From wired peripherals to controller-free Kinect, Steel Battalion is a heavy assault

The first time I witnessed Steel Battalion, it was conceived as a monster peripheral-based mech simulator. The peripheral in question was huge, like three keyboards welded together, had about 25 buttons and switches, could only truly be played with said controller (which cost a pretty penny), and was sold exclusively on Xbox. Must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but it sold horribly and was tough to play for even dedicated enthusiasts.

Now, like many Hollywood studios have done (sigh, see the millionth Three Musketeers), Capcom has returned to its library of old IPs and dug out ye olde mech simulator in Steel Battalion: Heavy Assault, a Kinect-asisted mech combat game. Watch and see how it all plays out.