The Misadventures of Tron Bonne (PS1, 1999)

• Three different robots and game modes (Gustaff - mech for action missions, Finkel - flying search robot for digging (FP view, can't shoot (only perform a basic melee attack which also opens barrels)), Gustaff Tank for carrying cargo (can't attack)) - puzzle missions)

• Gain two new tools which let you explore further into two areas by letting you break through certain walls (drill (FP segments) and bazooka (some TP view mech segments))

• Partially non-linear mission-based structure (choose between 4 at a time on a map screen after the intro level (6 after gathering 1 million zenny/gold; raid a town while fighting police, treasure search, escort bots stealing farm animals and protect their truck) - each mission is actually a pack of 3 different levels besides mission 4, your home base is a hub menu rather than an in-game area here - you'll unlock 5 more rooms for it over the course of the game based on amount of missions cleared and if you have 1 million gold or not, can go to the final level/rescue mission without having beaten all of the missions (I had two mission levels left to do when I unlocked it))

• Mini-maps only for the ruins missions (shows the layout of an area (don't have to fill it in here)+doors and your location but not chests or cracked walls and you can't tell if you've been down a path or not in missions 3-4, very zoomed in besides in the block puzzle missions, can't put markers on the map; no mini-map during robbery missions or farm missions but their level design is straightforward with several invisible walls) - can find full maps online

• Save at your base between missions (five slots (shows number of missions cleared and time spent)

• Tactical and Action Adventure/ARPG elements (can send servbots to scout ahead between missions (up to 3 and later on 4 - Brains is important here as well as for item appraisal and in puzzle missions), can develop new items and weapons+upgrades for the Gustaff robot (defense, energy, e-tanks; these are attached automatically) at your base - costs money but is instantly finished, can talk to each of the 40 servbots at the base for tips and general comments, each servbot has 3 stats which can be upgraded and each one has different max stats as well as a special skill (Pokémon-like; if a bot doesn't have one from the get go its special skill is unlocked by raising stats or giving it a certain item), short briefings before missions), Can appraise and sell items in the Storage room of your base, The Gustaff robot's ranged weapons' effectiveness is upgradeable and tied to which servbot is chosen as "sniper" for a mission here

• You're accompanied by six CPU allies (servbots) of your choosing during missions and can manually order them to check buildings and caves for goodies or to distract/attack an enemy for a bit (the latter tends to temporarily knock them out, hold R2 to aim and then shoot out a beacon that they'll follow) - they can't be killed

• Can replay mission 4 (ruins treasure hunt, enemies respawn in-between visits but not while in it) - can retreat from anywhere in a mission area but you won't keep the items collected (have to manually retreat to the ship in mission 4 except for the run in which you beat its boss)

• Some destructible buildings and other objects during action missions

• HP restoration points in the mission 3 ruins

• No fast travel

Playthrough - Mini Review

Influenced by: Mega Man Legends, Sokoban or Lolo, possibly Dungeon Master or Wizardry series, Armored Core, Golvellius or Guardian Legend

Influenced: