Famicom Wars: First Strike

Famicom Wars: First Strike implements the “first strike” feature as seen in later Wars games (e.g. Advance Wars).

The patch is relatively simple: instead of damage being dealt simultaneously, the attacker deals damage to the defender first. Since the damage done by the unit is proportional to its health, the defender does less damage to the attacker. This is a small and somewhat nuanced change, however it dramatically improves the tempo of the game in a few ways. One, unit positioning becomes very important, as getting the first strike grants an advantage. Two, the game doesn’t become such a quagmire, with a bunch of damaged units clogging the middle of the map. Three, there is less emphasis on infantry and indirect units, as direct units become a more viable option.

This patch does not solve all the perhaps “slow and clunky” gameplay of Famicom Wars (which is in some ways part of its charm), however it makes it much easier to enjoy.