This game is the long awaited sequel to the cult N64 version. The premise of the game sees you as a young man trying to follow your dead fathers dying wish: to become a great Robo commander. "A what?" I hear you all ask. Well, far from it being someone in charge of a huge Mech fleet, it is actually someone who battles 30cm high robots in computer generated arenas, or Holosseums. Not quite as exciting, but I can assure it can be just as fun. The Robo's you fight are, as the name suggests, highly customisable, with over 195 different weapons, bodies and legs that can be changed to your liking. Obviously, these weapons aren't all available from the start, and you have to earn them by winning battles.

Graphics:

The Graphics in this game vary immensely, from merely functional, to far better than average. They hold true to the Anime style the whole game is trying to use. Nice touches along these lines are the Anime faces next to the speech boxes of the character speaking showing their emotion. In actual battles they are detailed and bright, really enhancing the idea that you are in a heated fight. However in the rest of the game, and in particular moving between locations on the map screen, they are very substandard. There are bland surfaces, boring environments and very simple character models. This is typical of the entire game, with a lot more effort being out into the battles than to the storyline.

 

Sound:

The sound also varies. During battles it is intense, and really enhances your enjoyment of the battles, very reminiscent of the Tekken sound track. During the rest of the game however it never goes beyond some 'dramatic' background music, and annoying, animal crossing style speaking. So, the message here is to play your own music during the story, then put the sound back on for the battles, as it really makes them that much more intense, with explosions and shots flying around everywhere.

Gameplay:

The game play is very varied in this game. The battles themselves are great fun, with a lot of tactics and techniques that can be employed. Customisation really is essential, and can create a huge variety of play styles. However, story mode (aside from the actual battles) is terrible. The story line is laughable. I don't want to spoil it for you, but ill just sum it up by saying the fate of the world rests on your ability to fight 30 cm robots in a virtual world. What's worse is that the already weak story line is padded out with 'humorous' conversations with the other characters, so you are forced to sit through huge amounts of cringe worthy dialogue to get to the battles.

 

The battles take place in Holosseums, basically small, virtual arenas that usually reflect the battle location or the character you are fighting, for example it's a noodle bowl when you fight in the Chinese restaurant, or a colourful toy train track when fighting a child. There is a lot of variety in the Holosseums, and each one has elements that will affect the battle, from an icy floor and lava pits, to conveyer belts and moving platforms. Often the type of arena you fight in will affect your choice of weaponry for the battle.

[pagebreak]

There are several gameplay modes. Firstly the Story, which starts with 'A New Journey' mode. This will take several hours to finish, and will provide you with everything you need to know to take on the rest of the game. And as a tutorial, it's about as linear as you can get, with no reward for exploration and you have no affect on the story – you can't even lose a match. The real conundrum however is that it actually lets you explore. Why? None of the conversations you have will change your relationship with the person, there are no random battles that crop up, and there is nothing to find. Once this section is complete then you move on to 'A Grand Battle'. Whilst this is more like a pure fighting game you still have to put up with the other characters conversation, but to a much lesser extent. This is where the game really begins. You are introduced to a variety of battle modes, such as tag, 2 on 1, and team battle. You will also win a lot more parts here. Your battles are also scored here, with trophies being awarded for certain amounts of points. The trophies then open up further tournaments in other locations, all of which are places you visited in A New Journey.

 

If you want to battle without any conversation then Arcade and Versus modes are the ones for you. Here you can set up the battles exactly as you wish, as well as play with or against friends. Arcade mode really is where the game should have been focused, solely as a beat 'em up.

The battling is done excellently. If tactical fighting is for you, then I really cannot emphasise enough how much you will enjoy this game. You have to keep the arena, battle style and opponents weaponry in mind when you are customising the Robo, and then when you actually start fighting there are all sorts of techniques that can be employed. These tactics are also delightfully easy to use, as the control system is excellent and very easy to pick up. Not only that, but with over 40 robos alone to chose from there is bound to be one whose attributes match exactly your style, whether you are an aerial fighter, strong offence fighter or just a fast, ducking and weaving fighter.

 

Playability:

Why did they bother with story mode? If this game were sold purely as a fighting game, like Smash Brothers or Soul Calibor, then it would be great. If you exclude story mode then it is one of the most enjoyable fighting games I have played in a very long time. Story mode however is an unavoidable nuisance. You HAVE to complete it before you can even play multiplayer or arcade modes, the pure fighting modes. It is also the only way you can earn parts until those modes are open.

Lifespan:

If you decide to collect absolutely everything, and beat absolutely everything then this game will keep you going for months. Similarly Arcade and Versus modes are great for the odd blast every now and then, especially if you have a couple of mates with you. This really could have the same kind of multiplayer lifespan as something like Smash Brothers has.

Final Say:

Once story mode is out of the way you will discover a gem of a fighter. You just have to persevere through the story. Don't give up!