Happy New Years, everyone! The catchy 20-10 will be making way for the not-so-catchy 2011 and with it, the official beginning of the new decade (if you count 20-10 as part of the 2000s decade). And with that means Front Mission will officially be 17 years old! Goodbye Sweet 16! You will be missed!
So, in the 16 years or so that the franchise has been around, what has been released? Let’s do a quick check…
- 11 video games – 7 main entries, 4 spin-off entries
- 2 video game remakes – Front Mission First, Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness
- 2 video game ports – Front Mission for the WonderSwan, Front Mission First for the DS
- 1 video game compilation – Front Mission History
- 9 expanded universe book series – 6 manga series, 3 novel series
- 17 expanded universe books overall – 13 manga entries, 4 novel entries
- 2 expanded universe live-action films – Front Mission, Front Mission: Gun Hazard
- 1 expanded universe radio drama – Front Mission: Gun Hazard
- Tons of other merchandise – art books, data books, soundtracks, action figures, phone cards, posters, etc.
Not too shabby for a video game-based franchise that got its start from a manga series and a live-action film in 1994…and is long past its due date, eh? Now it’s just a matter of how much longer Front Mission can keep going before its batteries run dry. It’s already assured of survival in 2011 through Front Mission Dog Life & Dog Style, but for how long? Well, if the recent Dog Life & Dog Style chapters in the new Young GanGan magazines I’ve read are any indication of the franchise’s survival, then I think it’ll be around for a few more years. As one character says in the aforementioned chapters…”Goddamn it, this fight’s just getting started!”
Speaking of which, here’s a nice way to start 2011: a Japanese interview with Yasuo Otagaki! Regarded as one of Japan’s top seinen writers, Otagaki-san talks about his work on the Front Mission franchise as well as his own personal creation – Moonlight Mile! Moonlight Mile is an award-winning seinen manga series (with an anime adaptation) that’s usually seen as the new “Front Mission” of this generation in Japan. Although it revolves around the themes of space exploration and colonization, it’s heavy on political intrigue, character development, and philosophical issues. It even features mecha in the form of power loaders and other plausible creations that we might see in the near future! So without further ado, check out the interview with Yasuo Otagaki in this video:
One reply on “Happy New Years!”
It amazes me how badly Square Enix handled Front Mission over here in the West. The series had so much potential to thrive if only they started properly and didn’t screw around with the translations. Oh well, at least your team has decided to pick up the slack and I appreciate that! Keep up the good work!!