Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 - on the WII

Squashua

I searched... I found nothing but XBox threads.

I can't put the energy into whoring out the OP to talk about this game because my issue is that I know nothing!

So, these guys say that Gundam just came out in Japan, presumably for the Wii.

I figure we've got some people overseas in here who must be playing it, right?

So why aren't you talking about it? Can't tear yourself away from the game, or did you just not buy it?

Is it any good?

Bueller?

Tiemler

It looks kind of... not good.

Xenogears of Bore

Tiemler wrote: »

It looks kind of... not good.

Wrong Answer, bub. It actually looks kind of...Good.

No clue it was out anytime soon. I know that underwater game is coming out soon and got a 36/40 in famitsu.

Tiemler

I generally don't judge a game on graphic quality, but it's hard to give a Gundam licensed game the benefit of the doubt. Any indication that the production values may be even slightly below average plants the suggestion that this is another shovelware title.

powersurge

I haven't tried a Gundam game yet that was very good at least recently. Gundam Side Story for the dreamcast stands as the model for a good Gundam game IMO. I tried one or 2 of the PS2 games and they were kind of clunky. Not to mention the Dynasty Warriors game is well Dynasty Warriors.

One I haven't tried is the PS3 one. No idea on its quality. Maybe we will get lucky and the 360 Gundam game supposedly comming will be decent.

Chen

I bought the first Gundam game for the GC since it was, like, $10 at Play-Asia. For that kind of price, I'd play it. Yeah, the controls are clunky and there isn't much strategy involved, but man, it's great to play those scenes from all the various UC Gundams and getting my ass whooped by the Zaku II and Gouf Custom. I still haven't beaten the game yet. Fuck you, Char.

Edit: Oooooh, this is actually first-person? Rad.

LibrarianThorne

The Capcom made Gundam games are pretty rawkin'. Federation Vs. Zeon DX, Gundam vs. Z Gundam, even the Destiny-based ones are a lot of fun.

I really need to get Mobile Suit Saga. Also, the Gundams in Another Century's Episode (Japan-only release) are always kickass. I would love to see From Software do a G Gundam or Gundam Wing game.

Squashua

I just wanted to know about this one; some of the more fannish sites have hype while others express disappointment with prior licensed titles of the Gundam genre and have no faith.

A statement which coincidentally pretty much summarizes all the posts between the OP and this one.

I'm looking for hands-on reactions here.

ArcSyn

I rented the Robotech game (I know it's not gundam) once (now thinking of buying it if I can find it cheap) and I thought it was pretty well done. I mean, it was cheesy, and simplistic, but the art style and battling made me feel like I was playing the anime.

They should really just try to make the controls work well, and then stick with the cell-shaded graphics (make it look good though, don't skimp) and I think they'd have a pretty good game.

HadjiQuest

This game looks exactly like Journey to Jaburo for PS2, but with a First-Person camera. And by that, I mean it looks like they ported the game, changed the vantage point slightly (the original still had some what of a HUD), and possibly added more bonus levels to the end of the game.

I'm pretty tired of playing the same UC levels over and over. I don't think I'd ever want to play J2J again.

And yet I'll probably still buy this, because I'm such a whore for Gundam.

Kuratosu

If this is anything like Gundam Side Story for the dreamcast, it should be pretty good.

Guardian Legend

This link shows a video of some dude playing this game. I really want to get it because I'm not enjoying my Wii at all right now, but I have no means of playing Japanese Wii games on my US Wii.

I like the UC setting but think the original music should be one of many options. Music does not age well in most cases, so to keep the original music as the only music available was a bad idea IMO. Whenever I hear that 1979 music blaring, I cringe in pain. I want to see more UC0079 games with two soundtracks, one with the original score for all the hardcore purists out there, and another for people like me who want some more modern music. Or at least the soundtrack from Char's Counterattack. I love that

nightmarenny

So finally someone gets the idea of "hey lets make a first person Gundam Game" took them long enough. If this is ok maybe we will get a good game later.

Guardian Legend

Oh yea, the buzz about the Gundam 360 game is that it's been cancelled (not the Dynasty Warriors one of course). I was really looking forward to it too, cause they said they wanted to model it after the Battlefield series of games, which I love.

Kuratosu

nightmarenny wrote: »

So finally someone gets the idea of "hey lets make a first person Gundam Game" took them long enough. If this is ok maybe we will get a good game later.

There was one for the Dreamcast, and I think even one on the Saturn before that.

Xenogears of Bore

Guardian Legend wrote: »

This link shows a video of some dude playing this game. I really want to get it because I'm not enjoying my Wii at all right now, but I have no means of playing Japanese Wii games on my US Wii.

I like the UC setting but think the original music should be one of many options. Music does not age well in most cases, so to keep the original music as the only music available was a bad idea IMO. Whenever I hear that 1979 music blaring, I cringe in pain. I want to see more UC0079 games with two soundtracks, one with the original score for all the hardcore purists out there, and another for people like me who want some more modern music. Or at least the soundtrack from Char's Counterattack. I love that

Man I love the shitty MSG music. Reminds me of the original Star Trek mixed with transformers.

Squashua

Guardian Legend wrote: »

This link shows a video of some Creepy Older Japanese Metrosexual playing this game.

Guardian Legend

I like the idea of first-person Gundam games, but not first-person shooter Gundam games. I don't want to manually aim my weapons. The Dreamcast game was pretty sweet, and it just let you lock onto the enemy. Plus it seems to make more sense from the show's point of view too. It seems like the Mobile Suits automatically lock onto each other with their weapons, but the pilots are responsible for controlling the movement of the Suit, when to shoot, and so forth.

So basically I want Ace Combat-style Gundam games. :-P Maybe make a first person Gundam game with elements of Counter-strike and Ace Combat. "I am running at full speed, so the computer predicts I will have a 30% chance of hitting my target with this beam rifle, at this range, and with the enemy behind heavy tree cover. Do I take the shot or wait for a better shot?"

Furu

Squashua wrote: »

Guardian Legend wrote: »

This link shows a video of some Creepy Older Japanese Metrosexual playing this game.

That's Toru Furuya.

nightmarenny

Guardian Legend wrote: »

I like the idea of first-person Gundam games, but not first-person shooter Gundam games. I don't want to manually aim my weapons. The Dreamcast game was pretty sweet, and it just let you lock onto the enemy. Plus it seems to make more sense from the show's point of view too. It seems like the Mobile Suits automatically lock onto each other with their weapons, but the pilots are responsible for controlling the movement of the Suit, when to shoot, and so forth.

So basically I want Ace Combat-style Gundam games. :-P Maybe make a first person Gundam game with elements of Counter-strike and Ace Combat. "I am running at full speed, so the computer predicts I will have a 30% chance of hitting my target with this beam rifle, at this range, and with the enemy behind heavy tree cover. Do I take the shot or wait for a better shot?"

As Gundams were kinda meant as the fighterpilot. I think its more the pilot manurally locks on. Keeps his cross hairs focused long enough that they lock-on

Guardian Legend

Yea I like the idea of having to at least keep the enemy within a certain angle in order to shoot effectively, like in flight sims. So having to keep my Gundam facing the enemy would be great, but I don't want to have to move a little crosshair over a little target too much.

Arde

Since we're using the wiimote to aim, I don't think it will be too much trouble.

Guardian Legend

Furu wrote: »

Squashua wrote: »

Guardian Legend wrote: »

This link shows a video of some Creepy Older Japanese Metrosexual playing this game.

That's Toru Furuya.

Cool, my first hunch was that it might be the voice actor of Amuro Ray, cuz of the way he said "Char!" but he seemed too young looking to me, and I guess I assumed the Amuro Ray actor would be super old looking. I always like to say "Char!" the way Amuro does :-P I'm also surprised he did the voice for Yamcha in Dragonball Z. I've never really heard the voice but I guess I'm just surprised the great Amuro is also the voice of the "help me, Goku!" Yamcha :P

Squashua

Furu wrote: »

Squashua wrote: »

Guardian Legend wrote: »

This link shows a video of some Creepy Older Japanese Metrosexual playing this game.

That's still some Creepy-looking Older Japanese Metrosexual.

JJ

Why the fuck do they always have to stream shit in Japan? Can't I just fucking cache it?

staplegun07

HadjiQuest wrote: »

This game looks exactly like Journey to Jaburo for PS2, but with a First-Person camera. And by that, I mean it looks like they ported the game, changed the vantage point slightly (the original still had some what of a HUD), and possibly added more bonus levels to the end of the game.

I'm pretty tired of playing the same UC levels over and over. I don't think I'd ever want to play J2J again.

And yet I'll probably still buy this, because I'm such a whore for Gundam.

Ok, J2J I bought first time I saw it on a shelf, and played it some. Yeah, clunky as hell, and I don't think I ever beat Char the first time you fight him... however many years ago it was that it came out.
But this game looks like a bit more than a port to me, and besides, it looks like the movement is not quite as rough... I hope...

However, as a fanboy... clunky or no... :-/ curse my inability to say no to Gundam....

But it does look like at least the combat, movement aside, should be fun. Aiming with the wiimote is simple, as we saw in Zelda, and switching between weapons looks simple.

Also, I do hope to all things holy that beamsword combat is actually good!

And if this is actually a GOOD GAME (not to jinx it all) we're in for a treat.

Guardian Legend

Famitsu gave it a 26 out of 40. D'oh!

Xenogears of Bore

IGN wrote:

After twenty years and dozens of sequels, it seems that the formula for a Gundam game that isn't mediocre may have at last been found. On top of a quality job from the army over at Bandai's Gundam game conversion factory, we have the Wiimote to thank for that.

Released Thursday in Japan, Mobile Suit Gundam MS Front 0079 combines the classic big robot anime franchise with first person-style controls courtesy of the Wiimote and nunchuck combo. The result, at least through the first few missions that I've managed to play, is a fast, intense game of mech warfare with controls so intuitive that going back to a standard controller may be tough.

The basic control scheme in this second Wii Gundam game (the first one was SD Gundam, an enjoyable launch title that required that you pound the Wiimote like a hammer) is what you'd expect of a Wii FPS, with the nunchuck used for movement and strafing and the Wiimote for looking around, turning, and targeting enemies. You can dash and jump via the Z button and lock on to the nearest enemy by pressing C. Firing is done with the B trigger, with weapons easily selected by tapping the minus button.

The controls work well during long-range combat. It's easy to lock yourself onto an enemy and dash around while blasting away. So precise is the aiming, in fact, that I often find myself forgetting to lock on, but still have no problem keeping my sights set on a particular enemy craft. The only trouble I've had with long-range combat and overall navigation is with the jump and dash being placed on the same button; you have to come to a complete stop in order to execute a jump rather than a dash.

If you run out of bullets and can't find any powerups on the battlefield, or if you just want to take an enemy out real fast, you can move in close for hand-to-hand combat. Press A when nearby an enemy, and your Gundam unit will take out his sword. You can then swing the Wiimote horizontally or vertically for direct attacks.

The game has a simple combo-based melee combat system in place. You can block incoming melee attacks by holding down B, and counter blows with a well timed press of the attack button. With some well timed counters on the part of both yourself and your opponent, it's possible to get into a Soul Calibur style face-off. Here, you emerge victorious by shaking your Wiimote furiously.

The ability to swing the Wiimote during melee combat is an obvious feature that one would expect of a Wii game. While the game could have definitely used a few more tweaks to the accuracy of this particular area of combat, it's still a nice bonus on top of the refined long-range combat system. Much like other games that require you to swing the Wiimote in order to slash enemies (Dragon Quest Swords comes to mind), it's surprising how much such an imprecise attack scheme can draw you into the fight. You'll definitely want to make sure to give yourself ample room to swing.

On top of the twitch-based action, there's a strategic element to the combat as well. You fight alongside up to two AI-controlled ally pilots. With the press of the "1" button, you can switch between nine formations, focusing on offense, defense, or balance.

You're also free to assign weapons to all the Mobile Suits in your group. While your arsenal grows with each mission, each weapon is assigned a point value, and you're limited in the total number of points that you can equip. One possible strategy is to get rid of one wingman completely and equip the remaining two with the best weapons.

Wiimote controls aside, this is your typical Gundam combat game, with all the elements we've come to expect over the years. In the story mode, which you can play from the perspective of either the Earth Federation Force or ZEON sides, the game is split rigidly into missions, taking you from a briefing sequence to a short conversation sequence between characters, to a customization screen, and finally to the battle field. There's nothing wild about the presentation, although it's worth noting that the game is fully voiced both during the between-mission conversation sequences and the numerous cut-ins during the missions.

The game has plenty of options for those who tire of the story mode. From the start, you have access to the Ace Pilot mode. Here, ten classic characters like Amuro Ray are at your disposal for a series of free missions.

Two players can also get in on the action via a few multiplayer modes. Versus mode lets you face off against the CPU or another player for a split-screen team-based battle. This can be played cooperatively, with two players facing off against a CPU team. Survival mode puts you and an optional second player on the battle field for a three minute test to see who can get the highest score. The game also includes the Combination Mode, which offers two player cooperative missions.

I've only played a few missions so far, but thanks to its intuitive control scheme, Gundam MS Front 0079 is already the most fun I've ever had with a Gundam game. The game hasn't been officially announced for America yet, so those wanting to experience the pairing of Japan's favorite mech with its favorite console will have to import.

Neato.

OtakuD00D

I saw the videos as well. Ugh. It looks like -total- ass. If Bandai really wanted to, they would've done a better job with this. Here's hoping it's a "First game of the type for the console" type of deal.

I'm STILL going to check it out.

Xenogears of Bore

OtakuD00D wrote: »

I saw the videos as well. Ugh. It looks like -total- ass. If Bandai really wanted to, they would've done a better job with this. Here's hoping it's a "First game of the type for the console" type of deal.

I'm STILL going to check it out.

It is the second Gundam game on the Wii.

I can't remember the last gundam game that look good by the standards of the rest of the games out at that time. I know the last one I played that fit the bill was that silly Gundam Wing fighting game on the Super Famicom.