game too, even if you increase movement the speed in the options. This is because it is very, very story-driven. Front Mission is more like a great war story being told, that gets interrupted by some slightly annoying combat. The upgrading of the wanzers is fun and all. But, I just feel that some of the gameplay elements could’ve done with an upgrade along with the visuals. Front Mission 1st: Remake feels positively archaic at times, especially with all the menu navigation and such.

Overall, I did enjoy Front Mission 1st: Remake and if you were a fan of the original, you’ll definitely enjoy this just as much. But I think that this will struggle to attract new fans to the franchise as it does still feel very 1995. The price is just a wee bit high too. Now that we have had one mech-based classic SNES title remastered, I’m just waiting on a Metal Marines remake now.