One of the more challenging GBA games of last year was Super Robot Taisen Original Generation, an excellent tactical RPG by Banpresto featuring plenty of cool looking mechs having at it in a ton of turn-based battles. The game was definitely geared toward players who at least know the history of the long running Japanese series, as well as those who wanted a complex, lengthy storyline to keep both halves of the brain occupied. The game has obviously done well enough at retail to warrant a sequel, so Atlus has responded with Super Robot Taisen Original Generation 2, set to hit stores this November. We got our hot little hands on a preview copy and can report that what's here should make fans extremely pleased that Atlus has decided to bring this latest entry stateside. If you're new to the series, I'd suggest tracking down the first game so you can get up to speed - there's a heck of a lot going on as soon as the game begins.

The sequel brings back the large cast of the first entry and adds a few new faces as the story arc continues. If you loved the original then expect more of the same with some nice visual updates - supremely tough grid-based maps to battle it out on, excellent battle animations and plenty to read as the text-heavy story plays out. As before, you can expect a couple of minute's worth of clicking through important dialog sequences, as a ton of characters are introduced and reintroduced. Since there's so much happening, the ability to save at any time comes in really handy and in case you've missed a story point, you can zap backwards during any conversation using the B or L button on your GBA or DS. As our demo cart had no manual, I'd imagine that new players might need some sort of scorecard, given all the comings and goings, not to mention the plot twists that drop in from time to time.

The story has the EFA facing off against the DC Remnants and their plans to use stolen mechs from a few eras in order to 'save' the Earth from a potential alien invasion. A pilot named Lamia may or may not be some sort of enemy spy, but since she becomes part of your team you'll be using her powerful Angelg mech as part of your ATX team. The dialog comes fast and frequently, squarely geared toward those who are into getting a season's worth of animé packed onto the small screen. You'll read lots of technical jargon, German-sounding mech names and the occasional mildly racy comment, most courtesy of the sexy Lt. Excellen Browning. There's also a hoot of a psychotic, tea-sipping enemy ship commander who pretty much everyone under his command dislikes. Early on, the game drops in a funny line in at his expense, with one character musing: "Tea from a teabag… this man's such a tea poseur," something that cracked me up for a good few minutes as I was drinking a cup of tea at the time… made from a teabag, at that!

The gameplay is similar to the original and pretty straightforward - before a mission you're treated to a lengthy cut scene that sets up the current battle map. Once the battle begins you're in command of either one mech or an entire team, depending on the plot. While eliminating all the enemies is a requirement most of the time, some maps have Battle Mastery conditions that skilled players will love to attempt, such as damaging a powerful enemy a certain percentage, capturing an enemy or destroying all foes in a few turns. This isn't as easy as you'd think, with thousands of points allotted to mechs and the wide range of weaponry available from the start. Some regular attacks can whittle down a mech's energy with one shot, while special attacks can send some mechs to the scrap heap in the blink of an eye. In some cases, allied mechs that are close together can perform offensive or defensive support maneuvers, a good thing in cases where the tide needs to be turned quickly. Each pilot also has special skills that allow for extra attack, evasion, counter and other moves. Like in fantasy-based strategy RPGs you'll be expending points to use these skills, so managing them is key in some of the bigger maps.

There's a cargo hold of variables to manage between missions as you tweak your team to fighting perfection. Success in battles earns you cash to spend on mech and weapon upgrading. Each pilot that participates in battles gains points to enhance or add to his or her skills, something that keeps you using as many team members as possible. Given that upgrades are pretty expensive and you're penalized a fee for repairing destroyed mechs post-battle, you'll want to do your best to keep everyone in one piece. Some defeated enemies drop parts or gear and you also get new mechs every couple of missions, so you'll be quite busy setting up and taking apart stuff as you tweak the perfect battle machine. There are also a few hidden weapons and mechs to track down throughout the forty or so missions, but we'll need to get a bit more playtime in before we start seeing these items showing up. Around Mission 10, the game asks you to choose one of two paths, each of which alters the setting and storyline significantly.

While the tactical map graphics are pretty simple, Banpresto has done an excellent job in bringing the mechs to life in the battle animations. You can turn them off to speed up gameplay if you like, but it's pretty awesome to see a multi-jointed robot pull off a spectacular, effects-filled super move, sometimes against a parallax-scrolling backdrop. Dialog scenes are set against nice-looking static backdrops or play out on the map screen when necessary, complete with character portraits that change according to the emotions on display. There's a nice variety of mood-setting music throughout the game, from a dynamic main theme and battle music to assorted tunes for the cut scenes. Of course, being a GBA game, don't expect any voice acting, but you'll get to hear some great sound effects usage complementing the solid graphics.

Based on the preview build, I can safely suggest that mech fans and strategy hounds absolutely add this game to their must have lists. I'm definitely ecstatic at how the localization has turned out and as with the first game, I'm hooked in and will certainly be snapping up Super Robot Taisen Original Generation 2 as soon as it hits stores next month. Drop by then for a full review.

Previewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).