Kara Dennison
April 26, 2021 
Back in April 0f 1991, Banpresto gave mecha anime fans their greatest wish. With the advent of Super Robot Wars, lovers of giant robot anime could lead a fleet of their own and save the world.
30 years on, the games are still going strong. If you’re new to this franchise, here are the basics of why you — especially if you’re a mecha fan — will want these in your life.
Control Classic Giant Robots
When Super Robot Wars began, it featured three classic series: Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Players guided familiar units across maps, replaying familiar scenes with the combined forces of three series’ worth of giant robots.
Over the years, more and more series have joined the Super Robot Wars family… and with them, the voice actors behind the characters we love. Now you can line up GaoGaiGar with Gunbuster, build a fleet of musical Macross units, and take on Dr. Hell with all the Mazingers. In the most recent game, you even Captain Harlock’s Arcadia and the cast of Cowboy Bebop!
Banpresto Originals
While commanding familiar mecha is the big appeal of Super Robot Wars, we can’t forget the “Banpresto Originals.” These new characters have their own stories, robots, and universe. And it’s on this playing field that the many and varied giant robot universes of anime collide.
In each game, you choose an Original and their robot (Super or Real) to represent you on the battlefield. And you’ll have more original allies backing you up… and original villains waiting to take you down!
Epic Crossovers
It goes without saying that Super Robot Wars will contain mecha anime crossovers. That’s the whole point, right? But it goes beyond that: the writers are really clever about combining the many series’ different worlds.
For example, one game merges the finale of RahXephon with End of Evangelion‘s Third Impact — an extremely appropriate pairing. (Though you’ll see Third Impact in a lot of Super Robot Wars games.) Robots of similar eras and themes may get combos — like the Sun/Moon/Bird Attack shared by Daitarn 3, Zambot 3, and Trider G7. And sometimes they’re just funny… like when Gear Fighter Dendoh‘s Hokuto says Misato Katsuragi sounds like his mom. (To be fair, she does: both are voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi.)
There’s more to come from Super Robot Wars in the near future, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Plus, as of Super Robot Wars T, there’s at least one official English translation of a main-line game! What robots would you like to control in your next gaming session?
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