Front Mission: Gun Hazard

Picture a series famous for cold-blooded tactical mech battles — and now turn the whole thing on its head. That's exactly what Front Mission: Gun Hazard is: an action spin-off from the otherwise purely strategic Front Mission brand, which, instead of planning your moves, puts you straight into the cockpit and lets you fight in real time.

Instead of chessboard skirmishes, here you control a mech, a so-called wanzer, from a side view like in an action platformer. You shoot, jump, dodge fire, and between missions you upgrade your machine with new weapons and components — so it holds on to that RPG core of gradual growth. The combination of brisk action and building up your own gear gives the game a distinctive rhythm that wasn't entirely common in the genre at the time.

What's most remarkable about this game, however, is who stood behind it. It was created under the Square banner, then at the peak of its powers, and it brought together a remarkable set of names. Kazushige Nojima, the writer who later became famous for his work on Final Fantasy VII, contributed to the story. And the music was handled by composers of resounding renown tied to Square of that era. This lineup alone makes the title fascinating study material on what the creators of famous RPGs could do when handed the action genre.

The problem is that Gun Hazard never officially left Japan. For Western players it thus remained practically invisible for many years, accessible only thanks to fan translations that finally opened its story up to English. That also made it one of those semi-hidden gems talked about more in insider circles than in mainstream rundowns of the best SNES games.

The upshot is a stylish, atmospheric, and thematically serious game worthy of attention from anyone interested in Square's history and the less-explored corners of the SNES catalogue. It isn't a perfect title, and its action has its limits, but its pedigree and the boldness of reaching for a different genre make it an unforgettable curiosity.

Why play it: An action mech RPG from a star Square lineup — a rare Japanese gem for fans of Front Mission and the history of Final Fantasy's creators.