Having no background or history in the Gundam series except for a few shows on Cartoon Network, I decided to import the game Gundam Battle Tactics for PSP. I've played other Gundam series for PSX and PS2 before in the past at a relatives house but was not satisfied as much as I expected to be.
Taking a glimpse of the game cover it is obvious that this game is probably a battle between two different forces. There are four menus that can be chosen at the menu screen,
• Mission - New Game, Load Game
• VS Mode - 1P Battle, Net Work
• Gallery - MS Viewer, War Record, Museum
• Option - BGM Level, Voice Level, SE Level, Controller
The Mission Mode starts off in the east coast around Shanghai. The player starts out as a rookie that pilots a mobile suit for the specific race the player choose to side on. Having started Mission Mode allows the player to create a character being male or female. Once name and gender has been decided the player can then choose which Force to side with, Zeon or E.F.S.F.
At the start, there are only two units to choose from, Zaku I or Zaku II(F). Once having selected a mission to carry out and the mobile to pilot, the player is sent off to destroy the enemies. From the time the player completes the missions to how many enemies are defeated will produce a score on how well the mission went.
The control system in Gundam Battle Tactics is a little bit awkward. It will not take very long to master but is annoying when first playing. To walk, one would use the D-Pad as usual. To view and look around without moving one would use the analog. The right-trigger will make the unit auto target an enemy, if no enemy is in front then it will make the camera angle facing the way the unit is facing. The left-trigger is to bring out your shield. Holding X-buttong will allow the unit to temporary lift up into the sky for a short period of time. The Square-button allows the user to use secondary attacks, ie: Grenades or Taiser like cable. The O-Button allows the user to shoot from his or her gun. The gun choice can be chosen at the start of the mission. The Triangle-Button allows the player to bring out a melee weapon. When desperatly in need of traveling faster, simply press the X-Button to float in the air and tap the Triangle button to Dash in mid-air. The Select-Button allows to play first-person mode.
Although the controls are pretty simple. Controlling the angle of the camera and having quick fingers doesn't come ready with this game. In order to face off many enemies quickly with least damage done to the player, one must have fast reflexes in pressing all the right buttons. For example there are two Gundams, one behind the Zeon unit and one in front. Killing the first one in front leaves a opening for the one behind still, therefore the player must quickly try to turn the mobile unit as quickly as possible and target lock to strike before getting hit.
Traveling without using the Mid-Air Dash technique can be a hassle. It takes a very long time to move from one destination to another just by walking. "Flying" doesn't really help either, it just makes the mobile unit leap into the air and fall back down not to far away from the original take off point. This can be a dissapointment to players that expect extreme movement and non-stop battle with energy. Instead one must travel to an enemy to engage battle. Rarely does an enemy chase, they tend to run back and fourth spraying their machine gun.
When encountering an Enemy or being encountered. It is common that the enemy is slow in attacking. "Regular" Gundams just stand there and take a few minutes before striking. In certain levels when beating all the "Regular" Gundams, a "Boss" Gundam usually comes out, also named Ace Pilot. Fighting with this Ace Pilot is different from the "Regular" Gundams. He or She doesnt just stand back and wait for you to attack. If the player is at a distance, the Ace Pilot will attack with it's bazooka. If closer by it will attack with it's melee weapon. This CPU is fast and doesn't hesitate to attack.
The fun thing about battling is knocking down an enemy. When an enemy has fallen to the floor a player can use the melee weapon to stab / attack the fallen enemy. Progressing through the game, the player gets to earn ranks (Image Below) and earn new mobile units. Newer units will be more stronger and better than previous ones. Ie: It would take 6 hits with a Zaku to kill an enemy Gundam but with a Gouf it would take 3. More and more victories will unlock more units, maps, missions, ranks and more.
Last but not least, the graphics. The terrain is so simple, the makers dont have to spend extra time in making it look "Beautiful". The texturing isn't extrodinary but decent for a portable. In conlcusion this game can be fustrating at the start but once been through a few missions with a new improved mobile unit it can be satisfying since fast reflexes will develop.
Pros
• Fun for Gundam Fans
• Addicting
• Allows freedom of choice (force, sex, mobile choice etc.)
Cons
• Missions Often Repeat
• Controls take time to get used to
• Graphics arn't too great
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