Re: Gundam Geeks And Gearheads, I Need Help!

"Pete Holland Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Hey, everybody!
>
> A friend of mine recently discovered Gundam (I haven't seen Gundam.  I
> don't know which one, assuming there's more than one series, I just know
> it's not SD).  For Christmas, I'd like to get him a Gundam game.  So I
> looked into what's available.
>
> Holy white tornado!
>
> So I turn to you guys--which one do I get?  Which one is the best, which
> is the worst, which is the most intriguing, follows the story, etc.?  He
> has a PS2, so the game can be the one for the PS1 or the PS2 without any
> hassle.
>
> Dobre utka,
> Pete Holland Jr.
>

I like all of the Gundam games (at least the ones available in the US), so
its hard to give you a recommendation.  I haven't played the newest game,
Encounters in Space, so I don't know much about it.

PS2 Games:
Gundam: Journey to Jaburo.  It got a lot of "average" and "poor" reviews,
but I thoroughly enjoyed.  Gameplay wise, the controls are a little
sluggish, but once you get a feel for them they are a lot better.  Replay
wise, there are a TON of unlockable things like DVD trailers, cutscenes, new
mobile suits.  This is a third person action game that takes place on earth.
I've had it for over a year and I still play it.  I saw this one used at
Babbages for 14.99, so you may find some good prices on used versions in
game stores now.  Don't pay more than 20 bucks.  If you can't find it in a
store for that, you can turn to half.com or eBay.  This game is usually at
eBay for less than 10 bucks, but there aren't very many being sold.
Half.com has them for 16-17 bucks slightly used.

Zeonic Front:  This one got "okay" or "good" reviews.  It is probably the
most difficult for a casual gamer to get into as the controls are a bit
tricky to master.  It is fun, its more like a SOCOM game as you rill the
role of a squad leader and actually have other squad mates to give commands
to in addition for being responsible for yourself.  I liked this one the
best of the PS2 games simply because it was a little more complex, and thus
more satisfying to play.  This one takes place on earth as well.  I got this
one on eBay for 13 bucks total, but I got very lucky.  Usually this game is
auctions for around $30 and sells for $20 or more used.

Federation vs. Zeon:  This game got the best reviews of the PS2 games.  It
is fun, taking place on both earth and in space.  It is a little more simple
than the other two games.  You basically start a mission with a "wingman"
and you have to destroy more of the enemy than they destroy of you within a
certain time limit.  It is a port of a Japanese arcade game, hence the
game's "simplicity."  This game is probably the easiest for a casual gamer
to play, and should be a breeze for "harcore" gamers.  At least until the
later missions.  This game also has a pretty good replay value, as there are
lots of unlockables, two sides to fight on, with TONS of missions per side.
You should still be able to find this one in stores.

Graphically, all of the games are great, IMO, but I would recommend either
Journey to Jaburo or Fed vs. Zeon first since they are easier to get into.
Maybe Journey to Jaburo because that is getting a little more difficult to
find since it has been out for a while.  That way if your buddy likes it,
you would still be able to get Fed vs. Zeon without having to search for it.
Zeonic Front is starting to get difficult to find, but you can still turn to
half.com or ebay for decent prices on all three.

PSX games:
Gundam Battle Assault and Gundam Battle Assault 2.
These games I'll tell you about because they are basically the same.  These
are both 2D fighters like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat except you fight
as a Gundam or other mobile suit instead of as a person.  Both are fun, and
play exactly the same so transistioning from one to the other is easy.
Battle Assault is getting hard to find, so I would snatch that one up if I
came across it.  You can't go wrong with either one, but I would recommend
the 2nd one over the first one because it has more fighters and more to
unlock.  BA2 was 19.99 when it was new, so if you pay more than that you're
getting screwed.  You could probably pick either one up on eBay for less
than 15 bucks if you don't see it in stores.  The first game has been out
the longest and is probably the most difficult to find.  Half.com has them
slightly used for around 12-13 bucks.

That's about it for the US Gundam games except for one Dreamcast game,
Mobile Suit Gundam 0079: Rise From the Ashes.  A very fun game that would
have been one of the best Dreamcast games ever if it wasn't so darn short, a
paltry 9 missions that you can breeze through in a few hours.  I bought a
Dreamcast just so I could play this game, and if it had been the only
Dreamcast game I bought, it would have been worth it.

If you need help finding one, shoot me an e-mail.