Steambot Chronicles, known in Japan as Ponkotsu Roman Daikatsugeki: Bumpy Trot (ポンコツ浪漫大活劇バンピートロット) is a 2005 action-adventure game developed and published by Irem Software Engineering in Japan for the PlayStation 2. It was later published by Atlus in North Americaand 505 Games in PAL regions. The game features a sandbox-style of steam-powered, mech-based gameplay.
A sequel, Bumpy Trot 2, was announced and shown at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, though it is currently still in production. Two spin-off titles were also released: Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament for the PlayStation Portable and Blocks Club with Bumpy Trot, originally released for the PlayStation 2 and later ported to the PlayStation Portable.
Plot
Steambot Chronicles begins with a personality quiz, answers to these questions affecting the personality of the character and how others will react towards him. Afterwards, a young male named Vanilla awakes on the shore of Seagull Beach, a seemingly cheerful girl named Coriander (shortened Connie) beside him, and currently suffers from amnesia due to a shipwreck nearby that occurred before the events of the game. The player learns that Connie is picking herbs for her bed-ridden mother, Rosemary, who lives in Nefroburg, and after this, Vanilla spots a vehicle on a nearby cliff that shoots abazooka, trapping the two in Seagull Beach.
Connie must get home to Nefroburg on the last bus, but cannot because of the fallen boulder blocking her path. They go to a nearby cottage that, the player finds out, holds bad memories for Connie, evidence of this being her in a picture with two unknown figures. The two stumble upon an old run-downmecha resembling a bipedal automobile, which they use to leave from Seagull Beach. Connie discovers that the bus already left minutes ago, and offers Vanilla a request to take her to Nefroburg (no matter what decision the player chooses, Connie will come with Vanilla).
On the trip, the two encounter a hoodlum from a gang known as the "Killer Elephants", who challenges Vanilla to a duel. Whatever option is chosen (standing up for Connie, offering Connie to the gangster or bribery), Vanilla will still battle the gangster. After defeating him, the two encounter Marjoram, one of the members of the Garland Globetrotters (a band in which Connie is the lead singer), who lives in a plateau; Vanilla will have to find Basil, another member of the band, and take him back to Marjoram and Connie.
The four later head back to Nefroburg. On the way, they encounter a humongous quadruped mechanical fortress (operated by the "Killer Elephants"), and Vanilla must destroy it before they officially head to Nefroburg, where they encounter yet another member (Fennel, who is suspected of firing the bazooka as Connie and Vanilla have a conversation). After attending a concert at night, the player may choose to change the plot and Vanilla himself.
