BADCP - GPOW Tribute

Mechanical Error

DATE:
25 YEARS AGO

GPOW 25TH
A N N I V E R S A R Y



PLAYSTATION 4	BAD	GUNDAM VERSUS


			I've been playing this series since it first started as a collaboration between Capcom, Bandai, and Namco on the DreamCast as Gundam Federation VS Zion. It was big in Japan, and I could immediately see why with all the frantic fun of two-on-two multiplayer. Lasers, swords, destruction, and lots of flying. What's not to love? This is the most obvious reason many see for its success, but many ignore this game being a spiritual successor to two other fighters that came before it. At the height of its production, Capcom made a 2-D fighting game called Cyberbots to go with CPS-II masterpieces Street Fighter Alpha, DarkStalkers, and X-MEN: Children of the Atom. Where those other titles featured diverse casts of fighters, monsters, and super heroes, Cyberbots featured colossal war machines with a creative cast of pilots. It received a 2-D 4-Player side-scrolling fighting game successor called Armored Warriors.

I always thought it was awesome how they made a follow-up that was still a fighting game, but side-scrolling instead of head-to-head. It allowed more players to play, and even better, it was cooperative play (which is always more fun)! I've always seen the rare Capcom gem Tech Romancer as a 3-D spirutual successor to Cyberbots and Armored Warriors. Made on PlayStation hardware, Tech Romancer was essentially a Macross game on the outside and Cyberbots on the inside. I can still remember seeing Tech Romancer on Gouki's Page of Whatever. It has pretty-much left existience and the web (even through WayBack Machine, apparently), but on GPOW its system, design, and features were discussed in length. It was a magical time, since back then Capcom released more than 3 actual new games a year. It carried the torch held by Cyberbots, and that torch Tech Romancer held was carried on by its spiritual successor, Gundam - Federation VS Zeon (which is the series Gundam Versus is a part of). Even as far back as its earliest predecessors, this series has always been a blast. Intense 4-player battles have always made it that way, and it's always been easy to pick up and play, but incredibly difficult to master. Critics say there's not much to the game, but anyone who's actually played it for more than a few minutes would know that this is entirely untrue. Despite its seemingly chaotic nature, the series has always required a distinct amount of precision and calculation often not seen in similarly popular titles.

	01
	HEIGHT OF
	The series.

	02
	NEW AND OLD
	Converge once again.

	03
	MUZZLE FLASH
	A variety of different effects indicate active weapon discharge.

	04
	FEDERATION
	VS ZEON.

	05
	TECH
	Romancer.

Its rather strict emphasis on timing will really remind veterans of the old days when video games weren't just about time, stacked characters, and unending combos, but about skill. In this way, the series is still faithful to its Cyberbots and Tech Romancer roots. Easier combos use a single button, while the more complicated ones use multiple buttons and/or different types of cancels. These combos are lethal and it's interesting to watch them unfold as they leave machines to rest in piece(s). This is one of the reasons I'm thankful they added a Replay Room mode to the game; some of the things players do in this game are an absolute spectacle to behold. Fights really boil down to careful dueling to strike at just the right time. Though the systems from previous games have been simplified in this game, some seem to still be there, but in the form of abilities for specific characters. Dom and his "helpers" come to mind, bringing back fond memories of the absolutely incredible Gundam VS Gundam.

	06
	WILD
	Battles in this series attract large crowds in Japan.

The community for this game is unwelcoming and doesn't care at all to expand the audience and support for this series. Established members will make lobbies for "Casual" play, but play for blood and have absolutely no mercy on new players they know are new. It's a very, very difficult, long road to find a reliable, decent partner to team up with. As a result, the scene for this game started strong, and network battles were easy to find, but quickly declined. I blame its shrewd, bottom-line-minded community. At Japanese arcades, this series invites droves of college-aged players who happily battle each other in rotating teams, hooting and hollering like banshees. Gundam Versus, however, seems to attact less of those in it for fun, and more of those in it for the sole purpose of closing others out from enjoying the game through its chaotic network play. Chaotic, unpredictable battles are the backbone of this game, and always have been.

	07
	TAKE COVER
	Behind structures.

	08
	SIDE-LINED
	This happens a lot, and you'll be lucky if you survive it.

	09
	MOBILE SUITS
	From nearly all across the series.

	10
	EPIC BATTLES
	In a world of cutting-edge technology.

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