''Robocalypse'' is a 2008
real-time strategy
Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that does not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time." By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, tur ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed by Russian studio Vogster Entertainment and published by
Tecmo
was a Japanese video game company founded in 1967. It had its headquarters in the Kudankita district of Tokyo. Its subsidiary, Tecmo Inc, was located in Torrance, California. Prior to 1986, Tecmo was formerly known as Tehkan.
Tecmo is known for ...
for the
Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
handheld
A mobile device or handheld device is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. Mod ...
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...
. It is the first of the ''Robocalypse'' duology and has only been released in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. The project was led by Anton Kruglyakov and the story was written by
Jay Lender and
Micah Wright, former writers for
animated TV series ''
The Angry Beavers
''The Angry Beavers'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the zany hijinks of Norbert and Daggett Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have moved out of their parents' home to bec ...
'', ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'', and ''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
''. Players utilize the Nintendo DS' unique controls to build and command an army of robots to defeat an army of rogue robots determined to destroy humanity.
Upon release, the game was praised by critics and regarded to be one of the best RTS games for the Nintendo DS. An
iOS
Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
port of the game was released nearly a year later, titled ''Robocalypse: Mobile Mayhem''. A sequel,
''
Robocalypse: Beaver Defense'', was released for
WiiWare
WiiWare was a digital media entertainment service operated by Nintendo that allowed the download of games and applications developed for the Wii video game console. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the W ...
in June 2010.
Plot
At Thermidoom Labs, a robot factory, scientist Flaxen Hayer is bewildered to discover that her robots are sharing a product line with toasters. While
nerd
A nerd is a person seen as overly intellectual, obsessive, introverted, or lacking social skills. Such a person may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, little known, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly t ...
Myron Mako is discussing the factory's potential safety issues with his boss, an evil robot, Demolisher, suddenly emerges from the factory with a robot army intent on
destroying the world. When Flaxen expresses skepticism of making a counter robot army, Myron reveals that he has a brain scanner and uses it on
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
veterans as a template for the intelligence of a new counter robot army,
which they get to work making. The robot army enjoys some early success against the Demolisher's troops, before the battle shifts to a desert. Despite great efforts, Myron's army is unable to stop the Demolisher from taking over a
mine and stealing crucial fuel from
oil well
An oil well is a drillhole boring in Earth that is designed to bring petroleum oil hydrocarbons to the surface. Usually some natural gas is released as associated petroleum gas along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce only gas m ...
s at an
oil field
A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the prese ...
, but manages to secure an
orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
from enemy troops. Then Demolisher pursues the heroes across the desert to a
safe house
A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is a dwelling place or building whose unassuming appearance makes it an inconspicuous location where one can hide out, take shelter, or conduct clandestine activities.
Historical usage
It may also refer to ...
and kidnaps Flaxen before she can get inside. Efforts to rescue her as she lays imprisoned in a wooden cabin enable Demolisher to uncover and activate a secret
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
*Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
* Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
missile silo
A missile launch facility, also known as an underground missile silo, launch facility (LF), or nuclear silo, is a vertical cylindrical structure constructed underground, for the storage and launching of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM ...
to lay waste to much of the planet.
After the ensuing destruction, which Myron survives by hiding inside one of his commander robots, Commando Joe, his army then resolves to fight back against Demolisher's forces across the
nuclear winter
Nuclear winter is a severe and prolonged anti-greenhouse effect, global climatic cooling effect that is hypothesized to occur after widespread firestorms following a large-scale Nuclear warfare, nuclear war. The hypothesis is based on the fact ...
wasteland, destroying transmitter towers that can reprogram his robots to betray Myron and serve the Demolisher. A definitive showdown then occurs between Myron's forces and that of the Demolisher. Despite the Demolisher's powerful abilities, including his use of decoy clones, Myron kills the Demolisher, but in his final moments, he reveals that he answers to an
alien master. Much to his horror, Myron discovers that it is Flaxen, who is the alien queen in disguise. She also revealed that she arranged the robot uprising to facilitate an invasion of the planet from the beginning, although the certainty of her success suddenly disappears when Myron finds the cave where the aliens are staging their attack from. Myron's army raids the alien invaders, kills Flaxen in an intense battle after she reveals her true appearance and destroys all the technology she used to ferry her invaders to the planet. Myron then laments about losing such a beautiful woman, before discovering a remote control device from Flaxen and a message from her about using it as a
time machine to prevent her evil plan and pursue a romance with her despite her true appearance. Myron proceeds to do so and the two depart Earth, never to be seen again, but not without bringing his hero robots back in time and leaving them on the planet, ready to protect it from any further threats.
Gameplay
''Robocalypse'' is controlled entirely with the stylus and
touchscreen
A touchscreen (or touch screen) is a type of electronic visual display, display that can detect touch input from a user. It consists of both an input device (a touch panel) and an output device (a visual display). The touch panel is typically l ...
, with optional, supplemental button controls.
The single-player
campaign mode has 17 missions across four unique zones, each with different objectives to tackle, as well as optional side objectives, some which are hidden. Up to four players can battle against each other.
Development
''Robocalypse'' was announced on January 22, 2008, by former
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
writer
Jay Lender.
Reception
''Robocalypse'' has received mostly positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 79.8%
and 79
from
GameRankings
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
and
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
respectively. Daemon Hatfield of
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
awarded it the Editor's Choice in its review, exclaiming that he was glad to see a real-time strategy game made for the Nintendo DS, the genre being so well-suited for the system's touch controls and dual screens. He complimented its controls and
AI.
He also praised its humor, saying that he finds it to be truly unique.
Mike Feinburg of
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
also praised it for its tight controls and humor, but described the AI as clumsy and frustrating.
''Robocalypse'' was recognized by the KRI games development conference in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
as the best game for portable systems.
It also received several Nintendo DS-specific nominations from IGN in their 2008 video game awards, including Best Strategy Game,
Best New
IP,
and Most Innovative Design.
References
{{reflist
External links
Robocalypse's Official Web Site
2008 video games
Video games about alien invasions
Apocalyptic video games
IOS games
Military science fiction video games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Nintendo DS games
North America-exclusive video games
Real-time strategy video games
Science fiction video games
Tecmo games
Video games about robots
Video games about time travel
Video games developed in Russia
Vogster Entertainment games
War video games set in the United States