Community Outreach – MechCommander Lives! Keeping The Dream Alive with Ninjutsu

It’s been close to 30 years since the original MechCommander first arrived on my Windows 95 PC. Even amongst the great real-time strategy games of the era, MechCommander was a true standout, combining innovative tactical gameplay with timeless sprite graphics to create a true masterpiece that stands the test of time.

One of the coolest things about MechCommander is that the game became freeware many years ago, allowing you to download and play it for free. Well, provided you can get it to work. If you don’t actually have an old copy of Windows 95 running on a digital relic, then getting MechCommander to function for you is a challenge.

Luckily, there’s hope. MechCommander Online is a site I stumbled across recently that offers both a repository for MechCommander‘s game files (including popular fan-made mods and updates) and a community to share technical expertise, reminisce about the good-old days, and even continue to play multiplayer MechCommander in a way that the original game never intended.

I recently spoke with Ninjutsu, the creator of MechCommander Online, to ask why he created the site, its community, and why MechCommander remains such a timeless classic. Enjoy.

Sean (Sarna): Who are you? Briefly introduce yourself.

Ninjutsu (MechCommander Online): Andy Tozer—but my callsign is Ninjutsu.

Sean: When did you get into BattleTech? Do you read the lore or play any other games set in the BattleTech universe?

Ninjutsu: I’ve always been a huge fan of BattleTech, MechWarrior, and most importantly, MechCommander, ever since I got the game burned on a CD from a friend at school in the summer of 1998.

Sean: What’s your Favourite ‘Mech? An all-important question.

Ninjutsu: To start with, the Mad Cat, but in recent years, I have become a huge fan of the Loki; the armor is not as strong as the Mad Cat, but I definitely regard it as the coolest.  

Sean: What is MechCommander Online? When did you start the site, and what made you want to make a site dedicated to MechCommander?

Ninjutsu: MechCommander Online was initially my idea to bring people who love MechCommander to play multiplayer with us, as I have considered multiplayer to be the true art of the game. Three-versus-three is the best, and nothing even comes close!

Sean: How has MechCommander evolved since its 1998 release? I know the game has been freeware for quite some time, but the version available for download on MechCommanderOnline.com is different from the one you could get on other sites. What’s been updated? 

Ninjutsu: Well, I’m initially using the ModDB download on our website, because it seems to work the best for most people regarding resolutions and modern PC’s. It’s otherwise the same as the 1998 release, but adds more display resolutions. It’s the people’s choice version—most trusted.

On top of that, we have the Mixed-Tech patch, which is a separate download available on our forums. It combines Clan-tech with Inner Sphere weapons and ’Mechs, so if you have 300,000 resource points, instead of the usual three Mad Cat As, you can buy two Inner Sphere ’Mechs and two Clan ’Mechs and use both groups of weapons. It makes the game more challenging by adding more variety and greater dynamics. It’s a fun way to spice up those multiplayer games. 

The Mixed-Tech patch also added extra weapons on top, including the chain gun, machine gun, Sniper artillery cannon, and Large Thunder-Bolt launcher. The Sniper is like a smaller Long Tom, so it’s easier to mount, while the Large T-Bolt is a longer-range, harder-hitting version of the Thunderbolt missile. 

Sean: Is it difficult to get MechCommander working on modern machines? Does your download work out of the box, or do players need to download an emulator?

Ninjutsu: Short answer? Yes. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, but for Widows 11, especially, it does have a smaller window before the gameplay stage. But as long as you tweak the compatibility settings, enable DirectPlay, and in some cases, CNC DirectDraw, it will work for most people.

Sean: How many people still play MechCommander? How many people have downloaded MechCommander from your site?

Ninjutsu: Hundreds have downloaded the game from our site, but in terms of playing online, we are still increasing the numbers. I’d say anywhere up to 30-plus players since I launched the website in the spring of 2025.

Sean: Is it just you working on MechCommander, or do you have a team helping out with mods and maintenance?

Ninjutsu: Just me, but we have had help from Ronin & Krez in particular with getting LAN mode working on modern machines. We also have the mixed-tech patch for the last two decades, which combines all Inner Spheres’ and Clan technology together, both ’Mechs and weapons.

Sean: I understand that you recently got MechCommander’s LAN multiplayer option working again. What was the problem there, and why was it so difficult to solve? 

Ninjutsu: The game is old and had to be re-engineered in order for the LAN setting to be successful. It was difficult, but we finally made the breakthrough and have the fix thanks to Ronin and Krez. 

Sean: If you could add anything to MechCommander, either a new gameplay feature or a ’Mech/unit, what would it be?

Ninjutsu: Latency is still an issue. I do believe that the game needs a major upgrade while still keeping its authenticity at the same time. It’s in the plans, and we have people working on this at the moment

Sean: Why do you think MechCommander seems to have more fans than MechCommander 2? What makes MechCommander so timeless?

Ninjutsu: MechCommander 2 simplified several systems, making it feel less gritty and tactical. MechCommander 1 missions generally felt longer, more complex, more layered, and more interconnected with the campaign. MechCommander 2 moved toward shorter, more standalone missions with less at stake. MechCommander had a more serious, darker tone with more grounded audio, making the whole thing feel more authentic. 

The game is timeless, a true gem, art at its finest!

Sean: What’s in store for MechCommander Online in 2026?

Ninjutsu: We plan on refining the LAN-play experience and growing the MechCommander community, both offline and online.

Sean: Anything else you’d like to share? Feel free to get shamelessly self-promoty.

Ninjutsu: Come join the MechCommander Online community! You can find the game to download, as well as the Mixed-Tech multiplayer patch, custom maps, and custom campaigns over on the forums. We’ve also got a community Discord where we set up games and just chat about MechCommander.

Thanks to Ninjutsu for speaking with me and for keeping the flame of MechCommander alive. Got a little corner of the BattleTech universe you’d like to celebrate in Sarna’s Community Outreach! Drop us a message!

And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.