I'm no fan of TBS games, but after I picked this up, my opinion forever changed.
Who couldn't remember Andy, the memorable, lead character of the Orange Star Army throughout the story? He is just one of the only numerous cute, colorful and memorable characters throughout the entire game you'll ever meet. You'll face serious, hilarious, laid back, hotheaded and whatever-you-can-name-it attitude commanding officers as you progress through the story. Each one has specific strengths and weaknesses, so pick one that suits your style. Let it be in your face, snipe your foes from a mile away, rule the skies or take the area by storm, there will be one character that will suit your taste.
About the units: there are plenty of ground forces for you to command, from rifle squads to Medium Tanks to long-ranged artillery weapons. There aren't a lot of air or naval forces available, though-with four each, this one didn't add a lot of realism since modern day armies have a variety of naval and air forces. This doesn't ruin the game, though.
Terrain-pretty straightforward. There will be cities that help you generate income so you can build your war machine, and to do that, you'll have factories, air bases and seaports. Natural terrain such as rivers, plains, woods and mountains can either make or break your forces, so be sure to keep an eye on them and use that to your advantage.
Now you might be thinking why I gave this game a very hard difficulty for such a cartoony game-go beat the campaign, and you'll find out. After that, the game takes hard to a whole new level, where the word EVIL doesn't even suit the insanity that follows.
Rent or buy: BUY!!! Otherwise, why would I be wasting my time writing a review about a good game?! In the name of gaming, you will not be disappointed playing this little treasure of the TBS genre.