Overview
A turn based strategy game in the tradition of other console titles like Famicom Wars or Fire Emblem, Lady Phantom embraces the world of mech combat for it's setting. Although never released in the west, the basic gameplay of Lady Phantom is quite similar to the tabletop war games 'BattleTech' and 'Mekton' -including the use of hexagons for the gameboard rather than a traditional square grid.
The game follows the exploits of a five woman mercenary team known as 'Lady Phantom'. As with other games developed by Telenet, each act (of which there are 10) is preceded by a fully voiced anime cutscene. Each character pilots a specific mech, and these are the only five units that the player has control over in each mission. However, before embarking on a mission, the player can select from a list of weapons for each mech to take into battle. Units destroyed in battle will return to full strength in the next, but miss out on the experience bonus at the end of a successful fight.
Missions are typical of the genre; consisting of taking out all enemies on the screen, destroying a specific target, and escorting vehicles to a safe point. Enemies range from other mech units, to more conventional tanks and turrets, as well as spacecraft during space based encounters.
As one would expect from the CD Rom format, the music does stand out, embracing a very contemporary sound (for the early 90s) in the vein of 808 State.
Although never given a North American release, the game was given a page feature in GamePro magazine.
Gameplay
The primary game map is seen from an overhead view, overlaid with hexagons (which can be toggled off). The order that each unit gets to move and attack is determined by that unit's individual speed (rather than each side taking turns, as in Advance Wars). Combat takes place on a separate screen, where a graphic of the two involved units are displayed, and a brief animation plays out the results of the attack, in a manner very much like Fire Emblem. Units have facing (front, sides and rear), and weapons have optimal ranges based on their type. Units can also carry shields, which will take damage before the unit itself will. Turning a turn, a unit can move and then fire, fire and then move, fire or move alone, or remain inert.
If all player units are destroyed, or all escort vehicles are destroyed, the mission is failed and must be restarted. The game automatically saves the players progress after each successful act.
Characters
- Jennifer Sylkis - Pilots the PML-01F, is the leader of the team.
- Dora Langenkamp - Pilots the PMA-02E
- Ramia O'Niel - Pilots the PMP-03SP
- Cindy Matsunaga - Pilots the PMS-04C (a heavy weapons mech)
- Elene Myer - Pilots the PMX-05R, her character is something of the comic relief, though her mech is as capable as any of the others.
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