Mobile Suit Gundam: The Ace Pilot

"The One Year War aces finally shove their way to the GameCube!"

Introduction:

After hearing rumors about a new Gundam game which will appear on the Nintendo GameCube, i was starting to imagine all the great things Bandai could do (from highly detailed graphics, fast and furious action to accurate music and SFXs). But still, i was feeling a bit doubtful when i knew there was going to be ''tactical'' elements implemented in the game. However, everything was cool when i heard that the same team that developed ''Zeonic Front'' will be heading this project!

And now, with the game running smoothly in my GameCube, i would like to announce that the team delivered what every gundam fan would want to experience :)

Gameplay and Controls: (9/10)

First i'm going to talk about the controls. I really really hated it at first, you have to use the Yellow analogue stick to fiddle with the camera, lots of buttons to use,etc...However, after 30 minutes or so, everything seemed natural! My enjoyment factor went higher as I mastered the controls! For example, you could hold the ''L'' button and press the ''Z'' button at the same time to slip the Gundam's shield onto his back and hold the Beam Rifle with both hands which increases your accuracy! Talk about being authentic!! :D

Moving on to gameplay, first thing i was afraid of is not having the ability to ''boost'' like in Zeonic Front. This thought was crushed to the ground by one of the best thruster systems around! You really feel the speed of your boosters when you're in space!

The next topic that we will be putting the spotlight on is the game modes. There's only one game mode, where you get to choose which side to play as, ''Zeon'' or the ''Earth Federation''. Each side has its own Aces, such as Shiro Amada, Christina and Amuro for the Feddie side. Of course only Amuro and Char are available in the beginning and then the rest are unlocked later. Another great addition that should be mentioned is the ''RPG'' element in the game where you get to ''Level Up'' your characters!! :D

Also, as you level your character up, he/she gains extra skills and abilities that you could assign such as improved boosting and extra newtype abilities such as the ''Awaken'' ability...Max Payne has nothing on Amuro!! :)

The more you play, the more mobile suits and weapons you could unlock, which means there's ton of stuff to do :)

Graphics and Sound: (9.5/10)

After watching the intro sequence and picking up your jaw, get ready to hear all the original voice actors from the japanese anime and also nearly all the 'themes' that will play in the background like ''Dashing Char'' :)
About the graphics, the MS are very detailed and the environments have been given some love and care too. From the cold black depths of space to the dusty texas colony, the environments graphics will never bore you.

Play time and Replayability: (9/10)

To unlock all the aces, level them up, complete their stories, unlocking all the mobile suits and unlocking all the weapons will take you a while. Even after you've done everything you will come back to play the game some more!

Final Recommendations:

Bandai will probably release this in the U.S, unless they go all (Lost War Chronicles) over it :p . In my case, i'm a fan of the Japanese voice acting also the Kanji and Katakana characters which are used ingame are easily figured with the help of the awesome people on the message boards. So, if you can't wait for the U.S version, or you're a fan of the japanese VA get this game now :)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/01/04