Zone of the Enders - The Fist of Mars ROM

Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars, known in Japan as Zone of the Enders: 2173 Testament is a video game that was developed by Winkysoft and published by Konami in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. The game is story-orientated, and is based around turn-based strategic mecha combat.

The story is set within the Zone of the Enders universe. It is 2173 and humankind, in the search for a valuable resource called Metatron, has expanded its reaches to Mars and the moons of Jupiter, and full colonies have been established. However, Earth keeps a tight rein over the colonials, known by the derogatory term “Enders”, and discrimination is commonplace. Food supplies are short, movement of citizens is controlled, and many Mars inhabitants have tried to rise up against Earth, but to little avail.

The game is structured in a manner resembling an anime television series, with 26 “episodes”, each containing one mission. Each episode (with the exception of the last, which is purely storyline-based) consists of a series of story scenes, followed by a gameplay, and closing with another series of story scenes. Between episodes, the player can purchase equipment and upgrades for their mecha, and save the game. A directory of terms and characters is available, gameplay may be saved at any point during combat, and story scenes can be fast-forwarded, reversed, or skipped completely. Also, meeting certain criteria in game can lead to different endings and missions.