Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2

"The Following Earth Invasion"

Prelude
To put it short, this turn-based strategy game (imagine Fire Emblem, Tactics Ogre, etc.) is the sequel to the previous Original Generation game which features many of the ‘original' mechs from many previous Super Robot Wars titles released by Banpresto. Without any mech from any anime series other than perhaps the Original Generation anime itself, again, this series has bypassed the complicated licensing issue suffered by its series counterparts, allowing Atlus to do another brilliant translation job and releasing this game outside Japan.

System
OG2 continues and further expands the Original Generation universe with new characters and factions. It also tweaks its game play system a bit by replacing a new Support system and adding the Combo Attack feature, which allows any type of mech and pilot with this ability to charge through a number of adjacently placed enemies at once(!). This new feature is surprisingly useful as it negates the annoying Support ability that certain enemies use. Besides that, you can still switch different weapons between mechs and still customize your pilot's statistics and skills through the distribution of Pilot Points. The Battle Mastery skill points are also still featured within this game, but it should be noted that the conditions to achieve them during each stage is somewhat less demanding than it was during the previous game. It kind of gives the illusion that this game might be easier than the previous one, but I'll elaborate more on that later. Changes have also been made with certain Spirit Commands and Pilot Skills, but those changes are minor compared to the ones I've mentioned above. Personally, I think the development in the system has brought more variety to the game play itself. But it also forces players to be a bit more creative in dealing with the battles since there are many, many situations where you eventually must put to use anything that you can get.

Story
The story itself begins about six months after the commencement of Operation SRW, the incident otherwise known to the public as the L5 Campaign. The reformed federation government is struggling to repair the damage caused during the previous war while also trying to act out the Aegis Plan, which is basically a series of mech development programs to strengthen the government military in case another alien invasion ever happens again. The heroes of the previous war have separated ways once more; the SRX Team returns to being stationed in Japan, the ATX Team in North America, while the Hiryu Custom goes back to outer space and the Hagane is stationed on Earth. Most of the members who are under military ranks are having their hands full in dealing with remnants of the DC forces. While other members such as Kusuha Mizuha and Ryoto Hikawa partake in projects done in the TLI and Mao Industries, several others such as Raidese F. Branstein and Latooni Subota are recruited by Kai Kitamura as new Agressors to test the Federation's new mass-produced Huckebein Mk II.

It's under these circumstances that the ATX Team; Kyosuke Nanbu, Excellen Browning, and Brooklyn “Bullet” Luckfield; under the command of their new supervising officers, encounter the mysterious undercover agent Lamia Loveless and her equally mysterious mech, the Angelg. As suspicion regarding her identity is raised, along with the suspicions towards her mech's connection with the rising prestige of Isurugi Industries, rival to the already well-known Mao, remnants of the DC faction are shown to be gathering power once again through the support of a mysterious benefactor. As another war is on the verge of breaking out, a string of strange disappearances occur near the White Star, signifying the already expected arrival of another extra-terrestrial threat. While at the same time, all the chaos brewing on the Earth's surface has somehow aroused the emergence of an ancient entity which surprisingly has a connection to Kyosuke and Excellen's past…

To put it bluntly, the best part of the story is definitely the dynamic affiliations between the many factions and (hidden) sub-factions that each have their place in this game's storyline. Not only it gives a chaotic feel to the story (which is definitely a unique trait of the SRW games), it also establishes the heated relationships between many of the endearing characters that come from many different sides: Kyosuke meets his match in the form of an enraged Axel Almer, Bullet becomes rivals with Yuuki Jaggar, while Lamia has a similar relationship with Echidna Iisaki, and I haven't even mentioned half of it yet! The downside of the story is that although most of the conflict are of course eventually settled through the course of battles, most of it could've been elaborated much, much more. There is an obvious lack of character development, but there is also a lack of synergy between the many components of the story, which gives the impression that it was just because of some random coincidence that many things are threatening the existence of Earth at once. In short, especially because it left out even more unanswered questions than before, I found this game's story to be somewhat less satisfying than the first. But with its numerous plot lines and its recurring theme of broken relationships, and of course the possibility of future sequels, the story is still somewhat exciting in its own way.

Gameplay and Stuff
A factor that this game has that certainly does not disappoint is the value of the gameplay. Remember how I previously mentioned that the Battle Mastery skill points are easier to obtain in this game? It turns out that the reason for that is probably because the overall difficulty level of this game is insane! This game, as I've indicated previously, in many ways is a lot more trickier than the previous one (‘hard' is not the accurate adjective here…). During many stages, the game some times actually mislead you by stating Mission Objectives that aren't entirely accurate, which will eventually lead you to many seemingly-desperate situations. I'm not sure if these were intended or not, but nearly all the bosses, even the ones in middle stages, are also so ridiculously powerful with HP exceeding four digits, so that you'll be finding yourself racking your brain time and time again, considering each and every Spirit Command you have, just to figure out a way to defeat each one without sacrificing any of your units. There are many cases where you'll find yourself unable to directly attack a boss (or in latter cases, even the ordinary enemy grunts), since directly attacking it definitely means instant defeat. In many aspects, the greatest appeal this game to has lie in just how intimidating this game can be.

It gives enough intensity for you to try to solve things out right, and you may find yourself re-loading again and again simply to try out different alternatives, which may also perhaps unlock several of the game's many secrets along the way. Secret mechs and secret weapons can be unlocked by fulfilling certain requirements during certain stage(s), regardless whether you're good at obtaining the Battle Mastery skill point or not (I think). So there are many ways for you to finish a stage, making this game dangerously addicting and at times frustrating, so I won't recommend it for those who aren't up for the challenge.

The storyline segment which is presented in its usual dialogue-style, in-between battles, for some reason lacks the intensity that the gameplay has. But I think that's a slight presentation flaw which can be easily overlooked. I forgot to mention that there are now several story branches along the game that replace the two scenarios the previous game had, fully making the story being played by a rather ensemble cast.

Presentation, Graphics, Sound and Stuff
There isn't much development in the audio department, since most of the audio used in this game is essentially the same with the ones used in the previous game. But there is now a new option to change a character's BGM, which personally I think is a lot of fun. The visuals, on the other hand, have received some improvement. Combat animation in this game is much more fluid with more sharper effects, though obviously not yet as good and detailed as the graphics in the later-released Super Robot Wars Judgment. The map design, like usual, is as interesting as it can be. Although aside from contrasting colors, there isn't much essential difference compared to the maps on the previous game. Or maybe there is, depending on how much you rely on your Tesla Drives throughout the stages…

Although two of my favorite mechs from the previous game, the Wildschwein and Wildraubtier, aren't included in this release, there are a lot, and I mean a WHOLE lot, of new mechs taking their place. There's the new mass produced Huckebein Mk II-M; the prototype for the mass-production of R1, the R-Blade; the tuned-up R-Gun Powered, which together with the SRX unleashes the super powerful HTB Cannon combo attack; new unseen(?) variations of the good old Gespenst; the Wildwuerger and Wildfalken, built based on combat data from the Alteisen and Weissritter respectively; the Calion and the Astelion of Project TD from Alpha 2, specifically built for outer space exploration; the brand new Huckebein Mk III prototype with its Boxer and Gunner Frames co-designed by Ryoto; the stunning Fairlion which you definitely have to see for yourself; the Double G mechs which are legacy of Bian Zoldark; and especially, the super-powerful ancient Mechanoid from the original Alpha, the KoryuOh and RyukoOh.

As it now features combined story elements from Super Robot Wars Impact, Super Robot Wars Advance, and the classic Super Robot Wars 3, a lot of cool new mechs can also be expected coming from behind enemy lines. Old Inspector weapons such as the Dikastis and Graterkin obviously receive a graphic overhaul compared to their Super Famicom counterpart models; you can also expect new upgrades for both Kyosuke and Excellen's mech; and I couldn't ask for anything more if only they made certain mechs from Advance such as the Vysaga and Soulgain less blocky.

Conclusions
Any fans of the first Original Generation definitely must get their hands on this one. Any casual SRW fan should try this one out too. Personally, I think it's the SRW game with the second best gameplay on the GBA. If you have no experience at all in playing SRW games (for obvious reasons, duh…), I recommend you play the first game first. Like I have previously described, this one has a much steeper learning curve to go through. If you're looking for a GBA game that can make you a bit more relaxed, or if you're not some random mecha fanatic, I think you better look for something else. Since this game is way too intense, gripping, and mesmerizing; it's almost as bad as tobacco for your health.

I forgot to mention. This game is also slightly longer than the predecessor and has a much higher replay value, with its secrets and EX Hard mode. Hopefully, you catch my drift.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/26/07, Updated 04/06/09

Game Release: Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 (US, 11/14/06)