SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2

Developer: TOSE     Publisher: Angel     Released: September 23, 1993     Genre: Shooter, Platformer

I’ve never been a fan of the super deformed art style yet I still gave SD Gundam a chance out of sheer curiosity.  My interest was rewarded with a generic and boring side scrolling action game that helped further the very true narrative that nearly all Gundam games are terrible.  So you can’t blame me for not expecting much out of its sequel.  Well color me surprised.  SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2, while flawed, is a much better game than its predecessor and solid all around.

It’s easy to forget that these are SD giant robots considering the slight shift in the art direction.  The Earth based levels take place in large cityscapes with buildings taller than your mech that give off the vibe of being on the set of a Godzilla movie.  If that doesn’t sell the idea the enormous robots make you look like a normal character.  The art is more detailed and more inconsistent and light on special effects with only a little use of Mode 7.  The animation is pretty good for a 1993 release as both the Gundams and enemies have numerous cute expressions when hit or performing an action.  Only the outer space stages haven’t seen much of an upgrade and are still bare.

As far as story SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 is basically a chibi retelling of Zeta Gundam.  That means it takes place seven years after the One War Year.  The peace between the Earth Federation and the colonies is broken when a new organization called the Titans is formed to hunt down former Zeon members.  In response the AEUG (Anti Earth Union Group) form to stop their oppression.  The three primary Gundams in the show, the Zeta Gundam, the Gundam MKII, and the Type-100 are all playable. Each has their own individual campaign which greatly enhances the replay value.  They also have their own separate weapons to differentiate them although you won’t get to use them much.

At its core SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 is nearly identical to its predecessor.  You have a main weapon as well as three sub weapons that operate on a charge based system.  This is probably my main disappointment as the system is even more restrictive than in the first game.  You rarely have enough charge to use the laser for more than a few seconds, let alone any of the other character specific weapons.  The default shot is still weak and limited to medium range and makes boss battles drag on longer than necessary.  Power-ups are rare and easily missed, especially in space which makes it even worse.  If there were one area that could have used an overhaul it was this.

Thankfully the pacing and level design make up for it.  This is still an auto scrolling platformer/shooter except the game’s pace is faster.  The long stretch of solitary enemies is a thing of the past  as they attack in greater number and combinations.  That goes a long way toward keeping you engaged.  The little bits of platforming thrown in here and there could have been expanded in my opinion as it’s a missed opportunity.  The shooting segments compose a sizable portion of the game and unfortunately while they are better they are repetitive.  The boss battles are the only exciting parts of these sections.  Hell the boss battles in general are great.

The first game was decently long for an action title however SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 trumps it in length.  Each character has their own path and although they aren’t as long as the original considering there are three characters so it adds up.  Only a few levels and bosses repeat with enough new content to make replaying the game three times worthwhile.  There’s also a competitive mode that has a decent amount of options although I didn’t find it all that interesting.

It’s a good thing there are three characters since you will blow through it quickly.  Even though you don’t get to use your secondary weapons that often overall SD Gundam is still pretty easy.  The roster of enemies is very small and all follow a predictable pattern, allowing you to avoid damage.  In fact the amount of damage you receive is shockingly low.  Health power-ups aren’t common but are not necessary if you possess even a modicum of skill.  Later bosses might kill you but I was still able to complete the game using a single credit.

In Closing

I was not a fan of V Sakusen Shidou however the sequel is a much better game in every respect.  SD Kidou Senshi Gundam 2 is what the first game should have been.  Ignore the cute characters and you will find a solid action title worth tracking down.  But only once you are done with Contra III or Super Turrican.