During today's Nintendo Direct, there were a number of announcements for upcoming titles. Developer Square Enix released information about two installments in the Front Mission franchise that will be coming to Nintendo Switch.
The Front Mission franchise began with its initial release on PlayStation and Super Famicom in 1995. The series has gone on to encompass many forms, including manga, novels, games, and toys. Now, the developer has announced that the franchise will be continuing on Nintendo Switch with two Front Mission games.
During Nintendo Direct it was revealed that a full remake of the first game, Front Mission 1st, will be released on Nintendo's hybrid console Switch in the summer of this year. A sequel, Front Mission 2, will also launch on Nintendo Switch at a later date. This isn't the only classic returning to Switch, as Wii Sports is back as Nintendo Switch Sports. The Front Mission announcement comes with a mech-filled trailer that will get fans very excited. It features a few gameplay segments of 3D tactical battles between wanzers, and fans also get a glance at some customization options for the mech suits.
The Front Mission franchise is rooted in turn-based tactical role-playing, and players use mecha robots called wanzers to wage war against other supranational nations. However, fans of the franchise have sometimes had the opportunity to pilot the mech against one another, such as in Front Mission Evolved's multiplayer combat. However, the remakes are retuning to the turn-based format, which should work nicely on the Switch, especially when used in its handheld form. Front Mission's games have also frequently been praised for their storytelling elements, and this may bring players back for multiple playthroughs.
The franchise will likely find a new player base, even though these games are remakes of the original titles. Front Mission 2 was only released in Japan, so can now be enjoyed by a much wider audience. Not to mention many Switch gamers likely don't remember the first Front Mission in 1995, and will get to experience the franchise for the first time. Switch gamers who are looking for that classic tactical role-playing game feel on their modern console will be pleased to hear that Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes was also announced for Switch.
Whilst there isn't much news about the second game, one can assume that the announcement of both Front Mission titles demonstrates that Square Enix is committed to returning the franchise to Switch. This might mean several things, as the Front Mission franchise has had some genre-changing spin-offs including a real-time strategy game, a third-person shooter called Front Mission Evolved, and even an MMO. There could still be many things in the pipeline for Front Mission on Switch.
Front Mission 1st will release on Nintendo Switch in Summer 2022.