Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon

"Capcom + Gundam = Gundam DX"

There are many Gundam games out there in Japan and it seems the US gets the crappiest versions of the Gundam games here in the US. I don't own this game personally, but I have played the arcade machine enough to know everything Gundam DX has to offer.

Gundam DX is the best Gundam game to date with no other Gundam game even coming close. So what makes this game different from any other Gundam game? My answer is think virtual on game play. You get a quarterback camera view of your chosen mech and you jump, dodge, shoot, or slash. Very easy as you can see. This game doesn't require a brain cell to play because it's so easy. The levels are set up with two zeons on the opposite end and the two federation on the other. You first choose which side you will fight for and then you are taken to the teams mobile suit selection area. Each mobile suit has their individual special attacks and life bars. The better the mech the more it costs. (I'll explain the cost system later in this review.) After you choose a mech, you begin your battle against the opposite team.

Here we go. You got your mech from either the Zeon or federation and your ready to battle. The rules on this game are a little different if you think about other mech games. Usually when your character dies then the match is over. Not in Gundam DX. The mobile suit price system I mention earlier is what determines who the victor of the battle is. I'll try to explain the system the best I can. Above your screen you'll see two life bars with the federation and the Zeon symbol. These symbols represents the condition of your team. Let's say you choose the gundam on the federations list of mobile suits. This mech costs about 60% on the bar. So this means if you die once in battle your bar will reduce to only 40%. Die again and your bar is gone which ends your match right there. So always choosing the best mech can cost you in later missions when the enemy becomes more advanced. You are also assigned a partner for each mission and you might want to make sure he stays alive because they do use up your life bar.

Bandai usually delievers average games and I was shocked to learn that Capcom actually made this. Capcom is the only reason I feel this game was so good compared to the other Gundam games out. They know what we want and they delivered. The visuals that Capcom dished out were decent, but we all know they could have done better. (Devil May Cry level maybe!)

The Bad. The controls are responsive but sometimes you struggle to dodge bullets when there's too much going on at one time. The game suffers from slow downs when too many bullets or lasers fly and that right there can kill you as you try to adjust. Let me say that the partners are sometimes garbage and all they do is walk around and get shoot. (Especially the Zeons Zakus) This will get frustrating because they die so much you can't die at all. This will happen a lot and you can't turn your partner off so you can go solo. The games level of play is also to simple that strategy is not needed. You go out and shoot them all up. So if your looking for strategy, I suggest Zeonic Front.

The Good. The fact this game is multiplayer gives the game 5 points in my book. This game would have been a 3 if this was missing. Hate your computer partner huh? Bring a friend and battle together on the same team and bring down the federation or the Zeon. That's right this game is co-op or death match. In Co-op you and your friend choose your mechs from either the federation or the zeon and battle split screen. Keep in mind that the life bar that determines the match is still in effect. So don't both you and your friend be picking expensive mechs. The death match is great, but I can see ways it can be cheap. You choose a mech from one team and your friend picks a mech from the other team. So you are federation and your friend is zeon. Then you fight like you battled the computer, but with your friend controlling the opposing team. Then you fight until the life gauge runs out. Your partners are still in this so you can win by killing your friends partners. (Very Cheap!) Or pick a guntank from the federation and shoot away like a cheap bastard. (You can see I've experiance cheap beginner players like this before.)

The difficulty. This game is easy but it all depends on the team you choose. The federations side is the easiest because you battle against mobile suits that carry extremely weak machine guns. As the stage progresses better mechs appear but it's all the same thing. The zeon is the challenging side because even the weak GM's carry a laser weapon. If you gots serious skill then this is the side for you. You battle Gundams, Guntanks, and every other weapon the federation can dish out at you. (Which we know is twice as good as the Zeons.) So if you can handle it good luck.

My final thought. This is no doubt the best Gundam game to date. With decent graphics and a solid game play engine this game will last you weeks. The multiplayer mode is a big plus and if your a Gundam fan, this game will make you more than satisfied. If your not a Gundam fan, try this game because it will make you one.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/02, Updated 01/16/02