What’s this? A real-time strategy game for a handheld? Well, if anyone can pull it off, it is Nintendo, who is developing the game in addition to publishing it.

As opposed to most recent RTS games where the strategy is based mostly around finding which units match up best with your opponents units; Napoleon takes an approach similar to Ogre Battle 64, in that most of the strategy is based around the placement of your units. For example, is sending multiple soldiers on all sides of your enemies more effective than sending all our your units head on at your enemy? That is one question you’ll have to answer if you want to succeed at Napoleon. Judging by the screenshots that Nintendo has released so far, there are at least three different kinds of units: cavalry, foot soldiers, and cannons. You decide how many of each to buy, and must find how to make them work well in unison.

There is one very unique thing about Napoleon that also makes it very realistic. Instead of controlling all of the units directly, you only control one general on horseback. Using this general, you can give orders to your units by riding up to them and telling them what to do. This is also good news when you consider how hard it would be to control multiple units using the GBA’s D-Pad.

Napoleon’s graphics look very detailed and should only improve as development time pushes forward on this exciting title.

Nothing is known so far concerning the story. But we can assume that it has something to do with one of the greatest general’s in the world’s history, Napoleon.

Napoleon is helping to open up a genre that is all but foreign to handheld systems. At the same time, it is also proving that the GBA should focus on all audiences more than the Game Boy did. Hopefully this title will fulfill its potential.