Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space

[Vostok 7]

EGM gave it a horrible review, too, (or was it OPM? I know it was one of the ones I subscribe to...) I think it got a 2, and that was only because the guy was a gundam freak. I'll still get it, though, because of the favorable info I've heard from you guys and other boards and online sources.

Honestly... rent it first. Hardly any review source can be considered good now a days.

This is exactly why I don't listen to movie reviewers anymore either... hyper-violent or sex filled R rated movies always get super hyped while actually GOOD movies get ragged on like there's no tomorrow.

It's the same with games... GTA and FFX-2 get super good reviews while everything else is "marginal."

I rarely listen to any reviews anymore.

Vostok 7

[Ali Sama]

you know what is funny. I had a talk with the bandai guy a year or os o ago about how most gundam gaem ssuck and that they need to go outside and ge tthe games doen. and I brought up zoe and said if they had konomi do a gudnam game like zoe it owudl rock. lol

[Commander McBride]

EGM gave it a horrible review, too, (or was it OPM? I know it was one of the ones I subscribe to...) I think it got a 2, and that was only because the guy was a gundam freak. I'll still get it, though, because of the favorable info I've heard from you guys and other boards and online sources.

Honestly... rent it first. Hardly any review source can be considered good now a days.

My major problem is that there's nowhere around to rent games. I know, I live right in the middle of LA, but, for some reason, the local rental places only get the crap games.

[Isamu Atreides 86]

so i guess the Ez-8 didn't make this game? oh well....what MS's did??

[Jolly Rogers]

Dude, this game is strictly space combat only, don't expect to see any ground pounders or amphibious mecha in this one.

Ez8 already appeared in Lost War Chronicles. Blame Bandai America for not bringing this great game over.

[Duymon]

Yeah I was wondering why they never brought lost war chronicles over. When I arrived here in August I was trying to figure out what the hell it was until I ended up buying it

Lost war Chronicles is like 10x better than that JtJ crap they brought out in AMerica

[Jolly Rogers]

A member here who knows someone at Bandai America says he was told that it was Sony that blocked Bandai America from bringing over Lost War Chronicles because it "wasn't significantly better" than existing Gundam games.

Which we all know is complete BS. Just take a look at all the lousy sequels and spinoffs of other games put out for the PS2 that was nowhere close to being "significantly better" than their predecessors...

[Abombz!!]

The excuse I heard is that Bandai was too busy in trying to get EiS fast over here that they had to skip LWC. And if Sony was so worried about significant better Gundam games... how the heck did they allow Gundam Battle Master to be butchered into Gundam battle Assault? And why didn't they tell Bandain to bring Gihrens Greed and SD Gundam to the US instead? <_

[McKlown]

so i guess the Ez-8 didn't make this game? oh well....what MS's did??

As far as I know this is a complete list of what all is in the game.

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/eis/index.htm

[Isamu Atreides 86]

so do you only pilot the feddie MS's? or can you do Zeon's??

[Jolly Rogers]

The excuse I heard is that Bandai was too busy in trying to get EiS fast over here that they had to skip LWC. And if Sony was so worried about significant better Gundam games... how the heck did they allow Gundam Battle Master to be butchered into Gundam battle Assault? And why didn't they tell Bandain to bring Gihrens Greed and SD Gundam to the US instead?

LWC has been out for about a year, it's been available long before Encounter in Space was even in development. Bandai America just doesn't want to admit that they failed to deliver on their promise of bringing over all Gundam games on the PS2.

Like I said, import all the way if that's how Bandai America wants to treat paying customers...

[Jolly Rogers]

so do you only pilot the feddie MS's? or can you do Zeon's??

You can be a Zeon ace such as Shin Matsunaga, Char, Gato, etc. They all have their own mission tracks.

[Abombz!!]

The excuse I heard is that Bandai was too busy in trying to get EiS fast over here that they had to skip LWC. And if Sony was so worried about significant better Gundam games... how the heck did they allow Gundam Battle Master to be butchered into Gundam battle Assault? And why didn't they tell Bandain to bring Gihrens Greed and SD Gundam to the US instead?

LWC has been out for about a year, it's been available long before Encounter in Space was even in development. Bandai America just doesn't want to admit that they failed to deliver on their promise of bringing over all Gundam games on the PS2.

Like I said, import all the way if that's how Bandai America wants to treat paying customers...

I'm aware of that. But that seems to be the excuse Bandai is giving for not bringing LWC. <_<

[ogami]

Do you guys think UC Gundam series isn't popular enough in North America?

I doubt regular North American Gundam fans know what is MSV or even the names of Zeon Ace pilots, such as Johnny Ridden.

EiS is an action game so it has a chance to sell but LWC is a war strategy game that totally based on MSV which it is not attactive to regular people.

(also regular North America players like action game more than strategy game or RPG game)

Just think you are the US Bandai video game department manager, are you going to bring LWC to here when the 90% of the fans have no idea what is MSV?

LWC sold more than 250K copies in Japan because the fans know Gundam very well and they like to play a Gundam game that has MSV (or playing as Zeon).

[Abombz!!]

Do you guys think UC Gundam series isn't popular enough in North America?

I doubt regular North American Gundam fans know what is MSV or even the names of Zeon Ace pilots, such as Johnny Ridden.

EiS is an action game so it has a chance to sell but LWC is a war strategy game that totally based on MSV which it is not attactive to regular people.

(also regular North America players like action game more than strategy game or RPG game)

Just think you are the US Bandai video game department manager, are you going to bring LWC to here when the 90% of the fans have no idea what is MSV?

LWC sold more than 250K copies in Japan because the fans know Gundam very well and they like to play a Gundam game that has MSV (or playing as Zeon).

Based on MSV? If I remember well... it was based on all series from MSG to 0083.

As for UC Gundam not being popular in North America.... you are right. I can bet you anything that most ppl who buy EiS is simply to play with the Wing Zero, God Gundam and Master Gundam. <_<

[ChrisG]

so i guess the Ez-8 didn't make this game? oh well....what MS's did??

No, there's no Ez8, and there can't be. The game takes place entirely in space, and since the Ez8 is a Gundam Ground Type, it would obviously be useless.

[Jolly Rogers]

Do you guys think UC Gundam series isn't popular enough in North America?

I doubt regular North American Gundam fans know what is MSV or even the names of Zeon Ace pilots, such as Johnny Ridden.

EiS is an action game so it has a chance to sell but LWC is a war strategy game that totally based on MSV which it is not attactive to regular people.

(also regular North America players like action game more than strategy game or RPG game)

Just think you are the US Bandai video game department manager, are you going to bring LWC to here when the 90% of the fans have no idea what is MSV?

LWC sold more than 250K copies in Japan because the fans know Gundam very well and they like to play a Gundam game that has MSV (or playing as Zeon).

What are you talking about?! Lost War Chronicles is an action shooter just like Journey in Jaburo. In fact the gameplay and engine are the same except they improved the engine for LWC so much that the gameplay is actually fun instead of tedious like in Journey in Jaburo. A Zaku II in LWC performs nearly as well as a Gundam in JtJ. That's how much better the game engine has been tweaked. The difference is like between Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken 4.

Lost War Chronicles

You are probably thinking of Giren's Greed for PS2. Big difference.

Giren's Greed for PS2

As for MSV and ace pilots, regardless of their relative obscurity in America, it hasn't exactly stopped Bandai America from releasing toys based on them such as Gato's Gelgoog, Real Type colored figures, and even wacky designs from MSX. Many of these aren't even availble to retail stores in Japan.

[motley]

i think the problem is that bandai america is using tv ratings to decide what products to bring over as opposed to sales, and granted the AU shows get much higher ratings than the UC shows. but, toywise the UC figures sell better than the AU figures hands down. UC gundam also has an older audience that's not able to watch the broadcast shows as easily as the 12-year olds, but guess who has more money to spend?

[Hikuro]

Well one way to prove that is when 0079 came out, though completely remastered in every way possible, it was canceled a few times on Cartoon Network. People just could not connect with animation, story, designs, and the dubbing was horrible. Alot of people who watched Cartoon Network are sorta spoiled getting new hip anime with up to date cel shade graphics, stories, hip techno music and all...you can tell diffenetly that 0079 came from the late 70's....atleast I could.

Anyways, another problem was introducing Gundam Wing first...everytime I talk about Gundam to a friend he keeps going "Dude, Heero Yuy rules! He could whoop what's his name, the whimp!" "You mean Amuro?" "yeah! And Zechs could kick that Zechs clone's butt anytime!" "....Dude....Zechs is like a mask Gundam bad guy of Char Aznable...you dumbass..." "WHA EVER!"

[Vostok 7]

Well one way to prove that is when 0079 came out, though completely remastered in every way possible, it was canceled a few times on Cartoon Network. People just could not connect with animation, story, designs, and the dubbing was horrible. Alot of people who watched Cartoon Network are sorta spoiled getting new hip anime with up to date cel shade graphics, stories, hip techno music and all...you can tell diffenetly that 0079 came from the late 70's....atleast I could.

Anyways, another problem was introducing Gundam Wing first...everytime I talk about Gundam to a friend he keeps going "Dude, Heero Yuy rules! He could whoop what's his name, the whimp!" "You mean Amuro?" "yeah! And Zechs could kick that Zechs clone's butt anytime!" "....Dude....Zechs is like a mask Gundam bad guy of Char Aznable...you dumbass..." "WHA EVER!"

d00d, there's like this Gundam that transforms into a bird. They should put that into Robotech.

That'd own.

Vostok 7

[mikeszekely]

Okay, I got tired of waiting for it to show up at my local rental store, so I went out on a limb and bought EiS and Fatal Frame II. And I must say that I'm pleasantly suprised. I mean, I hated Journey to Jaburo and Zeonic Front. And although I liked Federation Vs. Zeon a lot, I figured that Capcom gets credit for that one. So I expected EiS to be, at best, mediocre.

Now, I'd say that EiS is not for everyone. But for Gundam fans, EiS is a bargain at $39.99 (less my employee discount ). There's a ton of mobile suits to unlock and use in the versus mode, and as you unlock them you have a nice viewer in the "Gallery" mode. And the gameplay is very fast-paced arcade shooting. Yes, it's true that some of the game is on rails, but I'd say that's maybe 10%.

The game seems to be divided into several modes. "White Base" allows you to play through the space battles from the original series, through the eyes of Amuro. "Thoroughbred" is an original story, complete with new animation. "Ace Pilot" follows the stories of several aces from both sides during the years of 0079-0083. At first, you can only play as Kou Uraki, but you can unlock more pilots (so far, I've unlocked Char and Gato). What's cool about those is that you get to play the battles that made them aces and see how they got nicknames like "Red Comet" and "Nightmare of Solomon." Finally, there's "Mission" mode, where you create your own pilot and get points that you can use to upgrade their abilities as you play through eight missions you pick from a variety of different missions. In Mission mode, you can either play as Federation or Zeon. Mission mode is the best for playing different mobile suits, since in the other modes you play as existing characters and their pre-determined mobile suits.

In addition to unlocking new mobile suits, mobile armors, and fighters, you can unlock different movies. Some of them seem to be animation from 0083 and the Gundam movie trilogy, but a lot of it looks like original animation.

On the whole, I think Federation Vs. Zeon is probably longer and more fun (and definatly more thoughtful, as EiS is mostly a shooter), EiS is definatly bigger on fan service.

Okay, not that I got that out of my system, I have to ask... anyone know where to find FAQs for this game? Gamefaqs doesn't have anything up yet, but I have no idea what's required to get A or S ranks on the missions, and what I have to do to unlock what mobile suits/pilots/movies. Also, I'm actually having trouble finishing a few levels. SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THE GAME/SEEN STARDUST MEMORY. For example, in Gato's missions in "Ace Pilot" mode, I'm on the mission where you have to take out the control ships for the Solar System II. Problem is, I have trouble finding them. The auto targeting seems to go for the Musais and the enemy mobile suits first. Most of the time I try that mission, I find and destroy maybe one control ship before I'm either shot down, or run out of time.

[mikeszekely]

Well one way to prove that is when 0079 came out, though completely remastered in every way possible, it was canceled a few times on Cartoon Network.  People just could not connect with animation, story, designs, and the dubbing was horrible.  Alot of people who watched Cartoon Network are sorta spoiled getting new hip anime with up to date cel shade graphics, stories, hip techno music and all...you can tell diffenetly that 0079 came from the late 70's....atleast I could.

Anyways, another problem was introducing Gundam Wing first...everytime I talk about Gundam to a friend he keeps going "Dude, Heero Yuy rules! He could whoop what's his name, the whimp!"  "You mean Amuro?"  "yeah! And Zechs could kick that Zechs clone's butt anytime!"  "....Dude....Zechs is like a mask Gundam bad guy of Char Aznable...you dumbass..."  "WHA EVER!"

d00d, there's like this Gundam that transforms into a bird. They should put that into Robotech.

That'd own.

Vostok 7

In a way, Gundam Wing is kinda like Robotech. I'm not overly fond of Robotech now, but if I hadn't seen it before, I might not have known about Macross. Likewise, if I hadn't taken an interest in Gundam Wing when it first aired, I might not have bothered with any Gundam series. Admitedly, I like Gundam Wing a fair bit better than I like Robotech now... but it's definately become one of my least favorite Gundam series (didn't care much for The 08th MS Team, and I've having a hard time getting into Victory Gundam). And Gundam Wing is definately a poor substitute for such excellent series as the original Gundam or, my personal favorite, Zeta Gundam.

[VF19]

even though i have not gotten this yet (damn mom saying put it on you christmas list) I think this would appeal to anyone who wants to be the DENDROBIUM ORCHIS! i saw that, Neue Ziel and the Zero custom and i was instantly wanting to get this. i dont know why. i guess its because of what the orchis did to the zeon fleet in the end of 0083, and probably the wing zeros enormous buster rifle. well, i know ill like this game now.

[Skippy438]

Sigh ... it really bothers me that AU suits were included. Alot. For no good reason. Anyone remember the ads for Gundam Battle Assault a few years back? They made Heero Yuy out to be the main character of the damn game, yet all the suits were UC, and wasn't that a fighting game? Was there a story mode? I was too disgusted by the ad to consider buying it.

[mikeszekely]

Sigh ... it really bothers me that AU suits were included. Alot. For no good reason. Anyone remember the ads for Gundam Battle Assault a few years back? They made Heero Yuy out to be the main character of the damn game, yet all the suits were UC, and wasn't that a fighting game? Was there a story mode? I was too disgusted by the ad to consider buying it.

Did you know that in the original Japanese version of Battle Assault (Gundam the Battle Master), there was no Wing suit? They carbon-copied Zeta's moves, whipped up a sprite, and gave it the spot that should have been Hamma Hamma. Hero's role was originally some unnamed girl, as I recall...

Were the AU suits in the original Japanese version of EiS?

Anyway, it's not that I have anything against AU Gundam. (I'm actually pretty fond of Gundam X). They just don't belong in a UC Gundam game. If they try to cram Wing Zero or Aile Strike into AEUG vs. Titans, I'll crap a brick and toss it through Bandai's office window.

[VF19]

LMAO yah, i just thought that the AU suits added "flavor" as hidden MS's

[Abombz!!]

At least they didn't go out of their way to add specific missions to the AU units. <_

[Jolly Rogers]

What, Bandai America improving on a product they brought over from Japan? Try waiting until Hell freezes over.

[Abombz!!]

One thing I still don't get.... how are you supposed to fight with the Master and God Gundam? Neither of them have long range weapons, and just punching eachother is silly. I doubt Bandai implemented some sort of special fighting engine just for 2 units.

[renegadeleader1]

One thing I still don't get.... how are you supposed to fight with the Master and God Gundam? Neither of them have long range weapons, and just punching eachother is silly. I doubt Bandai implemented some sort of special fighting engine just for 2 units.

basically its just press the triangle button for melee attacks and hold R1 and R2 and press square to do the god/shining gundams finger attack.

Edited December 15, 2003 by renegadeleader1

[Abombz!!]

One thing I still don't get.... how are you supposed to fight with the Master and God Gundam? Neither of them have long range weapons, and just punching eachother is silly. I doubt Bandai implemented some sort of special fighting engine just for 2 units.

basically its just press the triangle button for melee attacks and hold R1 and R2 and press square to do the god/shining gundams finger attack.

So... they just finger themselves? Wait.... that sounded really bad, didn't it?

[CoryHolmes]

"Finger attack"? Do I even want to ask- oh, wait. Abombz beat me to it.