Steel Battalion

aka: Tekki
Moby ID: 7805
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Description official descriptions

Steel Battalion is a 'mech game in which the player takes control of mechanized tanks, known as "VT"s (or Vertical Tanks), using a forty button controller with footpedals.

Not too far in the future, military unrest is rampant throughout the world, and the player has just recently been promoted. As the pilot of a state-of-the-art mech known as a Vertical Tank, the player must take charge of keeping the peace. Players must master the integrated controller to clear their way to victory.

SB comes packaged with a forty button controller, consisting of three separate boards, and a footpedal. On the controller there are buttons that activate commands such as switching radio frequencies, activating the windshield wipers, changing radar scanners, switching weapons, firing weapons, locking abilities, defense mechanisms, and more. The controller has two joysticks, one which moves the 'mech forward and backward, and one that allows the player to move and aim. The footpedal controls speed and braking, independent of the stick, and a third pedal controls slide-strafe.

An interesting feature is that of the eject button. Encased in clear plastic, similar to an "abort" button at a military installation, this command can save the player's life. As the player nears death they must quickly flip the lid and push the button, otherwise they die, and death in the game is forever, as the pilot data is erased from the hard drive/memory unit, forcing players to start over.

To defeat enemy mechs the player is equipped with a variety of high-tech weapons, such as Plasma Torches, Twin Pod Rocket Launchers, and a 270mm Rifle Cannon.

There are a total of fifteen 'mechs to pilot, and ten missions to accomplish.

Groups +

Promos

Credits (Xbox version)

108 People (96 developers, 12 thanks) · View all

Manual Design
  • Hanshaw Ink & Image
Marketing
Creative Services
Package Design
Translation
PR
Special thanks to
VT Designer
Military Adviser
Calligraphy of Japanese Title
Main Programmer
Programmers
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 81% (based on 18 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.0 out of 5 (based on 7 ratings with 1 reviews)

The best game for Xbox I've played!

The Good
This game is better than any simulation arcade game I've played. This game is the ultimate achievement in gaming if you want to feel like you're really driving a war machine into battle. The controller makes the game very unique as lights flicker on when certain functions need to be activated. The dual control sticks offer a feeling which no other game can match.

The Bad
Retail price: $200+ can be a big turn off for some people.

The game can be quite difficult at times, and if you fail too many times or don't eject in time you must start the game over.



The Bottom Line
With 23 missions, not 10, this game has a lot to offer. Missions range from about 5 to about 40 minutes. I can't remember but I believe there are six difficulty modes. If you enjoy Mech Assault, or Gunmetal then this is the game for you. Not to say other games of the genre are bad, but they really don't compare to this game in the same way that a Honda Civic does not compare to a Ferrari. You'll have to pay at least $200 dollars plus shipping to get a copy from ebay or some other source, but you will definitely be getting your money's worth. I just got my own Xbox about a week ago, and I'm trying to get my own copy of this game. I've logged at least 25 hours (the game keeps a roster of all pilots active, retired and lost) on this game and want to keep playing.

Xbox · by . . (2) · 2003

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Steel Battalion appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Eject

The developers first thought about making the Eject button even more "special". Not only does it kill all your savegames; originally, it should have been covered by a glass panel that you had to smash to activate the button. There should have been three spare panels, but they discarded this idea because they were afraid of people injuring themselves...

Awards

  • GameSpy
    • 2002 – Most Insane Xbox Game of the Year

Analytics

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Related Games

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor
Released 2012 on Xbox 360
Battalion
Released 1998 on Windows, Linux, 2009 on iPhone
Steel Battalion: Line of Contact
Released 2004 on Xbox
Battalion Commander
Released 1985 on Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari 8-bit
Star Battalion
Released 2010 on iPhone, iPad, Android
Last Battalion
Released 1991 on Sharp X68000
First Battalion
Released 2006 on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2
Battalion Commander
Released 2016 on PlayStation 4, PS Vita
Battalion Wars
Released 2005 on GameCube

Related Sites +

  • Steel Battalion - Wikipedia
    article in the open encyclopedia
  • SteelBattalion.org
    a very comprehensive fan site about Steel Battalion. Includes many gameplay tips, a walkthrough, plus pictures of the custom controller that came with the game and more.

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 7805
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by JPaterson.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, Felix Knoke, Exodia85, Patrick Bregger, FatherJack.

Game added November 24, 2002. Last modified January 17, 2024.