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Gundam Zeta Impressions

If the Mobile Suit fits, wear it.

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TOKYO--If nothing else, our time in Japan has reinforced one important lesion: Bandai's Gundam line is the most trusted name in Mobile Suits for a reason. The excellent exoskeletons have already popped up in many of Bandai's video games for myriad platforms, where their superior handling and buffed chrome trim have put even late-model wanzers to shame. We took the company's new mobile Gundam, Gundam Zeta, for a test-flight at Tokyo Game Show. This turn-based strategy game isn't as graphically impressive as its predecessor, Gundam 3D Operation, but its refined combat system might intrigue those looking for a somewhat more leisurely Gundam experience.

The portion of Gundam Zeta we saw involved a battle in a sector of deep space that had been divided into a 2D isometric grid. You control a brigade of Gundams at one end of the grid, and your job is to clear the area of opposing robots in a particular number of moves. This portion of gameplay is turn-based, with gameplay mechanics that are somewhat reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics.

Once your Gundam encounters another robot, a battle ensues, and the game switches to a first-person perspective. You can blast your opponent with lasers or missiles using a targeting reticle you maneuver with the D pad, and the sooner you do so, the better, as the enemy will be just as busy sending a lot of heat in your direction.

Strangely, Gundam Zeta isn't especially impressive from a graphical standpoint. For instance, the shooting part of the game doesn't look anywhere near as smooth as the action in the six-month-old Gundam 3D Operation, running at a relatively clunky 15 frames per second. In addition, the game subjects you to a 30-second loading time at the beginning of each battle sequence, which dissipates a lot of the combat's immediacy. On the other hand, the grid-based elements of the game were very detailed, with an abundance of information about each target showing up in a HUD-like interface.

We're not sure when, if ever, we'll have a chance to play Gundam Zeta in the US. For now, Mobile Suit fans will have to content themselves with Bandai's two existing mobile Gundams.

For more updates, be sure to check GameSpot's coverage of Tokyo Game Show 2004.

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