Frank Provo writes:
''Worker insects are known as drones. That explains how Drone Tactics got its name. But it doesn't explain why publisher Atlus chose such a lifeless title for a turn-based battler that 1) lets you wage war with a squad of giant robotic insects, and 2) lets you customize your fighting bug-bots with spikes, machine guns, and nearly a hundred other wonderfully destructive weapons.
The school age heroes, "let's be friends" story, and insect-like robots are clearly meant to endear the game to a younger audience and to escape the ire of nervous parents that thought Advance Wars or Custom Robo were too violent. That's fine, because beneath the cute veneer you'll discover that these bugs kick some serious tail.''
Review by Dave McCarthy:
"Did you know that about 80 percent of all of the world's species are insects? Or that there could be anything from 2 million to 30 million different types of insect on the planet? Or that, at the time of writing, there are about 10 quintillion individual insects alive across the globe? Yes? No? Either way, don't worry, it's a rhetorical question. I'm just wowing you with my Google skills in a bid to start this review with a topical fact or statement, in the hope that I'll be able to end it with another one to show how clever I am, and to make the review go by with a bit of snap and zing."
WorthPlaying writes: "Picking on the faults of Drone Tactics for the Nintendo DS is about as cruel and unnecessary as plucking the wings off a butterfly. The game does a good job of bringing something new to a genre that seems to consist solely of Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. Atlus has delivered a thoroughly competent new strategy RPG with lots of depth for those wanting to kill countless hours battling giant mechanical insects. "The Badlands" missions provide enough challenge and replayability to satisfy anyone who complains about the shortness of modern video games. Sadly, what it lacks is an incentive to go through it. It's not lying to say that the most memorable moment of my experience with Drone Tactics came when I smashed a fly with the case. The irony of that will linger for weeks."
Dylan Platt reports:
''Strategy-RPGs have always been a favorite genre of mine, and they're enjoying a period remarkable popularity right now - especially on the DS. Between Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Disgaea DS, and the upcoming Fire Emblem, DS-owning tactics fans will have plenty to keep them busy in the coming months. One of the biggest criticisms of the genre is its high learning curve and sometimes overwhelming complexity; these factors keep many potential fans from trying the genre, especially the pre-teen crowd. Atlus Software is doing its best to show kids how great the genre can be, with Drone Tactics for the DS. And while the game might be aimed primarily at the younger crowd, older players might be surprised to find that underneath the game's kid-friendly veneer lies a wealth of quality strategy-RPG gameplay.''
