The Steambot Chronicles is a franchise that has fused the power of mechs with settings in which those mechs might otherwise seem out of place … like a Victorian-era world, teeming with colorful characters and personalized mechs that are engaged in exploration and combat.

With Battle Tournament, the focus is more squarely on the combat elements (gee, as if the name didn’t give that away), with the character you create venturing forth and entering tournaments as he or she moves through the gaming space. Now if that were all there was to the game, and it was done well enough with WiFi competition and the ability to customize your mech, then it might be enough, but Battle Tournament has opted to try to infuse some depth into the gameplay by having preconditions for entering tournaments, which generally means running quests for the local citizenry until you build up enough fame to qualify for the tourney.

There is a story line here, and while the dialogue gives response choices, both are handled in such a manner as to make it all seem a bit superficial. And if not superficial, then it is apparent that the game was intended for younger gamers.

And that might truly be the case, considering that the game itself seems rather repetitive. The goal, though, is to build up a reputation to compete in the coliseum in Orion City. You have to have a mech that is capable of withstanding the combat and that means employing a mechanic – like the one you meet as the game begins. She quickly becomes your friend, supporter and advisor as you start to work your way up.

The heart and soul of the game is the arena combat. The combat can be a toe-to-toe affair with players whacking opponents with left and right mechanical arms, or blocking incoming attacks, picking up and hurling the opposition through the air to render out falling damage, or picking up items and throwing them at your opponent. You have to be on your toes and prepared for a bit of button mashing in a stilted combat setting – meaning that the combat can seem to move at a good pace and then slow down a bit.

There is strategy involved, to be certain. The environments within the arena are varied and you will find yourself running, jumping, using both ranged and melee attacks to accomplish the task of winning. There are also different difficulty matches that must be earned before you can compete in them. And you have to buy your way into the fights, which means running the tasks (which will also allow you to upgrade your mech) in the city.

Your mech is known as a Trot and is fairly well animated. As you run around through the streets, you will have to avoid traffic, which is a nice touch in that it circumvents complacency while running about Orion City.

The game has a nice visual appearance with the whole day-night cycle reflected in the way the city lights come on. The characters do have personality and charm and that raises the game out of the lethargy that the repetition tries to bury it under.

And the audio, while not going to set the world on fire, does a nice job in carrying forth the personality of the game’s characters.

Battle Tournament is not unique, nor is it particularly involving, but the game does have some appeal and there is no doubt that it has personality. For a game played in small increments on the go, Battle Tournament is decent.

Gameplay: 6.8
This is a rinse-and-repeat title, full of repetition, but taken in small doses, it is not bad. The controls are easy to learn and apply.

Graphics: 7.0
Solid graphical elements, but nothing that will tax the PSP or make your jaw drop.

Sound: 7.0
The game has some repetitive sounds, but the characters that have voices really do give the audio track an element of personality and charm.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium

Concept: 6.8
Nothing particularly unique here and the repetition tends to drag it down.

Overall: 6.8
Not a bad title, though a bit on the repetitious side. The game does have some personality and the combat can involve a bit of strategy.