SD Gundam Force: Showdown!
- December 03, 2004 11:55 AM PST
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Super-deformed war machines get squished up for a "G-rated" sterilized romp in SD Gundam Force: Showdown!
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Showdown mixes arcade fighting with RPG-styled elements. Players can choose from the three predominant members of the Guardian Force: Captain Gundam, Zero the Winged Knight, and Musha Bakunetsumaru. Each character has its own style of combat and can be upgraded, gaining additional forms with different abilities.
Enemies Who Consume Their Fallen Comrades' Power-Ups--Cool!
While your main objective is to clear every room of enemies, gain emblems, and defeat the boss, you'll find that straight attacks will get you nowhere. Showdown has an intricate yet basic control system, so players must learn when to attack, block, or dash--especially with the melee weapon--as they can constantly be hammered by multiple foes.
Missions take place in a series of "blocks," ranging from three to 10 rooms full of enemies, where players must find the Warp Circle within the allotted time to advance to the next level. Defeated foes will leave EXP and HP spheres, which must be collected in order to heal as well as gain experience emblems that can be traded in for items at the end of the level. If players aren't swift enough to gather the spheres in battle, enemies will, in turn, collect them and level up to a tougher, more aggressive form.
Wish I Had a Captain To Save Me
While the controls and cel-shaded graphics are magnificent, the game engine shows minor flaws, which mires the gameplay experience. Showdown's preset camera angles aren't very intuitive--in later levels, players are constantly attacked from enemies offscreen, and Captain Gundam frequently can't see enemies that he is attacking. Also, the item system is clumsily implemented, and the enemy sound effects emulate Pok?mon being clubbed with a rucksack full of doorknobs.
Despite these very minor flaws, Showdown is a decent action game. Due to the fact, however, that it can be completed in a single day, gamers should rent this one before purchasing it.
