Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo Hands-On

Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo is the PlayStation 2 adaptation of the classic 1979 anime Mobile Suit Gundam, originally produced as a television series and later turned into a motion picture trilogy. Bandai, banking on the current popularity of the franchise, is developing a third-person mech-combat simulation that strictly adheres to the original storyline, deviating only to allow the player a chance to assume the role of a Gundam pilot.

Chronicling the earliest events in the series' history, Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo takes place in an alternate future, in the year UC 0079. The Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon are at war, and both forces are vying for control of the latest in Mobile Suit technology, which would likely be the key to victory for the side that obtains it. The Earth Federation has developed a number of prototypes at the Federation research center at Side 7. Chief among the prototypes is the awesomely powerful RX-78-2 Gundam, a state-of-the-art mobile suit. During this crucial time, the Earth Federation sends their mobile-suit carrier, White Base, to receive the prototypes. After tailing White Base to Side 7, ambitious Zeon forces attack the prototype mobile suits, thinking them unmanned and easy prey. Amuro Ray, a 15-year-old civilian science student, through luck and happenstance, clambers into the sole surviving unit and destroys the pair of Zakus (the standard Zeon mobile suit design) that are attacking Side 7. Instantly, Amuro and the Gundam, along with the two other surviving prototypes, the Guncannon and Guntank, are called in to assist the Earth Federation forces. Amuro engages in a number of battles with the ace Zeon pilot Char Aznable, nicknamed the "Red Comet" after his mobile suit's colors. Char is a familiar icon in Gundam lore, memorable for his mask and helmet combo and defiant manner. Char and Amuro continue their feud throughout the story, with tragic results.

The first thing you'll notice when starting up Journey to Jaburo is the enticing FMV sequence, which features a battle between the RX-78-2 Gundam and three Zaku II units. The fight is choreographed cinematically, replete with impressive lighting effects and the overly dramatic, heavily Japanese stare down that fans of the anime have come to expect. Once you've embarked on the story mode, the plot is furthered through both anime cutscenes and 3D cinematics, which are alternated with each other to highlight key events in the game's story. The in-game visuals aren't nearly up to par with the FMV sequences, and the game looks like it could use a lot more detail in the bland backgrounds, as well as a heavy dose of antialiasing.

Fans of the series will be most excited about the story and the way it is used to further the action sequences. Missions where the Guntank, Guncannon, White Base, and Gundam attack the Zeon forces in unison are ripped straight out of the anime, and anyone who remembers these scenes will feel a deep nostalgia. Some of the introductory sequences preceding the actual skirmishes are presented in an interesting manner. After the standard VR-style briefing, you watch a quick 3D cutscene of the participating mechs traveling to the battlegrounds. When the enemy is ready to engage, the foe often being Char or one of his underlings, his or her discourse with Amuro plays out in pop-up portraits that appear to be true to the anime and feature genuine dialogue. Playing through this game after seeing the movie will make one intimately familiar with the Year One war, and besides being a third-person mech shooter, the game can also be seen as a tutorial of sorts, in that it really is a storehouse of Gundam information.

A number of interesting options are unlocked as you progress through the story mode and complete it. Fans of mecha and the Gundam franchise in particular will enjoy the detailed mobile-suit viewer, where the different mechs can be examined while listening to the narrator's descriptions and taking a look at their vital stats and significance to the plot. The movie viewer allows you to check out the introduction, the various FMV scenes, a Gundam music video, a commercial spot, and much more.

While taking part in the epic space battles from the anime is an exciting prospect, the gameplay in Journey to Jaburo is currently faltering in execution. The control so far is achingly subpar--it's both jerky and unintuitive. The auto-aim and lock-on features are similar to those found in Zone of the Enders, but they're not nearly as smooth. Shooting at airborne targets with the lock-on feature is just about impossible unless the opponent is absolutely still, as correcting your aim with the reverse-axis right analog stick is anything but user-friendly. The hand-to-hand attack saber animations are choppy, and the poor collision detection causes a number of issues in areas inhabited by a large number of buildings or other obstacles.

If the movement and animation are polished before the game is released in the States, the combat elements might become as enjoyable as the gripping, albeit directly rehashed, movie plot. It'll be interesting to see how the game progresses as it reaches its proposed July release date, and GameSpot will be sure to let you know how it shapes up.