I second the Super Robot Wars similarities. You can upgrade equipment by making them for a cost. The new equipment shows on the battle animations, which are really stellar for the DS. It also has a card collecting feature that lets you build a deck of powerups to be used once per battle, which really turns the tide (if used correctly). The experience system is also different, as all units receive the same amount of experience, and you only receive it at the end of each level. What makes this different is that there is a bonus experience you can give to 1 of your drones. And to the Badlands, which is like AW's War Room, I found it almost necessary to play because it gives good experience with which you can fight your opponents better (and it'll be hard in the long run I presume if you do not use the badlands because you will be severely underleveled), it gives you money to build new equipment, and some treasures can be found in the maps as well. It's a good game, albeit kiddy.
