Kidou Senshi Gundam: Renpou vs. Zeon DX

"Gundam+Capcom+DX Version=Killer Action!!!"

This is by far one of the best Gundam games to date. Fully 3d in 3rd person perspective gives this game a realistic feel. If you didn’t like the In-The-Cockpit view or first person view of Gundam Side Story 0079 or the 9 levels it had to offer then this is the game just for you. This game takes place during the original Mobile Suit Gundam and is based off of the Arcade game. With the DX Version you get extra mobile suits for both the Federation and Zeon once you complete the game. A really cool feature of this game is fighting in space, 360 degrees you move up, down, left, right any direction imaginable.

Controls 9

The controls are very simple you use the control stick or d-pad to move your mech around. 3 buttons are for your 3 attacks that vary from each mech. The left trigger issues commands to your computer controlled teammate and another button to cycle through enemy targets. To jump up or zoom around in space you press the A button. While on ground or in space a double tap of the control stick or d-pad lets you dash to evade enemy fire. The controls during hectic battles can seem a little slow to react but this is a fast paced game once your up against 3-4 enemy mechs.

Gameplay 8

Basically this game is another shorter Gundam game that doesn’t have a lot to offer to its fans. You have 4 different scenarios to choose with 13 different levels included. No multi-player mode is included in the game but once you beat the game once you get extra mechs for both the Federation and the Zeons with does make you want to play through the game more. Personally I’m a fairly big Gundam fan and I really haven’t got bored of this game yet. Another thing is that the levels size in the game are fairly small but show decent detail. Boundaries are marked out clearly on the ground but once in space it’s incredibly hard to tell the boundaries. If you happen to go out of the boundaries the computer will take over and bring you back in.

Graphics 9

The graphics in this game are great. If you look at Journey to Jaburo on the PS2 they look basically the same. The suits are highly detailed and look like the real life counterparts. The levels look decent not as much detail put into them as the mechs but they look good. After a mech is destroyed it will disappear in a matter of seconds which it would be tons cooler if they stayed and not blow up and disappear. I’ve only played this game on a regular tv screen but the game is VGA compatible and I’m sure it’d look tons better on that.

Sound/Music 8

There is music in the game during battles and such and most of the time it fits the levels really good but on other occasions you get these happy tuned songs in the middle of battle. When I first played the game and heard them I though it was the last level because of it. There is voice acting in this game but not knowing whats good/bad I can’t tell you the quality of acting here but it’s there. Now like any game like this should have is a lot of sound effects and this game does. You hear your guns fire and hit. You hear your boost packs work and the sounds of exploding mechs everything you’d expect to hear is here.

Overall 9

For an import game and not knowing any Japanese this game is incredibly easy to navigate the menus they are in Japanese but are easy enough to learn the meanings. It’s a great game not your average old gundam game that includes the orginal Gundam Federation Vs. Zeon and the DX Version. Capcom had a part in this and they made it right.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/20/03, Updated 07/20/03