Front Mission

Lore & Background

The Front Mission series was born from discussions between Square and G-Craft, with Square having never before had another developer make a game for them. Planning proceeded slowly until an agreement was finalized in the fall of 1993. Toshiro Tsuchida presented a proposal for a game called '100 Mission' to Square through his own company, Solid, on G-Craft's behalf. Square producer Shinji Hashimoto initially thought the proposal was 'too radical' and that such proposals would not usually be approved. Square repeatedly told Tsuchida 'no robots' and that game development could not be driven solely by a creator's passion. Tsuchida obtained development hardware to create a prototype, and Square eventually agreed to make the game because working in a new genre would be stimulating and it was a title they could not do themselves, as they had mostly made fantasy games.

The series is set during the 21st and 22nd centuries, revolving around military conflicts and political tension between supranational unions and their member states. Although the video games use self-contained, standalone stories, these tie into a greater overarching storyline encompassing the entire series. Combined with stories from other media, the series possesses storytelling depth and continuity comparable to a serial drama. A major draw is the use of giant mecha called 'wanzers' (from the fictional German word Wanderpanzer, or walking tanks).

There are two types of Front Mission installments: numbered entries (all tactical role-playing games) and non-numbered spin-offs in various genres. The series has released 15 video games since 1995, seven main entries and five spin-offs, plus ports, remakes, and compilations. Only seven Front Mission entries (six games and a manga) have been officially localized outside Japan.

Reader's Guide

Front Mission holds significance as a long-running series that expanded Square's portfolio beyond fantasy into tactical mecha warfare. Its creation marked the first time Square allowed an external developer to produce a game for them, overcoming internal resistance to the robot theme. The series' storytelling approach—using self-contained narratives that weave into a larger overarching plot across games and other media—gave it a depth comparable to a serial drama, distinguishing it from many other video game franchises. The modular wanzer system, with four customizable parts (body, arms, legs) and diverse weapon classes, became a core gameplay element that influenced later tactical RPGs. Despite moderate commercial success (over 3 million units sold by January 2006), the series demonstrated longevity through multiple ports, remakes, and genre experiments. Its legacy includes influencing the mecha genre in video games and demonstrating that a niche tactical series could sustain cross-media expansion into film, manga, novels, and toys. The limited localization of only seven entries outside Japan, however, meant its international impact was constrained compared to its domestic presence.

Did You Know?

• The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio later absorbed by Square and existing within Square Enix as Product Development Division-6.
• Square initially rejected the proposal for the game, repeatedly telling Tsuchida 'no robots', and only agreed because working in a new genre would be stimulating.
• The term 'wanzer' comes from the fictional German word 'Wanderpanzer', meaning 'walking tank'.
• Only seven Front Mission entries (six games and a manga) have ever been officially localized and released outside Japan.