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Gundam: Battle Assault
Score: 83%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Bandai
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Fighting/ Action

Graphics & Sound:
Is there still a need for two-dimensional fighter games? Can you say Anime? (Well, how bout Japanimation?) At any rate, the Japanese-style animation found in Gundam: Battle Assault is more popular than ever, and this graphical style works excellent for this game. The dialogue might be a tad (read VERY) sappy, but hey - that's anime for you! The story's not extremely deep, mainly filled with a whole lot of 'you'll never get by me' and other such challenges. The character designs are quite nice however, and the designs of the suits (including attacks) are imaginative.

Gameplay:
Are you looking for cutting-edge 3D? Deep Plots? Insanely difficult enemies? No? Good! Gundam: Battle Assault may be just your speed. What you DO get is old-school 2D fighting action that looks good and is fun to play. You're in a mobile suit (battle armor), as are your enemies, but the gameplay is much like other 2D fighters. (In other words, this game feels 'fighter,' not 'mech pilot' - and that's just fine. It works well for Gundam: Battle Assault.) You can jump into the background a bit, to sidestep attacks, but otherwise, it's pure 2D super-Japanese robot stuff. As you progress, some of the enemies are bigger than you and (appropriately) more difficult to thwart, but with the aid of your trusty 'continue,' you should be able to make your way through the game relatively easy. If you want depth, look elsewhere, if you want an anime mobile suit fighting game, here's your game. You can also play Gundam: Battle Assault in Versus mode against another player. It's a one round bout, which is a bit odd, but other than that, it's alright if you're into 2D fighters.

Difficulty:
Ever played a 2D fighter before? Do you have ten fingers? Can you mash buttons? If so, you can probably make your way through Gundam: Battle Assault. Sure, the difficulty increases as you go, but the game definitely gives you time to get some experience. Also, the Continue feature allows you to jump right back into the action. Plus, Gundam: Battle Assault allows you to save your progress after each victory, so you don't have to worry about losing ground much. After some opponents, you might not even want to save. Others will challenge you enough that you'll be elated to be to a save point after beating them.

Game Mechanics:
There's not a lot to say here. That's not as bad as it may sound. While it's true that Gundam: Battle Assault is not the most innovative game in the world, it IS a fun game. Some titles try for flash and extras and wind up not putting the 'fun' in. Also, there's not really anything bad to be said about the game. It is what it is, and for a 2D anime fighter, it's a fun game. No extra points for originality, but no penalty for lack of fun gameplay. And, believe me, gameplay is always the most important part.

-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins

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