History VideoGame / DroneTactics

** Hydel, the [[GratuitousNinja SUPERHERO ninja]]... who works for the BigBad [[spoiler: at first]]. There is absolutely no reason for a ninja to be included in the game, though it is quite fitting for a ninja to the partner of Jet-I the cockroach drone, since Ninjas are ''just like cockroaches'' - fast, annoying, and attacking from afar.

* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: If it's a bug that can be remotely described as "cute", "pretty", or "charming" ([[PrettyButterflies butterflies]] and [[SlayingMantis mantis]], for instance), the heroes will have access to it as a unit, while the "creepier" bugs like water bugs, [[MacabreMothMotif moths]], [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]], and [[CreepyCentipedes centipedes]] are enemy units. [[spoiler: Though many of the latter do join your group later]].

* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: If it's a bug that can be remotely described as "cute", "pretty", or "charming" ([[PrettyButterflies butterflies]] and [[SlayingMantis mantist]], for instance), the heroes will have access to it as a unit, while "creepier" bugs like water bugs, [[MacabreMothMotif moths]], [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]], and [[CreepyCentipedes centipedes]] are enemy units. [[spoiler: Though many of the latter do join your group later]].

* TranslationConvention: Played straight. The characters in the story consist of humans from all around the world and talking alien insects. Everyone is speaking their OWN language all along, yet at the same time when they hear others talk, the words they speak come out as whatever language the listener understands best. Everyone does not notice this until it's lampshaded by Janie (an American) while she is talking to Yamato (a young Japanese boy who's unlikely to be anywhere near being able to converse in English). Professor Sakuma speculates that everyone can understand each other because of the Master Cards, but he doesn't reach a definite conclusion.

* TranslationConvention: Played straight. The characters in the story consist of humans from all around the world and talking alien insects. Everyone is speaking their OWN language all along, yet at the same time when they hear others talk, the words they speak come out as whatever language the listener understands best. Everyone did not notice this until it was lampshaded by Janie (an American) while she was talking to Yamato (a young Japanese boy who's unlikely to be anywhere near being able to converse in English). Professor Sakuma speculates that everyone can understand each other because of the Master Cards, but he doesn't reach a definite conclusion.

* FragileSpeedster: The Cockroach drone's best stat is speed. Its other stats aren't bad (and its Barrier is pretty good), but certainly not outstanding.

* TookALevelInBadAss: ANTS god damnit! Ants start off as the weakest of the weakest {{Mook}}s you can fight (though technically they're STILL {{Giant Mook}}s). They quickly become something you'd scoff at by mid-game, at which point the defense of many of your units could have reached such a high level that ants can at best inflict ScratchDamage on them. BUT after a certain point in the game, ants start appearing again... equipped with freaking [[LaserBlade BEAM FANGS]]. All your previously invincible high-armor drones, like the oh-so-mighty Rhinocerous Beetle, start to get overwhelmed ''really'' easily, ''really'' fast, in front of those swarms and swarms of [[{{DemonicSpiders}} goddamn ants equipped with lightsabers in their mouths]].

* TalkingAnimal: Talking normal sized insects... that transform into giant robotic sized talking insects.

* PunnyName: All the drones' names are supposed to be a pun on certain words. It helps if you knew some Japanese. While many of the names are obvious puns (K-Buto=Rhinoceros Beetle, Dor-O=Snail, A-Geeto=Stag beetle, Y-Ite=White butterfly, Hopp-R=locust, and Honey-B=KILLER bee), some are a little more obscure (Jet-I=Roach, R-Nej=Centipede, Kris-T=Moth, Nyght-R=Spider, Clove-R=Dragonfly).

* MightyGlacier: Played straight with Rhinoceros Beetles. Centipedes and [[spoiler: Scorpions]] would have counted too, if were not for the fact that they're [[LightningBruiser freaking fast]] as well.

* LightningBruiser: The Centipedes and [[spoiler: Scorpions]].

* CombatMedic: Butterflies. Their unique feature is the fact that they can double the effectiveness of healing cards. They have decent evasion and are good with guns, especially when you equip them with beam weapons. Though they most like won't survive a standoff against, say, a rhinoceros beetle one-on-one, they're great for support.

* {{BFS}}: Sure, you can equip a giant horn onto your rhinoceros beetle, or a large stinger onto your Bee's stinger... but why choose those when you also have the option of attaching claymores, halberds, and giant axes in this places instead? Or perhaps a [[{{LaserSword}} beam lance]] for those pesky armored enemies.

* {{BFS}}: Sure, you can equip a giant horn on to your rhinoceros beetle, or a large stinger onto your Bee's stinger... but choose those when you also have the option of attaching claymores, halberds, and giant axes in this places instead? Or perhaps a [[{{LaserSword}} beam lance]] for those pesky armored enemies.

* {{BFG}}: Cannons. Lady bugs don't look so harmless anymore when you equip them with giant bazookas several times bigger then they are. And giant missiles too. And of course, there's giant [[GatlingGood vulcans]].

** BeeAfraid: You should feel this towards the bee drones when they're [[GiantFlyer hovering above you while being the size of small hills]].

* BaseOnWheels: Snail drones. They have relatively high HP, high armor to protect against physical damage ([[AchillesHeel but zero Barrier against beam weapons]]), and a cannon equipped to it to provide some support fire. They travel using treads. Also, it's where all the drones are held and deployed at the start of a battle.

** JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Yamato TheHero and Shoya TheLancer. Yamato pilots a Rhinocerous Beetle drone, while Shoya pilots a Stag Beetle drone. In the story, they have an archetypical Japanese hero-lancer dynamic to boot.

* AnimalMotifs: Downplayed. The human characters don't tend to physically resemble bugs, but they do tend to have personalities that in some way match the drones they pilot.

** Firefly for Yui. In Japanese fictions, fireflies are usually portrayed as small, fragile but pleasant insects associated with love (whether romantic or familial), much like Yui.

** Hydel, the [[GratuitousNinja SUPERHERO ninja]]... who works for the BigBad [[spoiler: at first]]. There's absolutely no reason for a ninja to be included in the game, though it is quite fitting for a ninja to the partner of Jet-I the cockroach drone, since Ninjas are ''just like cockroaches'' - fast, annoying, and attacking from afar.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: All the combat in this game revolves around giant mechanized insects. The smallest ones, Ants, are already much bigger then trees. Also, they fight with turret guns and various artillery and melee weapons.
* BaseOnWheels: Snail drones. They have relatively high HP. High armor to protect against physical damage ([[AchillesHeel but zero Barrier against beam weapons]]), they have a cannon equipped to it, and it travels using treads. Also, that's where all the drones are held and deployed.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The MECHANIZED version of this is the central idea of the whole game.
** BeeAfraid: You should feel this towards the bee drones when they're [[GiantFlyer the size of small hills and hovering above you]].

** GiantSpider: It's surely lucky that the game has the drones being mechanized and uses an Anime-ish (rather than realistic) art style, huh? Also, the Water Spider drones might count.

** SlayingMantis: ... that can be equipped with giant axes instead of scythes!

* {{BFS}}: Sure, you can equip a giant horn on to your rhinoceros beetle, or a large stinger onto your Bee's stinger... but choose those when you also have the option of attaching claymores, halberds, and giant axes in this places instead? Or perhaps a [[{{LaserSword}} Beam Lance]] for those pesky armored enemies.
* {{Brainwashed}}: [[spoiler: Misaki of the Four Generals. Eventually, Shoya becomes brainwashed by the Black Swarm as well, although the brainwashing is eventually lifted from both of them]].

* CombatMedic: Butterflies. Their unique feature is the fact that they can double the effectiveness of healing cards. They have decent evasion and they're good with guns, especially when you equip them with beam weapons. Though they probably won't stand up against a rhinoceros beetle one on one, they're still decent.
* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: In this game you can carry a deck of cards into battle. The cards can have various effects, but are only one use, so they need to be used wisely. To be fair, the computer have decks of their own to fight against you. To be unfair, later in the game whereas you only have one deck shared amongst your entire team, each and every single enemy drone HAS A FULL DECK ALL FOR THEMSELVES.
** And it's nearly impossible to beat the computers in the minigames without breaking the DS in higher difficulties.

* GlassCannon: Drones specializing in cannons, such as Fire Flies and Lady Bugs, they're the two smallest drones in the game, but they can equip [[{{BFG}} cannons more than 4-5 times their size]]. And for non-cannon drones, there's Mantis drones, they are described as anti-air melee units... but that doesn't stop them from also tearing ground units to shreds (just not as thoroughly), but they have ridiculously low armor, non-existent barrier, and average-low hp (which is bad for melee units).

* HopelessBossFight: The fight with the Four Generals in Chapter 11 is ''supposed'' to be this, and it's intended that you get to the retreat point rather than fight all four of them. It ''is'' [[LordBritishPostulate possible]] for you to defeat them (and it doesn't require excessive grinding, just a little bit of planning), but the game will [[TheBattleDidntCount act like you've retreated anyways]] and [[spoiler: Yui will still be captured by the enemy]].

* MightyGlacier: Played straight with Rhinoceros Beetles. Centipedes and Scorpions would have counted too, if were not for the fact that they're [[LightningBruiser freaking fast]] as well.
** And then there's the Moths, who are FLYING Mighty Glaciers. They can kill bosses in a single hit if you use attack cards to support it, and they're the only flying drones that can take an Anti-Air attack point blank without dying.
* MookMaker: Subverted with factories. It looks like they are mook makers at first, sending out a near infinite streams of drones at you. But it turns out there are only a limited amount of drones inside the factories, and if you destroy it, you also kill all the drones inside the factory.
* PunnyName: All the drones names are supposed to be a pun on some sort of word. It helps if you knew some Japanese. While many of the names are obvious puns (K-Buto=Rhinoceros Beetle, Dor-O=Snail, A-Geeto=Stag beetle, Y-Ite=White butterfly, Hopp-R=locust, and Honey-B=KILLER bee) , some are a little more obscure (Jet-I=Roach, R-Nej=Centipede, Kris-T=Moth, Nyght-R=Spider, Clove-R=Dragonfly).

* ShownTheirWork: Well... Misaki did anyway... mainly towards spiders.
* StoneWall: Pillbugs. They have the higher HP and defense in the entire game, while being the slowest drones. But surprisingly enough, when you first meet these guys, they first come off more as {{Mighty Glacier}}s. But their defense stat just raises much faster then their attack, and by mid-game, their attack stats will be notably lower than those of the beetles and the mantis. The pillbugs are, however, quite vulnerable to beam attacks.

* TokenMiniMoe: On the good side, there's Yui, who also has one of the tiniest flying drones to boot, the fire fly. On the evil side, there's the above mentioned Elisha, who, ironically, has one the largest and most powerful flying drones in the game - a [[MothMenace great moth]].
* TookALevelInBadAss: ANTS god damnit! Ants start off as the weakest of the weakest {{Mook}}s you can fight (though technically they're STILL {{Giant Mook}}s). They quickly become something you'd scoff at by mid-game, at which point the defense of many of your units could have reached such a high level that ants can at best deal ScratchDamage on them. BUT after a certain point in the game, ants start appearing again... equipped with freaking [[LaserBlade BEAM FANGS]]. All your previously invincible high-armored drones like the oh-so-mighty Rhinocerous Beetle start to get overwhelmed ''really'' easily, ''really'' fast, in front of those swarms and swarms of [[{{DemonicSpiders}} goddamn ants equipped with lightsabers in their mouths]].
** ''And then'' there's the mosquitoes. They start off as the flying equivalent of ants, but at the same time the ants start learning how to use beam fangs, mosquitoes learns how to self-destruct enmasse. When they do it, it is going to ''hurt''.
* TranslationConvention: Played straight. The characters in the story consists of humans from all around the world and talking alien insects. Everyone was speaking their OWN language all along, yet at the same time when they hear others talk, the words they speak come out as whatever language the listener understands best. Everyone did not notice this until it was lampshaded by Janie (an American) while she was talking to Yamato (a young Japanese boy who is unlikely to have learned English yet). Professor Sakuma speculates that everyone can understand each other because of the Master Cards, but he doesn't reach a definite conclusion.
* {{UST}}: Main characters Yamato and Tsubasa... although it looks like they might be resolved during the epilogue.
* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: If it's a bug that can be remotely described as "cute", "pretty", or "charming" ([[PrettyButterflies butterflies]], for instance), the heroes will have access to it as a unit, while "creepier" bugs like water bugs, [[MacabreMothMotif moths]], [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]], and [[CreepyCentipedes centipedes]] are enemy units. [[spoiler: Though many of the latter do join your group later]].

* YearInsideHourOutside: [[spoiler: By the end of the game, the entire party returns to Earth, only to realize that it's been 30 minutes on Earth since they've been gone]].

* [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Why Did It Have To Be FREAKING GIANT BUGS]]: Considering the fact that a good deal of the main cast are children, and the game is filled with giant insects (mechanical ones with GUNS), this isn't surprising. For every single female cast member: [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]] (more specifically Hydel's Jet-I), [SpidersAreScary spiders]], and [[CreepyCentipedes centipedes]] invoke this trope. As for Yui, goddamn everything except for Hicar-I, her own drone.

* [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Why Did It Have To Be FREAKING GIANT BUGS]]: Considering the fact that a good deal of the main cast are children, and the game is filled with giant insects (mechanical ones with GUNS), this isn't surprising. For every single female cast member: cockroaches (more specifically, Hydel's Jet-I), spiders, and centipedes invoke this trope. And for Yui: goddamn everything except for Hicar-I, her own drone.

** CicadianRhythm: Apparently used as a justification for why Cicada drones are extra effective up against other flying drones. Their noises are ''that'' disruptive.
** CreepyCentipedes: With Treads instead of legs!

** GiantSpider: It's surely lucky that the game has the drones being mechanized and uses an Anime-ish (rather than realistic) art style, huh?

* {{GeoEffects}}: Different terrains can affect your movement, defense, and some even deals damage to you each turn.
* GiantMook: As mentioned before, even the smallest drone in the game is a giant insect already. And then there are giant giant bugs, such as spiders, centipedes, and scorpions.

* GratuitousNinja: Hydel.

* JokeWeapon: Playing the Badlands will occasionally reward you with incredible equipment, including the plastic foot, the fake red lips, the umbrella, the Moai statue, and the concrete pipe with cat sleeping on top of it. Many of them are game breakers despite their silliness.
* MightyGlacier: Played straight with Rhinoceros Beetles. Centipedes and Scorpions would have counted too, if were not for the fact that they're fucking fast as well.

* SpiderTank/GiantSpider: One of the Drones that appear is a giant spider drone. Also, the Water Spider drones might count.
* StoneWall: Pillbugs. They have the higher HP and defense in the entire game. And they're the slowest drones in the game. But surprisingly enough, when you first meet these guys, they first come off more as {{Mighty Glacier}}s than Stone Walls. But their defense stat just raises much faster then their attack. They are, however, quite vulnerable to beam attacks.

* TheyCalledMeMad: [[spoiler: The reason why Dr. Gidoh was the Big Bad in the first place]].
* TokenMiniMoe: On the good side, there's Yui, who also has one of the tiniest flying drones to boot, the fire fly. On the evil side, there's the above mentioned Elisha, who, ironically, has one the largest and most powerful flying drones in the game, a great moth.
* TookALevelInBadAss: ANTS god damnit! Ants start off as the weakest of the weakest {{Mook}}s you can fight (although technically they're STILL {{Giant Mook}}s), and they become something you scoff at by mid-game, at which point your defense could have reached such a high level that they can at best deal ScratchDamage on many of your units. BUT after a certain point in the game, ants start appearing again... equipped with freaking [[LaserBlade BEAM FANGS]]. All your previously invincible high-armored drones like Rhinocerous Beetles start to get overwhelmed ''really'' easily, ''really'' fast, in front of those swarms and swarms of [[{{DemonicSpiders}} goddamn ants equipped with lightsabers in their mouths]].
** And then there's the mosquitoes. They start off as the flying equivalent of ants, but at the same time the ants start learning how to use beam fangs, mosquitoes learns how to self-destruct enmasse.

* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: If it's a bug that can be remotely described as "cute", "pretty", or "charming" ([[PrettyButterflies butterflies]], for instance), the heroes will have access to it as a unit, while "creepier" bugs like water bugs, [[MacabreMothMotif moths]], [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]], and [[CreepyCentipedes centipedes]] are enemy units. [[spoiler: Though some of the latter do join your group later]].
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Considering the fact that a good deal of the main cast are children, and the game is filled with giant insects (mechanical ones with GUNS), this isn't surprising. For every single female cast member: cockroaches (more specifically, Hydel's Jet-I), spiders, and centipedes invoke this trope. And for Yui: goddamn everything except for Hicar-I, her own drone.

** MacabreMothMotif: You know it's bad when the moths look like they are about to drop some cluster bombs.

** SpidersAreScary: It's surely lucky that the game has the drones being mechanized and uses an Anime-ish (rather than realistic) art style, huh?

** SlayingMantis: ... that can be equipped with giant axes instead for scythes!

** MacabreMothMotif: ... that looks like they are about to drop some cluster bombs!

** SlayingMantis: ... that can be equipped with giant axes!

** FlyCrazy: ... that [[spoiler: gain the ability to self-destruct halfway through the game]]!

** CicadianRhythm: Apparently used as a justification for why Cicada drones are extra effective against other flying drones. Their noises seem to be ''that'' disruptive.

** CicadianRhythm: Apparently used as a justification for why Cicada drones are extra effective against other flying drones.