Gundam games haven't exactly been in the good books in recent years, for every good game there are many **** ones. Dodgy controls and poor story have stopped it from becoming a great franchise it could of been. Is Gundam vs Gundam more of the same but a step in the right direction? A port from the arcade game of the same name, Gundam vs Gundam puts popular Gundams from each anime series against each other rather than the generic mobile suits in the series. Unlike past games in the series this one is much more fast paced and with more variety of characters, the way Gundam games should be. For an Arcade game you aren't going to expect much of a story, but in this game only gives a brief explanation that in the year 2030 an enemy known as the Devil Gundam has merged all the worlds into one so the many series's join forces to stop the threat. The plot makes little sense as it seems like the Gundams are facing off against each other rather than a certain enemy. But it gives a simple premise as to why all the Gundams are together in one place and that's about it. A simple short cut-scene for each series is played at the beginning of the Arcade Mode along with a nice piece of artwork at the end. The arcade mode consists of 8 stages along with a boss at the end. Though it bombards you with many options to choose from they all play out the same. Time attack mode, harder difficulties and different scenarios, though they all follow the same objective of destroying the enemy until you or the enemy has no more points left. It would of been nice to have other objectives like 'survive until time runs out' and a variety of other modes to help flesh out the single player aspect more. During combat are given a set number of points, each gundam takes up either 1000, 2000 or 3000 points, the more powerful the gundam the higher the points, so you can't die as many times as the weaker gundams, this is a way of balancing the game so everyone has an even chance. Once the teams points equals zero the game is over. The game plays out like most Gundam games (including the usual slow motion death at the end of the battle), you can perform a melee attack (Triangle), use your main weapon (Square) and sub-weapon (R) and combinations of these commands to perform other long/short range attacks. The combat system is both simple and surprisingly deep, you can easily stick to the simple attacks while those wishing to can experiment and make full use of the attacks offered. You also have a limited amount of support mecha which quickly appear and do a set command for a small amount of time, as well as a special attack which you can activate when your G-Gauge is full. 37 characters are playable (4 of which are unlockable) but each one plays and feel different, some specialise in Melee, others long range combat and some a combination of the 2, some fast and some slow, but all are well balanced. Weapons range from laser rifles, beam cannons, missles, machine guns and more, along with some different types of beam sabers, variety isn't short and you are bound to find a Gundam that suits your play style. During combat are given a set number of points, each gundam takes up either 1000, 2000 or 3000 points, the more powerful the gundam the higher the points, so you can't die as many times as the weaker gundams, this is a way of balancing the game so everyone has an even chance. Once the teams points equals zero the game is over. Beyond the Arcade mode you have a simple versus mode in which you can face off against CPU's or even watching 4 CPU's going at it, along with being able to battle it out over Wi-Fi both locally and online. I've only had the opportunity to play it locally with 3 other friends and for the most part it played out well, though there was some noticeable slow downs when things got hectic. Playing with friends can be insane fun and easily trumps the single player. Even if the single player doesn't last you very long, those dedicated enough can put many hours into the game improving you skills and playing with friends. The game won't appeal to many of those with little interest in Gundam or even Mecha in general, it's a game for the fans true and true and those fans are going to get a lot out of the game or at least get some enjoyment from seeing their favourite characters facing off against each other. But the lack of gameplay variety is pulling the game down, the main gameplay is fun and addictive but doesn't last long, only hardcore fans will be able to get extensive playtime out of it. It isn't perfect but it's a good step forward and if the console version play out like this Gundam games can start to be seen in a better light. 8/10
