| Iron Soldier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Eclipse Software Design |
| Publisher(s) | Atari Corporation |
| Producer(s) | Sean Patten |
| Designer(s) | Marc Rosocha |
| Programmer(s) | Michael Bittner |
| Artist(s) | Bleick Bleicken Christian Reismüller Oliver Lindau |
| Composer(s) | Joachim Gierveld Mario Knezović Nathan Brenholdt |
| Series | Iron Soldier |
| Platform(s) | Atari Jaguar |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Mech simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Iron Soldier is a 1994 mech simulation video game developed by Eclipse Software Design and published by Atari for the Atari Jaguar. It is the first entry in the Iron Soldier series. Set in the future on an industrialized Earth, the player takes on the role of a resistance member piloting a robot to overthrow the military dictatorship of the Iron Fist Corporation. The player is tasked with various objectives while fighting enemies in multiple missions.
Atari contacted Eclipse Software about making games for the Jaguar; lead designer Marc Rosocha asked for a suggestion and met with producer Sean Patten, who told him to make a mech game based on a script he wrote due to his fascination with mechs and Godzilla, serving as basis for Iron Soldier. Rosocha agreed as long as they could "blow everything up", to which Patten readily agreed and the project entered production in 1993. Patten's fanaticism for modern ground combat inspired the game's weapons and enemies, as the tactics and style of urban combat appealed to him.
Iron Soldier received generally favorable reception from critics, with praise for the polygonal visuals, audio department, destructible environment, and gameplay, but most had mixed opinions regarding the controls. Some reviewers also criticized the lack of texture mapping and additional mission variety, as well as the slow movement. By 1995, the game had sold 21,240 copies. It was followed by Iron Soldier 2 (1997). Retrospective commentary in the years following its release have hailed it as one of the best titles for the Jaguar.