The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Gunparade March is a tactical role-playing game where mecha are controlled in combat. Combat is depicted as a map with symbols depicting characters; an "Action Code" can be inputted based on the player's choices. After the player ends their turn, the actual action can be viewed in more detailed cutscenes. Outside of combat, players partake in the characters' social lives.
Story
In 1945, World War II was abruptly ended when an alien race appeared on Earth and began to slaughter the human population. This alien force, known as the "Phantom Beasts" (or Genjyu in Japanese) had effectively taken over more than half of the Earth. The year is 1999 – 54 years later, mankind is still fighting to survive against the alien forces. Earth forces now use advanced mecha called Humanoid Walking Tanks (HWTs) to combat the invaders, but throughout the ordeal, far too many pilots have been killed in action.
To ensure the future of the human race, the Japanese government enforced a student draft which recruited high school students to become HWT pilots. Gunparade March follows the lives of the 5121st Platoon, which consists mainly of drafted high school students and their struggle to defeat the Phantom Beasts and at the same time, lead a normal social life.
Reception
On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 31 out of 40. Due to its creativity and attention to detail, it won the prestigious 32nd Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, beating October Sky, Bicentennial Man, Juvenile, X-Men, and The Iron Giant. and It was a nominee for the "Game of the Year" from Japan Game Awards but lost to Phantasy Star Online (for Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox and Windows 9x Compatible-PC).
