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There's little doubt that Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is one of the most intriguing titles of the next few months. A new franchise from Nintendo is always welcome, but the idea of a new strategy game from the developers of Advance Wars and Fire Emblem is something that no 3DS owner should miss out on — especially when Abraham Lincoln is one of the stars of the show.

The 16th President of the United States is so integral to the plot of Code Name S.T.E.A.M. that the Japanese version of the game carries the subtitle Lincoln vs. Aliens. If you're unfamiliar with the plot of the game, that's an excellent summary; you play as the titular S.T.E.A.M. unit, a motley crew of misfits who are tasked with using steam-based weaponry to repel an alien attack on London.

Your squad will be comprised of iconic characters from classic literature, with Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz and Tom Sawyer being two notable examples. All of this is wrapped up in an art style that sets out to evoke the much-loved silver age of comic books that ran in the mid 20th century. It's a bizarre mix of influences, but it certainly looks to have made for a unique final product.

In terms of gameplay, things are no less atypical. The game plays like a Nintendo-filtered mixture of Valkyria Chronicles and the recent reboot of XCOM. However, if that doesn't sell the game, there's a demo currently available via the eShop that aptly demonstrates that free-flowing approach to map control and combat — as well as the potential for some punishing sequences at higher difficulties.

The Lincoln-centric trailer released today suggests that, as well as a very tight set of regular mechanics, we could have some great set-pieces to look forward to as well. One section of the footage released depicts Lincoln taking control of an enormous mech version of himself, top hat and all. Seemingly, the player will be in control of this humongous head of state.

If a new Nintendo IP from the critically-adored Intelligent Systems featuring a giant, robotic version of Abraham Lincoln doesn't sell you on a game, nothing will — but if that's piqued your interest, stay tuned to Game Rant for all the updates on Code Name S.T.E.A.M. ahead of its release.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is set to release on March 13 for the Nintendo 3DS.