SD Gundam G Generation

SD Gundam G Generation is a series of strategy-RPG video games that focus on the Gundam anime franchise.

History

The G Generation series technically began in 1996, when Bandai released a series of six games for Nintendo's Super Famicom console's Sufami Turbo add-on, each focusing on a particular era from the Gundam multiverse. A Generation focused on the One Year War, B Generation focused on the Gryps Conflict, and so forth up to F Generation, which covered the plot of G Gundam. Instead of continuing the obvious progression and making a G Generation game themed about Gundam Wing, Bandai held on to the title. Since "G" was often used as an abbreviation for "Gundam", it was decided that G Generation would encompass a wider scope. When it was finally released in 1998 for the PlayStation, G Generation covered the plot for Mobile Suit Gundam through Char's Counterattack and featured characters from the remaining Universal Century series as well as G Gundam, Gundam Wing and Gundam X.

Series Features

The G Generation's most distinctive feature is the fact that the machines are always depicted in a super deformed fashion. This may be to prevent problems with the different proportions used in various Gundam series, but a larger reason may be the fact that Sunrise has been known to charge a heavy licensing fee for full-sized versions of their mecha to appear in video games, a problem which also plagues the Super Robot Wars series of video games.

The G Generation series tends to operate in one of two ways in regards to plot. Most of the games released for home consoles faithfully recreate the plot of the series included, while most of the games for handheld systems feature a new storyline that combines elements of all the series' plots together while giving the characters new relationships. In addition to the familiar cast of Gundam characters, G Generation games often feature brand-new characters that represent the player's contributions to the game. Most of the time, the original characters have no plot impact on the game. However, the game Monoeye Gundams features a new group of characters with their own storyline that forms the overall plot of the game, supported by the events of the One Year War and the Gryps Conflict. G Generation DS follows this tradition by introducing a new character who ties in to the stories of both Zeta Gundam and Monoeye Gundams.

Most of the G Generation games feature brand-new mobile suits and armors designed exclusively for the game. All of the machines are given a backstory that ties them into the canon Gundam storyline, with most being incomplete or rejected prototypes. A vast majority of the original machines represent the Universal Century, but so far every universe except Cosmic Era has received at least one original machine.

Unlike the popular Super Robot Wars series, G Generation does not limit characters to only piloting machines from their own universe. For example, Amuro Ray could be made to pilot XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero. However, some restrictions still exist. Some machines can only be piloted by characters who belong to certain categories. Other restrictions are plot-based.

Like Super Robot Wars, G Generation allows the player to convince certain enemy characters to join his team. Most of the time, this is represented by being able to save sympathetic characters who were on the "wrong" side of the conflict, such as Gundam 0080's Bernard Wiseman and Zeta Gundam's Four Murasame. Other times, the games allow the player to convince characters who would likely never join the heroes.

Most G Generation games allow the player to capture enemy machines and add them to his own roster. The console and some PSP G Generation games typically allow the player to capture enemy machines after their mothership is destroyed, while the other handheld games allow capture of damaged machines if they are surrounded by three or more player units.

Featured only in the handheld G Generation games, ID Commands act in a similar fashion to spells in traditional role-playing games, but are based around a character's memorable lines from the Gundam series.

Usually linked to ID Commands, the handheld G Generation games often feature Hyper Modes for characters from all series. Earned through unique circumstances and activated by special ID Commands, Hyper Modes typically represent the peak of a character's power while piloting the mobile suit his/her most famous mobile suit. Universal Century characters' Hyper Modes are typically a representation of their Newtype power reaching its peak, while the Alternate Universe series characters' Hyper Modes are usually linked to their Gundams' special systems. In console G Generation games, few unit like Gundam F91 will activate the Hyper Mode when pilot has max morale. While in pocket games, such as G Generation DS, will let a pilot activate the Mobile Suit's Hyper Mode when a certain SP is reached.

G Generation titles

PlayStation

PlayStation 2

Bandai Wonderswan

Bandai Wonderswan Color

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo DS

iOS

Android

PlayStation Portable

PC

Wii

iPhone

Future development

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ジージェネ最新作ついに始動！『SDガンダム ジージェネレーション ワールド』" (in Japanese). Famitsu. 2010-10-02. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  2. ↑ "SD Gundam Generation Over World for PSP Announced". Anime News Network. 2012-06-21. Retrieved 2012-06-21.
  3. ↑ Jonathan Toyad (2012-06-19). "SD Gundam G Generation Overworld slated for PSP in Japan". Gamespot. Retrieved 2012-06-21.

External links

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