I haven’t been playing Gundam games for a long time until recently. The last one I touched was Gundam Battle Assault 2 on the original PlayStation, so I guess that’s about 10 years back? Well anyway the latest one I played was Gundam Vs Gundam on the arcades. Gameplay wise it’s pretty much the same as the previous series (the ones released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable).

You are probably thinking “Wait … didn’t you just mention the last Gundam game you played was 10 years ago?”. After my 1st session on Gundam vs Gundam, I went and have a try out with Rengou vs ZAFT Portable on the PSP and found out that they are very much identical. The only differences are the Gundams available and some other minor stuff.

* Note : I have only played Gundam vs Gundam and Rengou vs ZAFT, so my post is mainly referring to those two. It might be different for the older versions.

For those who are unfamiliar with the series, Mobile Suit Gundam is a 3rd person game where you have the control of a single Gundam. The aim is to destroy as many Gundams or mobile suits as possible to reduce their cost bar meter until its completely depleted. Each unit has different cost values depending on their level; the stronger it is, the higher the cost. It also means that if the higher cost unit get destroyed, the cost bar will decrease more … a lot more.

Gundam vs Gundam is more like a dream match where you have a huge selection of mobile suits (over 30) from various universe, ranging from the original RX-78 to Nu to Freedom. It’s a nostalgic feeling to see those old Gundams , complete with their whacky-drawn pilots and voice actings.

Controls are broken into 4 simple buttons; one button for weapon fire, one button to use close combat weapons, one button to jump / thrust and finally the last one to toggle between targets. Combination between 2 / 3 buttons or holding the fire button can sometimes invoke a new attack depending on the unit. Like for an example, charging the fire button will make Freedom perform his famous ‘Auto-aim-bot’ attack, although it’s not as fantastic as the anime of course.

In addition to the basic controls, there are also Support Units and G-Crossover. By pressing the 3 buttons (Fire, Weapon, Booster), the support units will appear for a brief period to assist the player. Like for Aegis Gundam, triggering the support unit will make Buster Gundam appear with his cannon blast attack.

G-Crossover activated!

G-Crossover (a.k.a Super Weapon) is something which will make your adrenaline rush up, regardless of who triggers it. Once activated, you will see area marks on the map, indicating the places where the super weapon will hit. The first thing that goes into your mind is “Get the f*ck out of there!”. Why? Because it hits every damn thing in it’s path, friend or foe. I always find myself cursing “sh*t!” when the opposite team activates it.

Super Smash Gundam?

Having played the game for about 5 to 6 times, I find that Gundam vs Gundam is pretty good. Although I expected much recycling from the previous installments, the graphics and sound still holds up well. The gameplay is easy to pick up and having a friend to join the battle will definitely bump up the fun factor. The only complain I have is that the Gundams feels sluggish, which can be a real pain why you are trying to avoid gazillion beams and rockets firing at you. It would have been awesome if the action was more like Zone of Enders.

[images from ITmedia]

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