Another Century's Episode 2

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Another Century's Episode 2
Another Century's Episode 2
Developer(s) From Software
Publisher(s) Banpresto
Release date(s) Japan March 30, 2006
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s) CERO : All Ages
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Input Standard PlayStation 2 controller

Another Century's Episode 2, abbreviated as A.C.E.2, is a mecha action video game produced by Banpresto and developed by From Software. It is the sequel to the popular 2005 game Another Century's Episode. It was released for the Sony Playstation 2 on March 30, 2006.

Contents

[edit] System Changes

According to the official website, A.C.E.2 promises to have many changes and improvements when compared to its predecessor.

  • Faster Combat: A.C.E.2 promises to portray high-speed mecha combat better than its predecessor.
  • Pilot Cut-Ins: The game will feature the pilots in both 2D and cel-shaded 3D forms, while in A.C.E. their only presence was in sound bites played while launching and during certain battles.
  • More Weapons: Each unit can also have up to seven weapons, which can be set by the player; this allows the player to separate the unit's primary ranged weapon and melee weapon, unlike the previous game.
  • Improved Support: While A.C.E. allowed the player to have other units support him/her during a stage, their presence was limited to occasional voice clips. A.C.E.2 will have the other units actually appear during the stage as computer-controlled allies.
  • Combination Attacks: The player will be able to perform special combination attacks where their team members combine their skills with incredibly devastating (and cinematic) results. Certain combinations of characters will result in team-ups from the anime involved, such as Brain Powered's Chakra Extension and Nadesico's Double Gekigan Flare. Some combinations of characters (such as the major characters from Macross and Endless Waltz) get new combinations. If the player uses three unrelated characters for a combination attack, they simply perform a generic all-out attack.
  • Favorites System: Much like recent entries into the Super Robot Wars series (specifically MX and J), A.C.E.2 features a system by which the player can designate one of the featured series as their favorite. The units from the favored series may be upgraded more than they would normally, potentially making them the strongest units in that player's game.

[edit] Control Types

Like the previous game in the series, A.C.E.2 will feature two different set-ups for the controller. However, unlike A.C.E., neither of these set-ups will be a "Simple Mode" for first-time players. Instead, the two different set-ups will simply represent different ways of using the many weapons available to the player.

[edit] Shift Type

The Shift Type of control system will function in a similar fashion to the Char's Counterattack game for the PlayStation. To use the mecha's sub-weapons, the player simply holds the L1 button and presses Square, Circle, X, Triangle, R1 or R2.

Left Analogue Stick: Movement
Right Analogue Stick: Camera Control
Square: Main Weapon
Triangle: Target Lock
Circle: Melee Weapon
X: Dash On/Off
L1: Shift Menu (hold and press another button for Sub-Weapons)
L2: Combination Attack
R1: Ascend
R2: Descend

[edit] Select Type

The Select Type of control system will function in a similar fashion to the popular Zone of the Enders series of video games. Pressing L1 will bring up a menu of the mecha's ranged weapons; the player chooses one, and it is assigned to the Square button.

Left Analogue Stick: Movement
Right Analogue Stick: Camera Control
Square: Attack
Triangle: Target Lock
Circle: Melee Weapon
X: Dash On/Off
L1: Select Menu (use to select the unit's main weapon)
L2: Combination Attack
R1: Ascend
R2: Descend

[edit] Flight Controls

The player can also choose to modify the controls for plane-type units, such as the Re-GZ, the Valkyries' Fighter Mode and the transformations of machines like Layzner Mk-II and L-Gaim Mk-II. Flight Mode is the standard control system, where the player controls roll and pitch with the Left Analogue Stick, and can bank with the L1 and R1 buttons. Easy Mode has the Analogue stick control both roll and pitch. Flight Reverse Mode reverses the natural set-up for altitude, so that tilting the Analogue Stick down causes the machine to dive, while holding it up makes the machine climb.

[edit] Options/Menu/Statistics Translations

  • Main Menu
    • Campaign
    • Continue
    • Free Mission
    • VS Battle
    • Load
  • Continue/Intermission Menu
    • Launch
    • Mech Preview
    • Glossary
    • Mail
    • Report of Game Events
    • Practice
    • Save
    • Option
    • Return to Main Menu
  • Option Menu
    • Game
    • Control
    • Sound
    • Screen
  • Game Menu
    • Difficulty
    • Lock Info
    • Targeting System
    • Combination Demo
    • In game dialogue text
    • Return to Default
  • Control Menu
    • Control Type
    • Flight Type
    • Camera Control
    • Controller Vibration
    • Quick Turn
    • Automatic Height Adjustment
    • Button Assignment
    • Return to Default
  • Sound Menu
    • Sound
    • Background Volume
    • Special Effects Volume
    • Voice Effects Volume
    • Attack Voices
    • Return to Default
  • Screen Menu
    • Brightness
    • Contrast
    • Return to Default
  • Launch Menu
    • Launch
    • Player Unit
    • Assisting Unit 1
    • Assisting Unit 2
    • Unit Upgrade
    • Module
    • Purchase Unit (Free Mission Only)
  • Unit Upgrade Menu
    • Defence
    • Dash
    • Evasion
    • Boost
    • Turning
    • Attack
    • New Combos/Upgrade Unit
  • Unit Stats (Hexagon)
  • Left side from Top to Bottom
    • Defence
    • Evasion
    • Dash
  • Right side from Top to Bottom
    • Turning
    • Attack
    • Boost
  • Unit Stats (list at the far right)
    • General Defence
    • Reaction Defence (getting knocked down/recovery time)
    • Beam Defence
    • Ballistic Defence
    • Horizontal Movement Speed
    • Vertical Movement Speed
    • Underwater Movement
    • Boost Power
    • Dash Power
    • Evasion Efficiency (how much of the boost meter each dash uses)
    • Evasion Speed
    • Evasion Distance

[edit] Featured Series/Units

Six of the series from A.C.E. return in A.C.E.2, joined by five new ones (though it should be noted that one of the new series, Endless Waltz, is the sequel to one of the series that did not return from A.C.E., Gundam Wing). Additionally, three EX Series have been announced. Banpresto promises a grand total of 90 playable mecha from the fourteen anime represented as well as the originals.

In addition to the famous anime series, A.C.E.2 includes new original characters and mecha, designed by Takuya Saito and Junya Ishigaki respectively. The heroes of the game are Tak Kepford (seiyū: Daisuke Kishio)and Marina Carson (seiyū: Naomi Shindou), and they pilot transforming mecha called Gunarks; Tak pilots a blue Gunark and Marina a red one.

[edit] Playable Units

  • A.C.E.2 Originals
    • Gunark (Pilots: Tak Kepford, Marina Carson)
    • Buster Ark (Pilot: Marina Carson)
    • Feather Ark (Pilot: Marina Carson)
  • Aura Battler Dunbine
    • Dunbine (Pilots: Shou Zama, Marvel Frozen (in-game pilot))
    • Bilbine (Pilot: Shou Zama)
    • Bilbine Forest Camoflage (Pilot: Shou Zama)
    • Zwarth (Pilot: Black Knight/Bern Bunnings)
    • Lepruchan (Pilot: Jerryl Coochibi)
  • Blue Comet SPT Layzner
    • SPT-LZ-00X Layzner (Pilot: Albatro Null Eiji Asuka)
    • E-SPT-LZ-00X-B New Layzner (Pilot: Albatro Null Eiji Asuka)
    • E-MF-LZ-00X-2 Layzner Mark II (Pilot: Albatro Null Eiji Asuka)
    • E-MF-LZ-00X-2 Layzner Mark II -Concept version-(Pilot: Albatro Null Eiji Asuka)
    • MF-DJ-91U Daljan (Pilot: Gosterro)
    • SPT-BG-91U Bullgrenn (Pilot: Gosterro)
    • SPT-ZK-53U Zakarl (Pilot: Ru Kain)
  • Brain Powered
    • Yuu Brain (Pilot: Yuu Isami)
    • Nelly Brain (Pilot: Yuu Isami)
    • Hime Brain (Pilot: Hime Utsumiya)
    • Johnathan Baronz (Pilot: Johnathan Glenn)
    • Quincy Baronz (Pilot: Quincy Issa/Iiko Isami)
  • Metal Armor Dragonar
    • XD-01 Dragonar-1/XC-00 Cavalier-0 (Pilot: Ken Wakaba)
    • XDFU-01 Dragonar-1 Lifter (Pilot: Ken Wakaba)
    • XD-01SR Dragonar-1 Custom (Pilot: Ken Wakaba)
    • XD-02 Dragonar-2 (Pilot: Tapp Oceano)
    • XDFU-02 Dragonar-2 Lifter (Pilot: Tapp Oceano)
    • XD-02SR Dragonar-2 Custom (Pilot: Tapp Oceano)
    • XD-03 Dragonar-3 (Pilot: Light Newman)
    • XDFU-03 Dragonar-3 Lifter (Pilot: Light Newman)
    • XDFU-03 Enhanced Dragonar-3 Lifter (Pilot: Light Newman)
    • MAFFU-09 Falguen MAFFU (Pilot: Meio Plato)
    • FMA-04G Stark Dyne (Pilot: Lee Su Min)
    • YGMA-14 Gilgazamune (Pilot: Gun Jym)
  • Heavy Metal L-Gaim
    • L-Gaim (Pilot: Daba Myroad)
    • L-Gaim Mk-II (Pilot: Daba Myroad)
    • Novel D.Sserd (Pilot: Gaw Ha Leccee)
    • A-Taul (Pilot: Gavlet Gablae)
    • Bat-Shuu (Pilot: Gavlet Gablae)
    • Ashura Temple (Pilot: Gavlet Gablae)
    • Amon Duule "Stack" (Pilot: Gavlet Gablae (piloted by Daba Myroad in-game))
    • Original Auge (Pilot: Oldna Poseidal)
  • Wings of Rean
    • Nanajin (Pilot: Asap Suzuki)
    • Oukao (Pilot: Sakomizu Shinjiou)

[edit] Enemy Units

  • Aura Battler Dunbine
    • Virunvee
    • Will Wipps
    • Bastole (Pilot: Garalia Nyamhee)
    • Garaba (Pilot: Black Knight/Bern Bunnings)
  • Brain Powered
    • Grancher
    • Quincy Grandcher (Pilot: Quincy Issa/Iiko Isami)
    • Hyper Baronz (Pilot: Baron Maximillian)
    • Johnathan Grandcher(Pilot: Johnathan Glenn)
  • Metal Armor Dragonar
    • AMA-03B Gebaye
    • MAFFU-08 Gelf MAFFU (Pilot: Dan Kreuger)
    • MAFFU-08 Jagd Gelf MAFFU (Pilot: Werner Fritz)
    • MAFFU-08C Reb Gelf MAFFU (Pilot: Karl Geiner)
    • YAMA-13 Geyzam (Pilot: Gun Jym)

*Note: For a time, the official website listed Domon as the Devil Gundam's pilot; this was later corrected, and the pilot was simply listed as "?". The game makes reference Domon's brother Kyoji, who piloted the Devil Gundam in the G Gundam anime, but in battle the machine seems to be unpiloted, operating on its own.

[edit] Combination Attacks

  • Guardian Combination
    • Participants: Gunark and Buster Ark
  • Twin Aura Attack
    • Participants: Dunbine and Bilbine
  • Twin Cannon
    • Participants: Bilbine and Zwarth
  • V-Max Combination
    • Participants: Layzner and Zakarl OR New Layzner and Zakarl OR Layzner Mk-II and Zakarl
  • Chakra Extension
    • Participants: Yuu Brain and Hime Brain OR Nelly Brain and Hime Brain
  • Chakra Combination
    • Participants: Yuu Brain and Quinzy Baronz OR Nelly Brain and Quinzy Baronz
  • Twin Fin
    • Participants: Quinzy Baronz and Johnathan Baronz
  • D-Formation Attack
    • Participants: Dragonar-1, Dragonar-2, Dragonar-3
  • Triple Photon Bazooka
    • Participants: Dragonar-1 Custom, Dragonar-2 Custom, Dragonar-3 Custom
  • Twin Laser Sword
    • Participants: Dragonar-1 Custom and Falguen MAFFU
  • Launcher Combination
    • Participants: L-Gaim and Novel D.sserd
  • Launcher Combination II
    • Participants: L-Gaim and Ashura Temple
  • Buster Launcher (Full Power)
    • Participants: L-Gaim Mk-II and Novel D.sserd
  • Twin Buster Launcher
    • Participants: L-Gaim Mk-II and Bat-Shuu
  • Custom Formation Attack
    • Participants: Aestivalis Custom Ryoko, Aestivalis Custom Hikaru, and Aestivalis Custom Izumi

*Macross characters' Combination Attacks can be performed with any Valkyrie they pilot, with the exception of Hikaru's Armored Valkyrie.
**Nadesico characters' Combination Attacks can be performed with nearly any Aestivalis they pilot. Double Gekigan Flare cannot be used with the Artillery Battle Frame. The Formation Attack changes depending on which frame the three girls are using. Note that the three girls must use the same frame type to perform the Formation Attack.

[edit] Plot

A.C.E.2 is not a true sequel to its predecessor, as it involves its own original plot as well as covering events that already happened in A.C.E., albeit differently. This is not an unusual occurrence, as Banpresto does this with most entries into the Super Robot Wars series of games; most of the games in that series are not connected by an established continuity (exceptions including the Alpha series and the 3/4/F series), with remakes or updates abounding.

However, there are some links back to A.C.E. in the sequel. The Ark series, including the main character's Gunark, use as their power source the super-volatile substance E2, which was introduced in the first game. Additionally, most of the A.C.E. Original enemies return, this time with a backstory, while in A.C.E. they were simply there to add to the challenge.

[edit] Music

The game's opening theme is Glorious by Rina Aiuchi; its ending theme, also be performed by Aiuchi, is Precious Place.

A.C.E.2 follows the musical style of its predecessor, using remixes of themes from the featured anime along with several new songs composed for the game. However, A.C.E.2 uses much more faithful remixes of the songs borrowed from anime, while A.C.E. used more rock and roll-styled remixes.

The theme songs for each series are:
Char's Counterattack - Sally
Aura Battler Dunbine - Dunbine Tobu, Senka no Tsume Ato
Blue Comet SPT Layzner - Merosu no Youni ~Lonely Way~
Brain Powered - In My Dream
Metal Armor Dragonar - Yume Iro Chaser
Heavy Metal L-Gaim - Kaze no No Reply
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross Dog Fighter, Destined Battle
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? - Do You Remember Love?
Martian Successor Nadesico - You Get to Burning, Go! Aestivalis!
Gundam 0083 - The Winner, Assault Waves, Rising Operation Stardust
Endless Waltz - White Reflection
G Gundam - Flying in the Sky, Moeuegare Toushi, Waga Kokoro Meikyo Shisui
Martian Successor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness - Main Motif Nadesico

[edit] Prequels

Banpresto and From Software released the original game, Another Century's Episode, on January 27, 2005. It was re-released on November 02, 2005, as part of the "The Best Series" budget collection.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/n/o/Another_Century%27s_Episode_2_dbdb.html"