Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon

"Gundam at it's finest"

Federation vs. Zeon is based apon the widely popular anime, Mobile Suit Gundam. The game does a very good job of capturing all the action of the anime. All of your favorite mobile suits from the One Year War are available. (Well, most of them anyway.) From the infamous RX-78-2 Gundam, to Zakus, to mobile armors....they're all at your disposal. The characters are brought to life by the original voice actors from the anime, and give the story a more authentic feel.

The storyline follows the anime. You're a rookie Federation or Zeon pilot that is sent into battle with a mobile suit. You're mission.....destroy the enemy at all costs. The arcade mode follows the Mobile Suit Gundam storyline closer, while the campaign mode gives a longer, more difficult experience. Fans of the series will be very pleased with what they find inside.

The graphics are done quite well. The mobile suit models are excellent, and closely resemble the anime versions. However, the backgrounds are sometimes lifeless and boring. The anime cut-scenes look like the anime and bring the game to life. With all the action on screen, it's amazing the frame rate doesn't drop.

The sound effects are taken strait from the anime.Whether it's your beam rifle, the voice actors, or the theme music, they're all superb and bring the gundam experience to life. Fans of the anime will be rejoicing when they here the original voice actors, such as Char, Amuro, Sayla, and Bright Noah.

The controls handle nicely and are easily executed. There's not much of a learning curve, so beginners become pros in no time. Unlike Journey to Jaburo, the mobile suits move smoothly and move at your command. The space battles feel athentic, and are packed with intense action. After you play a couple of levels, you'll actually feel like a real mobile suit pilot.

The arcade mode lasts for almost an hour, while the campaign mode can take days to complete. With both modes, this game will keep you entertained for quite a while. If you're not a fan of the series, I don't suggest you play this game though, especially if you're not even a fan of anime. With the story of Mobile Suit Gundam, and all the best mobile suits, this is the best gundam game yet.

I think this game is atleast worth a weekend rent. Serious fans of the anime should definitely buy this one if they have an extra $50 layings around. If you like anime, but have no idea what Gundam is, I suggest you check out Zone of the Enders.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/15/03, Updated 06/15/03