Bring the Thunder: Robots in Gaming

Written by: Adam "ManKorn" Korenman, CC2K Video Games Editor

2)  Mechwarrior

No, none of those cannons shoot rainbows. Only death

Ron Pearlman said it best: “War never changes.”

Unless you’re talking about Mechwarrior. In that case, change is the name of the game. In Steel Battalion, you control of piece of military hardware. You can swap weapons around, but not without affecting the weight and balance of the entire rig. In Shogo you can switch weapons as easily as if you were just a soldier on the ground, but the realism was lost. In Mechwarrior, you can build the death-machine of your dreams, if you can manage the heat. 

But no Robot Jox. That only happens in the 80’s

Mechwarrior was the prodigal son of robot gaming. Originating in 1995, the series burst onto the scene with hyper-realistic graphics and an intense gameplay model that put the player in the cockpit of a unique war machine. 

Not this one. Settle down, ladies

Mechs came in a variety of forms, from light-armored scouts to heavy-hitting marauders. Every robot had a different number of slots that could hold different types of weapons. By analyzing the upcoming mission, players could determine what the best loadout would be. Or they could just scream “YOLO” and go with rockets and gauss cannons. [Editors Note: “YOLO” was not a popular phrase in the 90’s. It could also be said “YOLO” is not a popular phrase today, but rather an obvious red flag used to decide which of your friends to block on Facebook.]

There are support groups out there. Save your friends

As the dominant force on the battlefield, these mechs decided the fate of nations as they slugged it out across the globe. They affect more than just the lives of a few pilots, but the rise and fall of governments and militaries. But there is only one game that goes a step further.