Much like its fellow International hits Ranma 1/2 and Dragon Ball Z, however, Gundam has also been reborn into several videogame manifestations as well; with three PlayStation 2 titles already released in the Unite States and numerous more coming out or available in Japan. It's a big business to be sure, and one that .hack publisher Bandai is more than happy to perpetuate as it releases its latest homage to the franchise, Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space.
Internally developed and based on the first series' civil war period, Encounters in Space primarily follows the one-year conflict between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. But for the first time ever in the history of the franchise, the game also includes special side missions and bonuses from companion stories like Gundam Wing, Gundam Seed, and G Gundam. It's a pretty big deal for giant robot fans and when paired with the game's Zone of the Enders-like mechanics makes for one of the most awaited titles for the license in a very long time.
Gameplay
To call Encounters in Space a Zone of the Enders clone would be far too modest; as this particular vision of Mobile Suit Gundam practically is Zone of the Enders itself. Mixing elements of both the first and second of Konami's robot games a little too well, Encounters not only shares many the same mechanics as the ZOE franchise; it lifts its premise, navigation, and weapons technique as well. In truth, these likenesses aren't necessarily a bad thing -- as other than ZOE itself there are very few titles out there that deliver this kind of rampant action.
When Gundam is at its strongest, players find will themselves in the thick of galactic space battles with allies and enemies coming from all angles in multiple formations. Able to fight from a distance as well as up-close, each Mobile Suit can shoot cannons, wield a beam sword, and perform special attacks unique to that robot. Additionally, multiple targets can be blasted all at once or individually, be eliminated by a force of allies (called in with the select button when prompted), or get destroyed in any combination of these attack types.
Despite its rather straightforward approach, however, the learning curve here is definitely higher than usual; as casual players will need time to become accustomed to the different series of input commands at their disposal. Veterans of Zone of the Enders, on the other hand, should have no problem jumping in whatsoever.
Unfortunately Encounters in Space isn't nearly as fast or as difficult as its Konami inspiration was. In fact, there are fewer enemies, end bosses, and variety in the mission types when compared to Zone of the Enders altogether. Granted, there are a couple of optional objectives like debris relocation or escort, but they're nowhere near as strong as the straightforward shooting missions. Sadly there is very little difference in the mechanics of each Gundam during the story-related modes other than speed as well and the beam sword fighting system is extremely limited and easily dominated by the player.
Luckily there are quite a few extra modes to Encounters in Space that add some longevity to the overall experience. The Training Missions, for instance, allow gamers to build their own pilot from the ground up and customize them just the way they want (all the way down to their voice and look).
To keep things fair, each player is limited to only eight missions and experience opportunities before they're cut off too, so that when they're are imported into the Versus Mode there is no clear advantage over their opponent. Happily this works pretty well, as versus is an absolute blast regardless of whether its played with one or two people (thank you CPU opponents) and it's the only section of the game where users can try out some of the better equipment like the Zero Custom and Tallgeese III. It's just too bad that the most challenging objectives to the whole experience can only be found in these departments.
Graphics
While it may share a number of gameplay similarities with Konami's Zone of the Enders, Encounters in Space doesn't match-up visually quite as well. To its credit, each and every Gundam is eerily accurate to its anime counterpart with subtleties like damage spots, personalized markings, and gouraud shading supporting its authenticity. Of course, the legendary designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Kunio Okawara are still just as interesting now as they were in 1979, and the 80 minutes-worth of transitional anime cut scenes have been preserved with high color clarity.
2nd Runner fans should take note, however, that the special effects don't follow the same cel-shaded look as Konami's spectacular sequel and opt instead for a much closer style to that of the original ZOE. That said, there are still a large number of explosions, laser blasts, and debris that congregate within Gundam's three-dimensional space and there's always activity somewhere within your range of vision at all times; even if it is only half as busy as Jehuty's experience.
Not surprisingly, though, Encounters in Space suffers from the same graphical issues that Zone of the Enders and its sequel did: smart cam problems and occasional slowdown. And while neither of these concerns actually appears with as much frequency or zeal as they did in Konami's title, there aren't as many polygons or particles being used either; which makes it pretty obvious that Bandai's engine could have used some further optimization. Still, for what it offers compared to what it sacrifices, Encounters of Space looks great.
Sound
The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise has always been known for its stellar soundtrack, and the latest PS2 videogame isn't any different. Borrowing a huge amount of music from the television series in addition to some new tunes from its other offshoots, Encounters in Space sounds absolutely terrific. Of particular note are the "Solar-System II", "Beginning", and "Zeon Drawing Near" tracks that power the White Base and Thoroughbred storylines. Luckily, the game allows players to listen to the entire score all the way through as a special option in the gallery menu. And believe us, it's worth it.
Unfortunately, anime purists may be disheartened to learn that Encounters in Space doesn't support a Japanese language track like Bandai's other big franchise .hack. What it does offer, however, is the same vocal cast used for the American DVD translations. The result is a strong and believable narrative that ranks above other localized anime properties such as Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokemon. And while the game isn't recorded in Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS, its surround sound is still crisp and clear on televisions and receivers alike with some terrific audio effects.
