Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The core gameplay of Mobile Suit Gundam is built around a satisfying blend of reflex-based dodging and high-intensity mech combat. In the opening sequence, players must deftly avoid falling debris, testing their spatial awareness and timing as they make their way toward the protective hull of their Mobile Suit. This introductory challenge sets a brisk pace and immediately immerses you in the perilous world of battlefield salvage operations.

Once the debris clears and the cockpit door swings open, you take control of a fully armed Mobile Suit, seamlessly transitioning from survival mode to all-out mech warfare. The second level tasks you with engaging waves of enemy battle mechs and stationary gun emplacements. The controls are responsive, allowing for smooth strafing, jumping thrusts, and precise aiming. Combos and special weapons—such as beam sabers and long-range rifles—add strategic depth, encouraging you to experiment with different loadouts.

The variety of Mobile Suits available is one of the game’s standout features. From the nimble GM series to the heavily armored Gundam prototypes, each unit feels distinct in speed, firepower, and special abilities. This encourages replaying stages with different suits to discover new tactics and hidden routes. Boss encounters, which pit you against capital-class enemies, further diversify the experience by demanding careful heat management and energy conservation.

Stealth and verticality also play a role in later missions, as debris fields evolve into urban canyons and space-station corridors. Environmental hazards—like collapsing walls and zero-gravity traps—keep the gameplay fresh and force players to adapt on the fly. Overall, Mobile Suit Gundam delivers a dynamic mix of pilot skill checks and mech customization that will satisfy both action-seekers and franchise fans.

Graphics

Visually, Mobile Suit Gundam strikes a balance between gritty industrial settings and the clean, mechanical aesthetics fans expect from the long-running anime series. The debris-littered streets of the first level look especially striking, rendered in muted tones that convey the aftermath of orbital bombardments. Lighting effects, such as sparks from electrical panels and the glow of thruster exhaust, enhance the atmosphere.

The Mobile Suits themselves are faithfully recreated with impressive attention to detail. Each panel line, insignia, and weapon mount is rendered crisply, capturing the iconic silhouettes of classic models. Animations are fluid; turning, boosting, and weapon switching all feel weighty and tangible, reflecting the mass of these towering robots. Motion blur and particle effects during combat add an extra layer of spectacle.

Stage design evolves quickly from debris-strewn wastelands to fortified bases with dynamic environmental interactions. Explosions send chunks of concrete flying, and structural destructibility allows for emergent strategies—creating cover from fallen girders or clearing chokepoints by blasting walls. The draw distance remains steady even during large-scale skirmishes, avoiding any sudden pop-in that might break immersion.

On higher-end hardware, the framerate holds steady at 60 FPS, ensuring that fast-paced dodges and firefights never feel sluggish. While the game supports HDR color on compatible displays, it never feels over-saturated: color palettes are chosen to reinforce the realism of a war-torn world. Overall, the graphical presentation is a strong point, offering both fan service and modern polish.

Story

Taking its cues from the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam anime, the game weaves a narrative that explores the hardships of civilian survivors and the moral dilemmas faced by frontline pilots. The introduction, where you scavenge debris to reach your Mobile Suit, underscores the desperation gripping Earth’s population in the aftermath of orbital attacks. This grounded approach sets the tone for a story that is as much about survival as it is about military might.

As you progress into the second level, brief but impactful cutscenes provide context for your mission orders: suppress enemy incursions, protect refugee convoys, and secure strategic assets. Voice acting—conducted in both Japanese with subtitles and an English dub—feels authentic, with each pilot conveying the fear, resolve, or arrogance appropriate to their faction. These story beats deepen the emotional investment and make the battles feel meaningful rather than endless shootouts.

The narrative unfolds across multiple fronts, introducing rival aces from opposing forces whose shaded motivations reflect the series’ legacy of morally gray characters. Mid-mission dialogue exchanged over comms adds urgency, while post-combat debriefings reward you with plot revelations and the opportunity to choose between branching objectives. This element of choice provides mild replay value and invites players to consider the larger ramifications of warfare.

Though the story adheres to classic Gundam themes—war’s futility, the struggle between Earth Federation and Zeon—it stands on its own as an accessible entry point for newcomers. For veterans of the series, there are numerous easter eggs, from iconic battle formations to legendary Mobile Suit designs. Together, these narrative components combine to create a campaign that is both emotionally resonant and suitably epic in scale.

Overall Experience

Mobile Suit Gundam delivers a robust package that will appeal to both longtime fans of the franchise and newcomers seeking mecha action. Its well-balanced progression—from debris-dodging survival segments to large-scale mech battles—keeps the gameplay loop engaging across its campaign. The blend of responsive controls, diverse Mobile Suit arsenals, and destructible environments ensures that no two missions feel identical.

The audiovisual presentation excels in marrying modern graphical fidelity with the classic Gundam aesthetic. Whether you’re admiring the detail on a Zaku’s spiked shoulder pauldron or watching a bunker collapse under beam fire, the game consistently delivers moments of cinematic grandeur. Sound design further amplifies the immersion with thunderous explosions, realistic thruster hums, and stirring musical cues that evoke the classic anime score.

On the story front, the game strikes a commendable balance between faithful adaptation and original storytelling. Branching mission outcomes and character-driven dialogue add depth, while recurring themes of survival and camaraderie resonate throughout the campaign. The optional skirmish mode and New Game+ unlock additional suits and challenges, extending replay value well beyond the initial playthrough.

While there are occasional difficulty spikes in later stages and a handful of minor glitches during debris physics calculations, these do little to dampen the overall experience. Mobile Suit Gundam stands out as one of the more compelling mecha titles in recent years, delivering a satisfying fusion of anime nostalgia and modern gameplay design. For anyone with even a passing interest in giant-robot warfare, this game is a flight worth taking.

Retro Replay Score

null/10