Robot Alchemic Drive

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Robot Alchemic Drive

Developer(s)	Sandlot
Publisher(s)	Enix
Release date(s)	2002-08-29 2002-11-05
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player, two-player versus
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Media	CD
Input	DualShock 2

Robot Alchemic Drive, also referred to as RAD, is a PlayStation 2 video game developed by Sandlot and published by Enix. In it the player controls a giant robot called a Meganite, humanity's last line of defense against an extraterrestrial race called the Volgara. The player is not in the cockpit of the robot; rather, he or she is on foot, carrying a remote control (the player must switch between the protagonist and the robot to play).

There are three protagonists to choose from, two males and one female (Naoto Tsukioka, Ryo Tsukioka, or Yui Tsukioka); however, the NPCs usually only refer to the character as "Chairman".

It is possible throughout the game to affect the life of a particular character, Nanao, by destroying certain buildings on missions.

Enemies for a short number of episodes are the same. The only difference is the change in color and weapons. They become smarter and more aware of what the main character is doing as the player progresses through the story. You also unlock all of the Volgara in two player versus mode when you beat the game with 2 out of the 3 main protagonists.

[edit] Trivia

The game is an homage to the Super Robot anime series of the 70's and 80's. Although much older than most of the game's homages, a remote-controled robot was first seen in the program Tetsujin 28. Yui's pink and yellow outfit is expressly said in the manual to be a tribute to the heroines of those shows, and Vavel's Lava Stream attack is based on Mazinger Z's Breast Fire attack, even including the biceps-flexing pose usually performed when the weapon was used.