Tech Romancer

"A game that could just be what you are looking for..."

Well seeing as how Capcom is now the crowned king of fighters at SNK's demise you would expect the usual. Ultra tight control's, cool gfx, super special effects you never even dreamt of and all that. Personally I was surprised at how it wasn't at all what I expected. Everything is turned upside down in this game and if you read on I will explain what I mean.

Initial impression
This game is the giant-robo-anime lover's wet dream... plotwise anyway. You choose your robot and mode (Story or Arcade mode) then go out to kick some metal ass guided by a plot to save the world of course. The game is fast and furious but acts more like an ordinary fighting game than an actual simulation of what robot fights could be like. You can move around freely (often crushing buildings as you go) and even jump sideways which I like in a fighting game but the control's just doesn't feel right...

GFX 7/10
Well they are not the best I've seen. The animations are so so and the special effects are pretty good. What saves this game however is the many graphic features this game has. An anime movie as an alternate intro that needs unlocking, well made cut scenes and really cool robot designs. But it isn't what you would expect from Capcom.

Sound 8/10
Some really nice theme songs and the many spoken dialogues between characters help this slot up a few notches but the overall sound is pretty standard. The music box you can buy in the game really isn't worth the effort because all the songs except three are terribly generic.

Gameplay 6/10
Again this isn't what you would expect from Capcom. In one word I would summarise it as ''sluggish''. Even with an arcade stick this game is hard to control and the standard DC pad doesn't help one bit. Supers, even with their unusually simple commands, are just too hard to pull off at the right time to actually be of any use to you. Also the lack of a training mode really wears this section down since it gives the game an annoyingly steep learning curve.
I really liked the very innovative Steel Dash and ability to use items and extra weapons in this game. Some robots may even transform which almost gave it a plus.

Characters 9/10
Now this is what you would expect. All the mechs are really cool and well designed. They may not be as good looking in the actual game but they do the job nicely in creating diversity among the players. Good job!

Plot 9/10
Another thing you wouldn't expect from Capcom. The multiple storylines and story branches are something you really have to look hard to find in any other game. It's amazing what Capcom managed to do with this game storywize. All the usual and unusal giant-robo type of plots are here and it actually takes alot of hard work to see all of it. Which is good.

Lasting appeal 10/10
The game's main selling point and the final thing you wouldn't expect from any fighting game. This game just has a ton of of replayability. Tons and tons of things to see, earn and buy. You will be playing this game for ages and it actually helps you to look past the problems with gameplay.

Buy or Rent?
Well even if you are a huge fan of robots I really recommend you to rent this one first because the controllers can be truly awful in the beginning. Try it and see if you can get the hang of it and if you manage this game's true genious will slowly start to open up to you.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/26/01, Updated 10/26/01