In this report we will review some of the best known series of wicks in the manganime scene and we will review some of their most outstanding titles.
Among the genres that the manganime scene has offered over the years, perhaps the one that has had the most impact on it has been the genus of mecha or giant robot, which has offered stories that not only highlighted the intrigued stories of their young protagonists but the immense giant robots that piloted either on their own initiative or forced to do so to protect humanity from Earth or in intense battles through space.
Over time, the video game adaptations of these series gradually arrived in such a way that the panorama, especially in Japan, was filled with several titles with different proposals, with some cases that have come down to us as Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, Front Mission or the Armored Core series among many others that have tried to capture the stories of these series, or others totally original, with different styles and storylines. In this article we will review some of the most prominent that have had a presence in video games.
GUNDAM
Although Mazinger Z is for practical purposes the series that started the mecha anime phenomenon in the Japanese country at the time, while it also had some success in our country with its broadcast, today it is Gundam, in its different incarnations, which It has become a cultural symbol in the Japanese country to the point that today there is a 1: 1 scale reproduction of the original robot, RX-78-2, which was piloted by the young Amuro Ray in the first series of the franchise. , Mobile Suit Gundam or Gundam 0079 as it is known.
The plot of it takes place in the year 0079 of the Universal Century. Humanity has created various space colonies that orbit around planet Earth and where people are born, grow and die. One of these colonies, called Side 3, has declared itself independent and they recognize themselves as the Principality of Zeon, declaring war on the Earth Federation in a fierce conflict that costs millions of lives for both factions. After a period of six months, the situation is at a standstill until a group of Zaku-type Mobile Suits sent by Zeon attack one of the space colonies in which a new type of weapon is developed that can change the course of war: the RX-78-2 Gundam. The situation becomes unsustainable to the point that Amuro Ray decides to buy time fighting on board the Gundam against the Zaku units while the civilian population, including their friends, mount on board the White Base, the new Federation combat ship. From this point a fierce pursuit of Zeon's forces will begin, with Char Aznable at the helm, trying to destroy both the ship and facing the Gundam robot.
Although the series did not have a good initial reception, with the passage of time, helped by the departure of the gunpla models based on the robots of the series, it was gaining in importance following the story of this saga, known as Universal Century, through of various sequels in series format, movies and OVAs. On the other hand, the series expanded offering different concepts of the franchise with new models that offered alternative stories independent of the original series, although with some that follow some similar parameters in certain aspects, such as the case of Gundam SEED.
Among the games best known to the public regarding this series, we should mention the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. These games recovered the characters and mecha from each of the iconic series in the franchise, such as Kamille Bidan's Zeta Gundam, Double Zeta piloted by Judau Ashta or Byaku Shiki controlled by Quattro Bajeena, through various game modes. that on the one hand follow the history of each franchise through various phases and on the other offering a totally original story focused on the pilot chosen when playing. In subsequent sequels, the quality of the games increased, with special attention to the second installment, which included a broader character roster, improving enemy AI, including upgrading parts and abilities, and also adding a wide selection of missions through different categories that would serve both to gain experience and to improve the relationship with other pilots while also including a greater variety of scenarios and a very notable graphic improvement. The third installment in the series, meanwhile, opted for a more agile gameplay in which the control of zones would be essential by providing them with special functions, such as attacking other zones through missiles or constantly manufacturing enemy units, reducing the challenge in the process and betting in turn on a style closer to anime.
Other of the series that has begun to have some relevance in the west is the Gundam Versus series, which has had a greater presentation through the title that appeared on PlayStation 4 in 2017. This series, with a marked arcade gameplay, not only It has encompassed crossovers with the different robots from the different series of the franchise but in turn the various battlefields between factions of each series beginning with the first title of the series, Federation vs Zeon, which appeared in Japanese lands in 2001 for PlayStation 2 and in 2002 for Dreamcast, later coming out for the Sony console in the United States and Europe the same year, although unfortunately its reception would be minimal. After this, the vast majority of titles have remained in Japan highlighting the two installments of Rengou vs Zaft dedicated to Gundam SEED and its sequel Destiny, appearing conversions of the first title for PlayStation 2, offering the same content from the arcade machine, and PlayStation Portable , which includes an exclusive mission mode that follows the plot of the series, and for the Sony desktop console of the second, which would bring a progression mode that covers the entire plot of the series while leaving unlocking missions with other characters and new Mobile Suits. Finally, it is not convenient to forget the Extreme Versus deliveries appeared on PlayStation 3 that include a wide variety of Mobile Suits of each of the important series of the franchise, although with some of them released through DLC,
Among the proposals that there are in this series that have remained in Japanese lands, it should be noted that of Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record UC 0081, an action game that could be considered an improved version of that first batch title on PlayStation 3, also based on this franchise, Target in Sight in Europe and Japan and Crossfire in the United States. The difference with this title lies in its presentation in a style more in line with the animated series, introducing animated sequences to narrate the story and also in communications, both when it comes to knowing the objectives of each mission and when receiving the status of the same in the middle of the combat through the operator. The gameplay remains intact, still being somewhat harsh, although presumably it is done that way to make it more plausible with reality, and offering some challenge to successfully complete each of the missions that are presented, including battles against bosses at certain points in the game.
The plot that this title offers is located 2 years after the final battle of the original series. With the One Year War, spanning the entirety of the first Gundam series, over, normalcy returns to planet Earth. However, there are still remnants of Zeon's troops wreaking havoc through various skirmishes in different parts of the globe. A special group from the Earth Federation known as the Phantom Sweep is assigned to eliminate them. However a special group of Zeon special forces, the Invisible Knights, will face them.
The game offers a story mode that includes two main campaigns when playing, following the plot from the perspective of both factions, especially through Hugues Courand and Erik Blanke, respective commanders of these units, while presenting a own cast of characters for each of them. In addition to including the characteristic mechas of the series, such as the RGM-79 GM (nicknamed Jim), the RX-75-4 Guntank or the MS-05B Zaku, two new models are presented in this title, these being the Gundam RX- 78 7th Generation and the MS-08TX / N Efreet Nacht. On the other hand, a mission mode is included that allows you to play alone or through online connection with other players, having an original character as an avatar that will gain experience and level up when completing the commissions and also get points with which to be able to get equipment, weapons and improvements for the basic Mobile Suits of the game, which can help improve its features and stats, or also be able to get new and more powerful ones.
Finally mention the game based on the Gundam Unicorn series, the series that continues the Universal Century timeline after the events of the movie Char's Counterattack. The story of the game covers the first three episodes of the series, offering control, through different phases, of the important mecha in the series, such as the NZ-666 Kshatriya piloted by Marida Cruz or the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam that controls Banagher Links. The action of the game is based on different missions in which to fulfill various objectives that will be presented and that will require some skill when fighting, offering dizzying and to some extent chaotic action at times. In combat, each Mobile Suit has a shield bar along with the fuel bar and also the life point marker, which will be reduced with each impact. Additionally, the Custom Cast mode is included, which allows missions to be carried out by choosing the group's companions in a personalized way. As a curiosity, it should be noted that this game was developed by From Software, authors of the Armored Core saga, Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
MACROSS
Another franchise that has grown in popularity over the years has been Macross, the series created by Shôji Kawamori, an artist and designer who has collaborated on other successful series such as The Vision of Escaflowne, Eureka Seven or Genesis of Aquarion. in the animated plane and in video games like the Armored Core series and titles like Omega Boost or Daemon X Machina.
Since the premiere of the original series in 1982, the series has had various sequels, both in series format and movies or OVAs, which have expanded the story through its different protagonists and the ships they piloted, called Valkyrie which They are in the form of fighter jets that can transform into two different forms: Battleroid, which is a hybrid between the basic aspect and the combat form, and Fighter, which is practically a combat robot. It should be noted that the designs presented in this series, in addition to a previous series of toys also designed by Kawamori, served as inspiration in the creation of the well-known Transformers.
The plot of the series focuses on the conflict between the human race and the Zentradi, an alien race of giants. In the middle of the conflict are Hikaru Ichijo, who despite being civil his knowledge as a pilot and the abruptness of the fighting end up making him pilot the VF-1 Valkyrie, Lynn Minami, a young woman whose desire is to become a star, and Misa Hayase, a crew member of the Macross spacecraft with military training. Throughout the series, the triangle that forms between the relationship of these characters will be the epicenter of the plot along with the mystery that surrounds the Protoculture, a primitive race of humanoids that were the creators of the Zentradi, and the effect of the human behavior, including her music through the songs of Lynn Minmay, to try to end the conflict. The series gets its name from the SDF-1 Macross ship in which the protagonists travel at the beginning of it.
In the field of video games based on this series, Macross 30: Voices Across the Galaxy (Ginga wo Tsunagu Utagoe in the Japanese original) appeared on PlayStation 3 in 2013, which continues the plot after the events of Macross Frontier in the year. 2060, just one year after the end of the conflict with the Vajra. The protagonist of the game is the pilot of S.M.S. Leon Sakaki, who is attacked in the vicinity of the planet Uroboros by a mysterious enemy who manages to shoot down his aircraft, the YF-25 Prophecy. On the planet he is rescued by Aisha Blanchette, a young woman of the Zentradi race who is part of the branch of the S.M.S. settled on the planet. Faced with the impossibility of returning immediately, due to intermittent space fold failures called Uroboros Aurora, Leon decides to help Aisha investigate the ruins of the planet, discovering in one of her forays a mysterious girl named Mina Forte.
Throughout the game there will be various missions that will include exploring ruins or shooting down targets, including bosses, in order to advance the plot, appearing in between characters from different animated series (including Macross, Macross 7, Macross Plus, Macross Zero and Macros Frontier) that will have some relevance in the plot to the point of offering interesting situations that will delve into the background of certain characters, such as Sheryl Nome's encounter with Sara Nome.
The gameplay of the game allows you to explore the entirety of each planet, three in total, fighting against different types of enemies that will provide experience (that will accumulate for both the controlled aircraft and the pilot), objects and money when defeating them, being able to enter certain locations They function as shops to buy items, blueprints to build new aircraft, carry out side missions and also carry out time trial tests. Progressing in the game will unlock the option to bring a companion between one of the different girls who act as singers in the game, being able to activate their ability, which will provide different effects depending on the chosen character, in the middle of the combat. Finally, the game includes several extra contents that include interviews with creatives of the series and voice actors (seiyuus) from each series, watch the video sequences of the game, listen to the songs and even have the possibility to change the soundtrack with custom tracks. from the console hard drive.
It should be noted that the developer of the game, Artdink, has been responsible for some of the titles in the franchise, most of them appeared for PlayStation Portable, such as Macross Ace Frontier or Macross Triangle Frontier, games that offered missions dedicated to each of the series and including their different mecha, although they have also been responsible for other games such as Sword Art Online: Lost Song.
Another striking title of this franchise is Macross: Do You Remember Love? , a title based on the movie of the same name that continued the story of the first series. Appeared in 1997 for PlayStation and Saturn, commemorating in turn the 15th anniversary of the series, it offered shoot'em-up gameplay through various phases in which the Valkyrie ship of Hikaru was controlled, being able to alternate between its different modes, throughout different phases that followed the narrative of the film, at certain points including animated sequences of the same, although with certain changes exclusive to the game, which offered additional objectives to complete. This title would receive a remake on PlayStation 3 years later, included within the movie's Blu-Ray hybrid pack, offering a playable section that would follow a line similar to the franchise's PlayStation Portable titles, following the focused mission scheme in the movie but with animated scenes in the interface for certain moments of the game and the character portraits at the same time as being able to choose the pilot and the aircraft to pilot when playing, having to fulfill a series of various objectives in order to complete the missions successfully.
EVANGELION
Without a doubt this series is one of the most outstanding works of Estudio Gainax, which contributed a turning point in the genre of mecha by dismantling the myths created around it and offering an argument that has been praised as well as criticized, especially by the way of counting the last two episodes of the series, and which has given hundreds of interpretations of each of its episodes and the meaning of some of the important moments of it. Without a doubt a series that did not leave anyone indifferent and that today is still relevant due to the reinterpretation offered by the new films of the already known plot.
The history of the series was set in 2015, with a planet Earth devastated after suffering, fifteen years before, a cataclysm known as the Second Impact that affected the axis of the planet and raised the sea level several meters burying several important cities. Shinji Ikari, protagonist of the story, answers the call of his father, Gendou, who asks him to come to Nerv's headquarters in the city of Tokyo-3. Upon arrival, the city is attacked by an angel, creatures unexpectedly appeared and whose motivations are unknown, putting in check the land defense forces that try by all means to stop him without success. Saved in extremis by the appearance of Misato Katsuragi, Shinji arrives at Nerv headquarters where his father asks him to pilot EVA-01, the humanoid combat robot that is the last hope to defeat the angels. From this point on, Shinji's life will change radically through the different battles and his daily life with Misato, who welcomes him as a roommate, while interacting with his classmates and the two EVA pilots. Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley.
The video game adaptations that the series has had have been varied, including striking titles such as the visual novel Girlfriend of Steel, which offered an alternative story including a new character, Mana Kirishima, who will make a significant impact on Shinji as well as on his relationship with other characters, or the games in the Rising Project series that gave him the opportunity to interact with Rei or Shinji, and even Asuka in the PlayStation 2 version of the first, in order to help them improve in their day-to-day, achieving, for example, that Rei went from being a quiet and lonely girl to being able to befriend her classmates.
One of the striking titles in this series is Neon Genesis Evangelion for Nintendo 64, commonly called Evangelion 64 for short, a title that only appeared in Japanese territory in 1999 and that covered a large part of the series' combats, with some exceptions, starting from the Showdown between EVA-01 and Sachiel until the match against the produced EVA units seen in the movie The End of Evangelion. Most of the confrontations are carried out as if it were a fighting game, with skills that allow attacks and even deploy the AT field as a defense, in any case having to measure the movements in order to activate action sequences that will make progress the confrontation in the same way that occurred in the series. In other confrontations the thing will be simplified, as in the case of the encounter against Ramiel (the Third Angel), in which the objective is reduced to keeping the reticle in the center of the screen until the shooting position is aligned to finish it, or perform QTE-type actions, as in the mission to stop the Jet Alone or the synchronization mission between Shinji and Asuka, which has a small command-entry minigame in a very tight time.
Technically it is a very limited game in almost all aspects, although it is normal considering on the one hand the era in which it was developed since in many points of the game animated series sequences are used, some still as well as close-ups of the characters for the fighting. Other game modes include a kind of simulation mode with several levels in which to shoot down figures of each of the angels using the basic ammunition rifle, having to get the highest number of targets to achieve a good score, in addition to a sound test mode and also the possibility to see the actions executed in the game.
Another interesting title based on this series is Evangelion: Jo, released in 2009 for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, which follows the plot of the first two Rebuild of Evangelion movies and the animated series, offering 3D sequences with the game engine for translate the relevant moments argumentatively. The style of the combat is action in which each of the angels of the series will have to be faced directly using both firearms and the special knife of the EVA-01, having in certain cases to perform QTE actions to hit with attacks that damage or destroy the enemy. On the other hand, it will be possible to buy equipment and weapons to use and equip before each combat, while it will also be relevant to take care of Shinji's personal life and his relationship with other characters, something that will affect, along with the procedure in combat, in the end that will be obtained at the end of the game.
