Tiny Metal Reviews
Underneath a forgettable campaign and unimpressive AI, Tiny Metal houses the seed of a really deep and entertaining multiplayer wargame. But until a head-to-head mode is added, it's not much more than a set of unchallenging training scenarios broken up by far too much overwrought dialogue. I had plenty of fun with it, but didn't get the kind of edge-of-my-seat decision-making moments that turned the tide of a difficult battle I could find in similar games. I'd recommend delaying your enlistment until all the pieces are in place.
A perfectly competent Advance Wars clone, but until the free multiplayer DLC turns up it's only the half the game it should be.
This charming strategy game offers some cheap thrills, but the battles grow old quickly thanks to a lack of depth
Tiny Metal brings accessible turn-based military strategy back into the spotlight
No, Tiny Metal is no substitute for Advance Wars. It does a lot of cool things, and it absolutely satisfies the same craving. But as much as I loved it at times, I hated it at others. It allows for pure turn-based strategy bliss, but there's a lot of garbage to sift through in order to get to it.
Tiny Metal is a great attempt at reviving the Advance Wars style of approachable military strategy for modern audiences, but while it certainly looks and behaves the part, the poorly balanced campaign and uninspired narrative only serve to emphasise just how special those classic games were.
Tiny Metal is a love letter to turn-based strategy games of the past, offering a similar experience which doesn't overstay its welcome. Sadly, the game by Area 35 doesn't even try to move away from its main influence, the Advance Wars series, resulting in a game that doesn't feel particularly daring or innovative. Still, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially in Skirmish Mode, where all of the game's subsystems and mechanics get the chance to shine.
Tiny Metal is a fun military-themed, turn-based strategy game. It manages to put your brain in gear with the troops' different strengths and weaknesses creating interestingly close battles. However without a multiplayer mode, some translation issues, and a text-heavy story the game falls short of being a must buy.
Tiny Metal is an admirable return to the traditional turn-based strategy genre. There's enough of a challenge both in the campaign and skirmish mode to keep players happy for a good while, but the lack of any sort of multiplayer at launch hurts its overall score.
Tiny Metal has the core mechanics nailed down brilliantly, even if it has cribbed much of its structure from the famous Advance Wars franchise.
Tiny Metal tries to pursue the long lost heritage of the Famicom Wars series... maybe too much ? Every good idea the game delivers is always counterbalanced by several bad ones : the dialogs are nice too watch but way too long for the genre, the missions are solids, but the Fog War is fustrating as it is, and the strategy is sometimes hard to fiollow with such a poor IA. Only those who choose to forbid Tiny Metal will enjoy its strong content.
Review in French | Read full review
Strong, indie response for Advance Wars from GBA. Quite simple, but unbelievable engaging turn-based strategy with an interesting graphics.
Review in Polish | Read full review
AREA 35's first UNITES title is a solid effort. Despite its simplistic looks is a game that demands a good amount of planning and strategy. Tiny Metal will definitely be familiar to Nintendo fans who are still looking for their next Advance Wars fix. While gamers new to the genre will find that Tiny Metal is a nice diversion for all those AAA games that haven't lived up to the hype. To still a phase from the old 16-bit console wars, AREA 35 does what Nintendont.
Tiny Metal doesn't copy the Advance Wars formula — it improves it.
Overall, Tiny Metal is a very promising, and likely the best, attempt at replicating the successful Advance Wars formula that fans have been looking for. Although multiplayer has yet to be added to the game, and there are some minor performance issues, each of these can be taken care of with a few patches. This puts the game in a position to be great after a bit more work has been done to it, or to make an easily improved sequel.
Tiny Metal is a fun little strategy game, although a few issues stop it from being truly amazing
I don't often criticize a game for not living up to the standards of another but Tiny Metal tries so hard to mirror Nintendo's approach I must speak up when I see failings.
It's Advance Wars for a new generation as Japanese anime characters collide with adorable 3D units for turn-based combat.
Tiny Metal is a great homage to the Advance Wars series that is going to seriously scratch that itch for fans of Nintendo's strategy series. Its colorful look, fun gameplay mechanics, good unit variety and a solid amount of content to enjoy will keep you busy for several hours, making this a must-buy for fans of the strategy genre. Area35 did a great job with this game, and I'm very glad this one made it to the Nintendo Switch.
Overall, it's a game that feels explicitly made for fans of a very specific series in a very specific genre. If you don't like Advance Wars, you almost certainly won't like this. If you like Advance Wars and come into Tiny Metal with slightly measured expectations, you will find a good strategy RPG that borrows unashamedly yet reverently.