"I've always made my decisions based on a simple formula: What helps the most people? I've sailed my whole life by that star and its NEVER steered me wrong."-Abraham Lincoln (yes, THAT Abraham Lincoln!), Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
Oh, sure, sure. Fortnite is pretty cool. But, you know what's REALLY cool?? Code Name S.T.E.A.M for the Nintendo 3DS!
Hello, young explorers, and welcome to the first real post of Something Niche! Today, I will be starting the first of several different series of articles that will be a part of this blog. This series will be called "You Know What's REALLY Cool?!" where I enlighten generations both young and old (but especially young) to some of my favorite pieces of entertainment that have either become hidden from the masses or may have simply been forgotten and overlooked by younger generations.
For my first article within this series, I will be taking a look at an obscure title from the Nintendo 3DS that sadly never got the chance it deserved to prove itself. That title is Code Name S.T.E.A.M., a tactical shooter crafted by the Big N themselves alongside Intelligent Systems, the minds behind their ever-popular Fire Emblem franchise. This mad little gem takes several iconic figures of both American literature and history and a cel-shaded art style inspired by many of the comic book industry's greats and throws them into an explosive and unique-if admittedly imperfect-steampunk RPG adventure!
So, without further ado (and time for what is already the easiest pun in my burgeoning career), Full Steam Ahead!
Fourscore and 64 Bits ago...
Launching on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2015, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. takes place in an alternate steampunk timeline that has fallen prey to an alien invasion. As a group of extraterrestrials taken straight from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft descend onto a Victorian London, a still-alive Abraham Lincoln (played in an over-the-top manner by former Castle Rock denizen Will Wheaton) takes it upon himself to form a group of soldiers and mercenaries to defend the world from this surprising incoming threat. Dubbed S.T.E.A.M. (short for "Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace"), Honest Abe recruits a group of misfits that happen to originate from many classics of now public domain 19th and 20th century American Literature.
You start this bizarre adventure with Henry Fleming (pictured above), originally the main hero of the Civil War-set novel The Red Badge of Courage and his old war buddy, African American folktale hero John Henry! Along the way, a large colorful cast of other public domain icons join your ranks as you continue to battle the invading Eldritch Abominations, including the entire main quartet of The Wizard of Oz (no, I am not kidding!), all with radical redesigns befitting the games Hellboy-inspired art style. As with any great ensemble-casted title, each of these newcomers comes with their own special abilities and weapons that can get even the most novice of players out of a pinch, plus plenty of fun, fully-voiced one liners to pepper the gameplay with!
When the Bullet Hits the Bone
Indeed, from the premise alone, everything about Code Name S.T.E.A.M. seems to scream "inventive madness". But now that we know the "what", it's time to ask about the "how".
After you select from a maximum of four agents from Honest Abe's public domain Justice League and press the start button, you will find yourself in a grid-based battlefield most comparable to the X-Com franchise. Like many good strategy games, player and enemy movement alike is done in a turn-based structure; each agent comes equipped with steam meter that determines how many more moves they are allowed to make before the player must pass the metaphorical game board to the AI enemies. Both movement and weapon fire is determined in increments via this gauge and can be done on foot or even via occasional vehicle commandeering.
Collectibles and pickups also pepper the multiple arenas, allowing for recovering steam or health, or to provide currency or unlocks for additional sub-weapons and boilers as a way to increase stats.
As with any good RPG-tactical or otherwise-each member of S.T.E.A.M. not only has a distinctive design and personality traits (brought to life through the occasional cutscene or gameplay-enabled one-liner), but also their own weapon gimmick and gameplay style. For instance, John Henry is armed with a long-range grenade launcher, the Scarecrow of Oz has a device that lobs gigantic jack-o'-lantern-shaped stun grenades, Moby Dick's Queequeg utilizes explosive penguin-shaped drones for stealthy takedowns, and a gender-bent Zorro known simply as The Fox delivers powerful blows with a long-range sniper rifle.
Some agents also come with status buffs that can apply to the whole team. For example, HP Lovecraft staple Randolph Carter equips the "Arcane Lore" buff, increasing weapon accuracy for the whole mission. Others have abilities that change maneuverability or immunity to certain status effects, such as Scarecrow's immunity to stun attacks and Tom Sawyer's ability to maneuver otherwise unreachable platforms.
Finally, each character has a super powerful "Special Attack" that can damage multiple enemies, buff stats, or restore depleted essentials. Among only a few of these specials include Peter Pan's Tiger Lily casting a healing wind to restore damage to any nearby allies, Randolph Carter's "Eldritch Shield" that provides a defensive barrier that halves all damage taken, and the Tin Man of Oz blasting hot steam over a certain area that damages nearby foes and restore steam to allies.
Each of these special attacks also adds to the game's charm, with every special attack almost acting as a mini-cutscene in their own right and taking full advantage of the game's comic book aesthetic with visible "BOOM"s "WHOOSH"es and other visible, multicolored onomatopoeia!
However, these attacks can only be used once per level, so it's best to plan ahead.
However, the great classics of American literature are not the only attendees of this steampunk party. No, as several guests of honor from Intelligent Systems' most famous creation also found their way into the world of Code Name S.T.E.A.M.! Granted, you had to pay extra for a figurine in their likeness in order to make them show.
Via these collectible figurines-dubbed "Amiibo" by Nintendo-several protagonists from past installments of the Fire Emblem series could join the ranks of the Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace, sword and sorcery intact! These included series originator Marth, Ike from the GameCube title Path of Radiance, and two characters from its then-most recent (and now fondly remembered) installment Awakening; the customizable player Avatar, having been reimagined as the character Robin, and the game's breakout star, Lucina.
Just like the public domain classics they share the battlefield within this game, these canon immigrants from a few fictional centuries prior fight with their own special abilities and weapons-all taken straight from their home turf; Robin comes armed with his signature tomes for long-distance magic casting, Marth and Ike have their respective blades-plus a sub weapon-for hefty close-range damage, and Lucina acts a something of a jack of all trades with both her trademark Falchion blade and a long-distance Medieval Crossbow.
After each Amiibo was scanned, that character became a permanent resident of your roster, and should they fall in battle, all it'll take is another scan for them to be revived (permadeath is not part of the game, and all other fallen units instantly revive after the end of a mission, or could be revived via in-game save points).
Perhaps had this game caught on, more guest units from the franchise could have become part of the guest list as Nintendo continued to roll out Amiibos for the multiple sword and sorcerers of Fire Emblem. But alas, fate would tragically have other plans for this underappreciated gem.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. seemed to have all of the pieces to become an instant multi-million-dollar franchise. A fantastically unique premise. A well-respected developer at the helm. Plenty of internet buzz. An aggressive marketing campaign that even included its own Disneyesque theme song.
Sadly, even with the odds seemingly in its favor, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. stumbled right out of the starting gate. And it never got better afterwards.
Although reviews for the game were decent overall, the game could not escape criticism from major media outlets. And they admittedly weren't without justification.
Much of the game's pace was said to have been slowed down during enemy turns, no thanks in part to imperfect AI that tended to take its sweet old time. Several features were also absent, with the lack of a proper map and an option for overhead view being particularly damning in the eyes of critics.
Nintendo was able to rectify some of these issues via patches, but for much of the general public, it was too little too late.
Sales for Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. remained in the toilet throughout its life, only barely reaching moderate sales in the U.S. Meanwhile, in its native Japan, it didn't even manage to sell 2,000 copies despite its system being quite popular there at the time. And don't even get me started on the rest of the world. By the end of the 3DS' lifecycle, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. had practically been lost to history, lying in bargain bins across the world, with some copies' prices even dropping to the single digits, giving the false impression of a low-effort shovelware title.
Even Nintendo themselves have practically scrubbed it from their memory, with not even as much as a re-release being produced, and they still barely (if ever) even acknowledge it to this day. All that's ever been done with the IP ever since is a collectible Spirit cameo by Henry Fleming in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, alongside a couple of imported music tracks.
Thankfully, not all hope seems to have been lost, as the few who did pick up the game have gone on to remember it fondly, ever more so as the game reaches its 10th anniversary this year.
The (Mostly) Unknown Soldier
Although it has yet to achieve the same level of cult popularity as other dormant Nintendo IPs, such as Earthbound, a small number of gamers have still managed to keep the Strike Team Eliminating the Alien Menace close to their hearts over a decade after their sole mission. Those who still bring up the game in conversation have continued to clamor their desire for a remake or unlikely sequel and have even shared their own ideas with the Nintendo community.
And it's honestly not hard to see why! In spite of the game's flaws, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is ultimately still an overall well-put and challenging experience. It serves as a friendly entry point for those new to tactical shooters, and has a steep-enough learning curve for those willing to put the hours in. It also manages to create a unique experience for more seasoned veterans of the genre
But above all, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. has a style and identity all its own. It's steampunk aesthetic creates an atmosphere that's rivaled by few, and its comic book inspired art style is perfectly executed, down to the very minute detail. Sound effects literally become visible entities during cutscenes and super-animations, every character's design and expressions looks like they came straight off the printed page, dialogue is shows through panels and word bubbles and it's insane storyline and premise feel as if they were made by the underground madmen of the storytelling world. Many games have been described as "interactive comic books", but this game holds onto that title quite literally, something that only a few other games have done. It's fully voice-acted gameplay also leads to the game becoming surprisingly quotable (One notable standout being Queequeg's meme-worthy "Dat what you get!" upon killing enemies).
Never Forget
So, in the end, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a true hidden gem that deserves to be preserved for future generations.
Despite its flaws, the game still provides a charm that has been matched by very few titles, and a world that deserves to be re-visited in one form or another (not to mention an unresolved cliffhanger that I won't spoil here). Not only would a potential new installment be a perfect time to iron out the scratches via newly implemented maps and gameplay views, but it could also provide many more opportunities to build its unique world and tone.
Perhaps Henry Fleming and the agents of S.T.E.A.M. could come face to face with a group of supervillain adversaries from outside American Literature, such as the freakish hybrids of Dr. Moureau, or the conniving traps of the Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps they could meet new allies such as Sherlock Holmes, Captain Starlight from Robbery Under Arms, or Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They could even travel across the world and encounter many fearsome folklore creatures!
Alas, a dream like this seems unlikely to come true, especially in an era where Nintendo only seems to focus on certain IPs (not mention making face-palming decisions with their new console, the Switch 2). But even if Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is destined to be an obscure title remembered by few, it definitely deserves to be known by many more gamers and played by many more gamers as well.
But what about you? Did you play Code Name S.T.E.A.M. during its heyday? Do you find it deserving of a cult following? What ideas would you for a potential follow-up? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
And should you be lucky enough to find a copy of this gem, whether or not you're a retro connoisseur, nostalgic for the good old days, or just want to share a piece of forbidden fruit with your buddies, don't hesitate to go full steam ahead!
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