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Gundam The Battle Master
Review by Pat Reynolds
In way of a disclaimer, let me start this
review by saying that I am a Gundam fan. I fanatically collect
the model kits, and I am a fan of most everything giant and
robotic. Thus, unless you are also a fan of such things, your
impression of this game will most likely fall a couple notched
short of mine. This title was released in 1997 but I only
recently got my hands on a copy and am currently actively seeking
the sequel, which I hear is much better and fixes most of the
problems with this game. If you are unfamiliar with Gundam, it is
the grandfather of giant robot series in Japan. That alone says
something. Gundam has game through countless revisions and
storylines as diverse as possible. Each new Gundam series often
features fresh mech design and story tone, so there is something
for everyone somewhere in the series. This game is a straight,
brainless one-on-one 2D fighter in the tradition of Street
Fighter II. You choose from one of a nice variety of mechs,
everything from standard variety "classic" designs like
Gundam and ZZ Gundam to the long-armed and goofy Hygog. These
metal monsters range in design and size from kinda big to damn
near screen-height. Every Gundam has at its disposal a standard
punch and kick attack plus a long range weapon (usually a beam
rifle) and a short range weapon (most often a beam sword). There
are also a handful of super moves, most of which consist of the
mech firing its long range weapon in long, auto-tracking bursts.
Each Gundam has two defensive moves - the standard block for
physical attacks and either a dodge or a shield to guard against
ranged attacks. Beam sword blows are unblockable. All of the
Gundams can also dash, fly and hover for unlimited lengths of
time, making for some spirited mid-air combat. Graphically, this
game is great, especially for a 1997 release. The mechs are huge,
superbly animated and detailed. They even take area-specific
damage, meaning that if too many hits to the chest are taken, the
armor will crack and then break away revealing sparking inner
workings. It's great stuff. Unfortunately, other aspects of the
game aren't quite as good. Control is a bit clunky and there are
really no combos or attack strategy to draw you as deeply in as
say, a Capcom fighter, but once you get the hang of the system
(basically a mix of in-close attacks and beam sword chaos and the
boosting arial pyrotechnics, you'll warm up to the system some.
True, it lacks some depth, but for me at least, the graphics and
fun of giant robot fighting more than make up for that. Also, the
sound, while good for the weapon and fighting effects, kind of
just lies there when it comes to music. And the game has no FMV,
but some decent anime-style portraits of the pilots before and
after battles. With a lengthy single player game consisting of
scattered boss fights against robots taller than the screen, and
the always fun versus mode, the game has some value. If you're a
fan of the series it's really a no-brainer to grab this game (or
its sequel) up, but even casual fighting game fans should find
something to like here, even if it's only the fine graphics and
novel play mechanics.
Reviewer's Score: 8 / 10
