Bandai At E3
Winner of the coveted “Booth Most Likely To Cause Seizures” award.
Tags: e3 2005 Categories: Features, GBA Features, Game Cube Features, PS2 Features, PSP Features, Tech Features
Posted by Ludwig on Jul 1st, 2005
In order to survive the sheer onslaught of blaring noise and flashing lights at E3 whilst maintaining any semblance of sanity, one needs to maintain precise control over what is let into the mind and what is blocked out. Letting your guard down, even just for a second, is bound to trigger a flood of sensory chaos that will sweep away higher brain functions and thus, the thin veil of journalistic professionalism. We almost lost our composure at Bandai’s booth, a deadly nexus of hyper stylized anime games, gigantic dueling robots and obnoxious, saucer-eyed pirate kids, a combination that threatened to trigger convulsions and foaming at the mouth of each and every staff member (though this would occur later at the Elder Scrolls IV demonstration). Luckily, we survived and lived to tell you all about the fine games Bandai had on offer.
One Piece: Grand Battle (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
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Bearing a slight resemblance to the brilliant Power Stone series that once made its wacky way onto the Dreamcast, One Piece: Grand Battle is a frenetic fighting game that truly embraces the “3″ in “3D” by allowing each of the 16 playable characters to freely traverse the colorful arenas as they batter and bruise each other repeatedly. Littered with useful objects and irritable bovines, each battle is as much against the environment as it is the opponent. Featuring an additional 32 support characters which can be summoned during combat, the game includes just about every relevant character from the popular anime series beating the crap out of each other and shouting out the names of their attacks. As combatants take damage, a Rage bar progressively fills up and eventually enables devastating special moves. Monkey D. Luffy and his hyperactive pals look great in their cel-shaded guises and the ludicrously over-the-top special attacks are superbly animated, as if they were ripped straight from an episode. One Piece fans should definitely lift up an eyepatch and keep a close watch on this one.
One Piece (Game Boy Advance)
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The One Piece game for Nintendo’s pint-sized portable truly embraces the, uh, “2″ in “2D” with its vivid, side-scrolling levels and traditional “jump around and beat up disgruntled pirates” gameplay. Taking control of happy-go-lucky rubber pirate boy extraordinaire, Monkey D. Luffy, you’ll find yourself relying on his elastic prowess as you travel the world, hopping across platforms, swinging from poles and punching generic goons in the face. With fluid graphics and a story that involves the show’s entire zany cast, One Piece is a solid platformer that remains very faithful to its anime roots. If you don’t find obnoxious pirate kids with stretchy limbs appealing, then there’s definitely cause for concern.
Inuyasha: Feudal Combat (PlayStation 2)
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More anime-to-game transitions now, with the cel-shaded fighting game, Inuyasha: Feudal Combat. It truly embraces the “Feud” in “Feudal”, since that really is the most polite way of describing what happens when 4 cel-shaded warriors try to get along in a free-roaming battle arena. And that’s the last phrase featuring the word “embrace” in this article, I promise. Offering 2-on-2 matches along with your standard 1-on-1 matches, the fighting can get intensely chaotic – just the way we like it. Though it doesn’t actually support 4 simultaneous players, you can instantly take control of either of your two combatants, with the other one falling to adjustable on the fly AI control. It opens up an interesting array of strategies, with your personal attacker possibly focusing on melee attacks whilst the other pelts the enemy with magical arrows from afar. Different special moves are available, depending on which characters your deadly duo is composed of and how well they tend to get along. Knowledge of the show should prove most useful in this regard, not to mention that it should contribute greatly to the enjoyment of this furious fighter.
Zatch Bell! (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
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Please, don’t make the mistake of confusing magical and ridiculously adorable puppets from another world for normal children. Doing so will make you believe that Bandai condones violent acts against children, particularly tossing said children into the air and slamming their floppy bodies into an opponent. You see, Zatch Bell! (again, a popular anime) weaves the weird tale of otherworldly dolls winding up on Earth and…well…fighting. Unfortunately, they can’t use magic directly on Earth and require the aid of humans to essentially act as a conduit for offensive spells. So, in this fighting game you’re only controlling the plump protagonists even though each combatant is accompanied by a geeky teenager holding a book of spells. Certain special moves allow the big ones to help out, but most of the time it’s a doll-on-doll pummelfest. It’s fast, zany and vaguely frightening, but above all its pretty entertaining. Those that considers themselves fans of Zatch Bell! should get exactly what they want from this title. Freaks.
Zatch Bell! (Game Boy Advance)
Remember what you just read about the PS2/GameCube version of Zatchbell? You know, that paragraph right above this one. Yes, over there. Well, the GBA version is almost identical, a fact which hinders the game in some respects. Replacing the polygonal characters with sprites and constricting movement to one less dimension results in a game that is far too muddled and chaotic, seeming to hinge on effective buttonmashing. Though it may be aimed at a slightly younger audience than the console version, the fighting mechanics and on-screen representation of the various fighters needs a little work, at least so as to make it moe obvious as to what exactly is happening on the screen. Should Bandai manage to accomplish that, the game should be far more appealing, especially to those that aren’t as familiar with the anime.
DICE – DNA Integrated Cybernetic Enterprises (PlayStation 2)
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DICE is one great looking game. Despite the abundant presence of destructive robots, the superbly detailed and extraordinarily shiny character models and considerable number of on-screen enemies are the elements that won us over on the aesthetic side of things. Once you get past that (and the complicated title), you’ll discover a robotic romp through futuristic environments as your transforming machine crushes the cogs of enemy robots and completes a myriad of mission objectives. The game is mostly focused on action, though it does occasionally veer into platformer territory, requiring your pilot to exit his mighty metal steed and jump around every now and then. As you further your progress in the game, new controllable robots become available for purchase and, as anyone can tell you, you can never have too many robots. Never.
Digimon 4: Digimon World (PlayStation 2)
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Tapping directly into that insatiable human desire to collect things, Digimon 4: Digimon World returns with even more elaborate monsters for fans of the show to collect, combine and set loose upon each other. The digital world is under threat yet again and only a motley bunch of obnoxious children and their companion creatures can set things right. If you even remotely enjoy the anime or the rest of the games in the series, this latest iteration should be a no-brainer. With bright and colorful graphics, a fairly large world to explore and more ludicrously named monsters than you could possibly be prepared for, Digimon 4 looks set to continue in the series’ child pleasing, merchandise selling footsteps.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam Vs. Zeta Gundam (PlayStation 2)
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Giant robots! Fighting! Yes, it’s a dream come true. Presenting a clash of universes (namely the distinct Gundam and Zeta Gundam anime shows) and a clash of very, very large bipedal robots, this is Bandai’s take on a sub-genre that was largely popularized by the seminal Virtual On series. Playing from a third-person perspective, you can take control of the mechs from either show and promptly blast other mechs to smithereens via your massive array of weapons. Targeting your opponent and keeping track of their jet-assisted movements is absolutely essential, which is why I was disappointed to find that the lock-on and camera tracking on this particular build of the game was a tad unstable. At one point, the camera view started clipping right through the ground and the entire camera flipped upside-down…needless to say, that kind of thing makes controlling a giant mech rather unwieldy. Hopefully Bandai can sort out these issues before release in order to provide Gundam fans the fast-paced, robot blast-a-thon they deserve.
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Never Ending Tomorrow (PlayStation 2)
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Benefitting from much better controls and a reliable camera system, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Never Ending Tomorrow was the superior mech game at Bandai’s booth. Fluid controls combine with spiky-haired protagonists and enormous robots to form an exciting depiction of futuristic, anime-fuelled combat. The machines respond well and their animation lends them just the right amount of weight and credibility as they dash through the air and lay waste to innocent buildings. If you’re in any way pleased by the show or giant robots (and let’s face it, who isn’t), you should definitely check Never Ending Tomorrow out.
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (PSP)
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Despite pacing that was mostly rubbish and stand alone episodes that proved more interesting than those dedicated to the main story arc, Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex was a remarkable and thoughtful anime that surpassed the original meh-inducing film in just about every way possible. The first-person shooter genre seems like a good fit for the series, and so Bandai is putting a lot of effort into shoving the show’s futuristic world onto Sony’s sexy handheld device. Before each mission, you’re able to choose between four of the show’s main characters, including the cold Major Kusanagi and the tenacious Togusa, as well as a specific weapon loadout. Following this, you’re booted into the game’s nicely rendered, if somewhat muted environments and begin shooting people that seem to not like you very much. You’re accompanied by a Tachikoma, a spider-like tank which can respond to your commands, either protecting you or charging headfirst into a room full of bad guys. It’s possible for the Tachikoma to ocassionally obstruct you in some of the tighter corridors, but otherwise they’re a pretty unique and useful asset in the game. The game’s controls take a little getting used to, but the lock-on function works pretty well and should see you through most tough situations. The only other problem that cropped up was that of rather lengthy load times, though this should be ironed out by the time the game releases (along with the Tachikoma AI). With some impressive graphics (especially during real-time cutscenes), it looks like the game captures the style of the show perfectly. We’re definitely looking forward to embra – uh, playing this one.
Oh, and Cowboy Bebop fans: Bandai assures us that the game is very much still on track and that they’re trying their best to meet the lofty expectations of fans. Here’s hoping it turns out well.
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Tags: e3 2005
Posted by Ludwig on Jul 1st, 2005 and is filed under Features, GBA Features, Game Cube Features, PS2 Features, PSP Features, Tech Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
