Pix of the new Gundam arcade game

[roxman]

Check out this new Gundam arcade game by namco . It has a 180 degree panoramic screen and is controled by 2 hand levers and 2 foot pedals. There are some more reviews In english to be found on the internet, but this page had the most pictures.

[JB0]

Mmmmm... immersive hardware...

Edited September 14, 2005 by JB0

[Black Valkyrie]

Mmmmm... immersive hardware...

328272[/snapback]

Saw it before, very impressive, there should make a Macross game like that . For the mean time .......... AMURO ! GUNDAM ! EKIMASS

Edited September 14, 2005 by Black Valkyrie

[Capt Hungry]

That is very cool!!!!! Reminds of the pods for the Battletech game from the 90's. Never got to do it, but it looked like it'd be cool.

[yellowlightman]

That is very cool!!!!!  Reminds of the pods for the Battletech game from the 90's. Never got to do it, but it looked like it'd be cool.

328280[/snapback]

Thats exactly what it reminded me of! MY worry with fancy hardware like this that it'll be stupid expensive to play, but I'm guessing it won't come out in the US anyways and arcade games in Japan are already expensive as hell.

And Black Valkyrie, it's "ikimasu" not "ekimass."

[Kin]

Hmm... hope the game itself is good.

[Father Jack]

too bad we will never see it

[reddsun1]

That looks wicked cool. Although arcades seem to be going the way of the dinosaur here in the US with home consoles/PC being so popular, I've been wondering when they'd start making the transition to more "immersive" visuals in arcade gaming, i.e. 180+ deg. viewing screens, for more "3D" feel and interaction with elements from the sides as well as in front of the player.

Oh well, at least it isn't by SEGA. Then it'd suck ass, rest assured; it'd cost the equivalent of $5 for 2 1/2 minutes of gameplay, or something crappy like that "...Please insert 30 quarters to continue in 10...9...8..." I remember I HATED SEGA's arcade games for that crap when I was younger. Fu--ing money-takers was all they were...

Edited September 14, 2005 by reddsun1

[yellowlightman]

That looks wicked cool.  Although arcades seem to be going the way of the dinosaur here in the US with home consoles/PC being so popular, I've been wondering when they'd start making the transition to more "immersive" visuals in arcade gaming, i.e. 180+ deg. viewing screens, for more "3D" feel and interaction with elements from the sides as well as in front of the player.

Reminds me of the move in the early 90's towards immerisve "virtual reality" type games. There was the Battletech game mentioned earlier, as well as a score of other VR type games that pretty much all sucked.

Oh well, at least it isn't by SEGA.  Then it'd suck ass, rest assured; it'd cost the equivalent of $5 for 2 1/2 minutes of gameplay, or something crappy like that  "...Please insert 30 quarters to continue in 10...9...8..."    I remember I HATED SEGA's arcade games for that crap when I was younger.  Fu--ing money-takers was all they were...

328362[/snapback]

Just about all games nowadays are expensive as hell, with the exception of fighters it seems like everything costs a minimum of $1 or more. Still not quite as bad as Japan where EVERYTHING is 100yen, even 10 year old games like Metal Slug. Well, unless you find a 50yen arcade with a limited game selection.

[Black Valkyrie]

And Black Valkyrie, it's "ikimasu" not "ekimass."

328307[/snapback]

It`s the same, just different ways of saying it. Ekimass is more formal. Just asked one of friends whos a Japanese speaker awhile ago.

Anyway thanks for saying.

Edited September 14, 2005 by Black Valkyrie

[JB0]

Oh well, at least it isn't by SEGA.  Then it'd suck ass, rest assured; it'd cost the equivalent of $5 for 2 1/2 minutes of gameplay, or something crappy like that  "...Please insert 30 quarters to continue in 10...9...8..."    I remember I HATED SEGA's arcade games for that crap when I was younger.  Fu--ing money-takers was all they were...

328362[/snapback]

That's set at the operator level, not the developer or publisher level.

So blame your local arcade for the pricing.

[Hikuro]

That is so cool........I'd love to go against other gamers in a Red Zaku causing ph34r and torment........one day.....

[Druna Skass]

I'm suprised this didn't come out earlier.

[Beltane70]

It would have an awesome if this game came out in May when I was in Japan. With any luck, though, I may be in Japan again this coming spring. I will definitely look for this game if I do go.

[yellowlightman]

It`s the same, just different ways of saying it.  Ekimass is more formal.  Just asked one of friends whos a Japanese speaker awhile ago.   

Anyway thanks for saying.

328398[/snapback]

No.

Your romanization is wrong, it's ikimasu not ekimass. I think what you mean in terms of more "formal" is the difference between "ikimasu" （行ãã¾ã™ï¼‰and "iku" (è¡Œã). The former is the more formal version the latter is the shorter dictionary version. Ekimass is just an improper way of romanizing ã„ãã¾ã™ã€‚

Edited September 15, 2005 by yellowlightman

[grss1982]

DAMN!! looking at this photos:

makes me wanna flip the left throttle into the upright position and see if it transformns into a BATTROID!!!

Edited September 15, 2005 by grss1982

[areaseven]

Mmmmm... immersive hardware...

328272[/snapback]

Yes, indeed. The arcade game isn't too bad, either.

[JB0]

*chuckles*

[Keith]

Man, I bet it plays like Federatoin Vs Zeon too.... why do american arcades have to suck so much?

[yellowlightman]

Man, I bet it plays like Federatoin Vs Zeon too....

328561[/snapback]

Doubtful, considering it's from a cockpit perspective. My wild guess is that it's a bit slower and more sim-like, otherwise the fancy cabinet would be a waste.

[Kin]

Wouldn't it be great if we have 3D helmets with headmotion sensor?

[Keith]

Doubtful, considering it's from a cockpit perspective. My wild guess is that it's a bit slower and more sim-like, otherwise the fancy cabinet would be a waste.

How much more sim-like could it be, doesn't look like there are too many controls, and hell, are there even pedals? And while it is first person, I still wouldn't be surprised if it had an auto-targeting system. I didn't mean it was an exact FvZ replica, just that the mechanics would be the same

-Jump, Shoot, Fly, Target, Melee, etc. I would hope more localized body damage would be there, as that would be quite awesome.

[Keith]

Wouldn't it be great if we have 3D helmets with headmotion sensor?

328610[/snapback]

Helmet nothing, I the whole damn cabinet!

[roxman]

English rewiew of the game by Gamespot:

Every so often, an arcade game manufacturer makes a machine that seems extremely costly for arcade operators, yet is too fascinating for them to ignore. We found one such game at this year's Amusement Machine Show in Japan in Banpresto's new Gundam game: Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna (Gundam: The Bonds of War). Banpresto's booth had eight of the machines on display, four reserved for dealers only and the remaining four for other industry folks. While machines that are reserved for dealers are usually less crowded than those for the press and other industry visitors, both sides had lines with a wait of 70 minutes (the longest of all games at the event floor), indicating the popularity of the machine.

The difference between previous arcade Gundam games and Banpresto's new Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna is the gaming experience. Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna is played inside a unique, circular capsule called the POD (Panoramic Optical Display), which is just large enough to fit one player. You go into the capsule by opening a door on the left, and once you're seated in the cockpit, you'll get to virtually experience riding as a pilot inside a Gundam mech. The capsule's circular interior surrounds you with a 180-degree screen, which pretty much covers your full visibility range from top to bottom and left to right. Intensive as it is, Banpresto had a warning sign near the machines that cautioned visitors not to ride on them if they're prone to getting motion sickness.

In moving around you use two handles and two foot pedals. The handles are controlled similarly to most standard mech games. You hold both of them forward to advance and backward to retreat, and you can tilt both of them to the left or right to move sideways. If you want to rotate around, you tilt one handle forward and the other handle backward. Your basic attack is to shoot beams at the opponent, which is done by pulling a trigger on the right handle. There's also a button on the handle that lets you lock on to your target, which makes shooting easier. When you're face-to-face with your opponent up close, you use your left handle's trigger, which lets you attack with a light saber. The two foot pedals are used to give extra mobility to moving around in the battlefield. The left pedal is used for jumping, while the right pedal is used for dashing.

While Banpresto only had eight capsule cabinets at its booth, Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna actually allows for up to 16 players to play simultaneously, with eight people playing as the Federation side and eight people playing as the Zeon side. The game is network-enabled and lets gamers from different arcades play with one another, which seems extremely important in the case of Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna, considering no arcade is likely to have 16 cabinets. Teamwork is an essential part of Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna, and Banpresto calls it a "tactical team fighting game." Users will need to take advantage of the field's terrain to strategically ambush enemies for a victory. There are buttons on the right side of the cockpit that let you send signals to your teammates to communicate with them in real time.

While the demo at Banpresto didn't let users take advantage of the game's IC card system, you'll be able buy cards and record your game data on them when Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna is officially released. You'll use two cards in playing the game: one that contains your pilot data and one that contains your mobile suit (mech) data. You can purchase new mechs and weapons via a touch-screen-controlled terminal unit, which will be available in arcades when the game comes out. Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna will be distributed by Namco, which will be merging with Banpresto's parent company, Bandai, on September 29.

Gundam has always been a popular franchise in Japan, but its game sales have been dwindling after getting milked down too much, as most recently indicated by the devastating price shock on Bandai and Namco's collaborative PS2 project, Kidou Senshi Gundam: Ichinen Sensou. The game had dropped to less than half the manufacturer's suggested price in just 10 days after its release, causing alarm among retailers and wholesale dealers in Japan that the series was no longer a stable moneymaker. With Banpresto's new Gundam arcade game being unveiled less than half a year after the price-shock incident, it would have been expected that arcade operators would be less inclined to be interested. But the AM Show proved that the Gundam franchise still has its strength left and that new machines promise to attract attention.

[chrono]

That is VERY VERY cool! I'd like to see a Apache style weapons system in addition to that large assed screen.

*...wonders how hard it would be for a Gunbuster config to be built...*

[JB0]

Wouldn't it be great if we have 3D helmets with headmotion sensor?

328610[/snapback]

We do. Just not (usually) in arcades.

But yah... head-mounted display + motion cab = best idea ever.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Sounds interesting. The reviewer reffered to it as a light saber.

I hope they DO (preferably sega) make a macross arcade game.(not a shoot em up)

Preferably macross plus which would allow a pinpoint barrier punch to the set of moves you could do in the game. I was a fan of games like Virtual On and mecha games with "fighter style"-controls and special moves. (using various weapons like bombs, missiles, beams and swords) I liked that there was damage scaling in games like that which forced you to fight up close as your attacks got weaker and less effective depending on the range you attacked from and the enemies armor, which makes the game exciting. This forced you not to "turtle" so much and made fights interesting because you had to constantly watch your range and take risks.

The thing about sega is their games have a steep learning curve to them (which when you get really good is very self rewarding as you learn new skills and gradually get deeper and deeper into the game) but they are short. (compare the deep strategy and level of skill required to master a character in virtua fighter vs namco's button-mashing tekken series)

I guess it is because they wish to make as much money as possible which is understandable. But there are games like daytona which even after all this time people still play and the price has gone down. Not uncommon to see a row of linked daytona machine together in a single arcade these days..

Edited September 15, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[grss1982]

thanks for the review roxman. :-)

Just wondering though, does the arcade only let players use mobile suits? or could some of the players use mobile armors?

I would really love to use one, especially with the funel/dragoon type waepon system.

Edited September 16, 2005 by grss1982

[Effect]

Very impressive. The only games I've seen that come near this would be some of the arcade Star Wars games. Though not networked but seem to be similar in setup and view with the large screens and more controls at times. I'd love to play this new Gundam game though to bad I'll never get the chance.

[treatment]

Check out this new Gundam arcade game by namco . It has a 180 degree panoramic screen and is controled by 2 hand levers and 2 foot pedals. There are some more reviews In english to be found on the internet, but this page had the most pictures.

328253[/snapback]

Judiciously AWESOME!!!

These Gundam-PODs reminds me alot of the old BattleTech-pods at the old Virtual World Centers, except completely updated with full 180-degrees view.

[Keith]

Only downside is, the cabinet is too high tech for a OYW game, should be set in the Zeta era.