Gundam Extreme Vs. Extreme Full Boost Fairly sure nobody had but that might be because they didn’t know that maybe they should have Asked Questions:
[TLDR: see the youtube link half way down]
Q: So, this Gundam blah blah thing is some new game coming out?
A: Yes.
Q: What the hell is it with that title? Is this a Capcom game?
A: No, but you are onto something. It is the most recent iteration (Full Boost) of the PS3 release of a popular arcade game (Extreme) for the long winded series of Mobile Suit Gundam Vs. where big giant robots (Mobile Suits) beat and blast the tar out of each other in Robotech like fashion.
Q: Robotech?
A: Well, not exactly. It is based off of a long running cartoon/ movie/ toy/ Manga series called Gundam. The game features units from over three decades of this anime. But still, if you think about big robots employing ridiculously over the top weaponized harm to one another, then you are on the right page.
Q: What if I don’t know a Gundam from a Voltron?
A: Neither did I when I first played Extreme Vs in 2011. Now I am a fan and watch what I can. If you know your Turn-A from a Bright slap though, this game is filled with an extra layer of awesome as you appreciate who has what abilities and why.
Q: I’m listening. What kind of game is it?
A: It is a free movement 3d fighting game most commonly played in teams of 2v2. Think Soul Caliber, but more vertical, large arenas with terrain, and with things like giant lasers, missile volleys, and call in support powers.
Q: Oh. A fighting game. So I need to grind out muscle memory until I can qcb,f,bb,m,up,qcf,m,l,l,hold,qcb… like I was a teenager to play this?
A: No. It has a unique combat system where each unit has different abilities tied to one or two button presses. The complexity and skill come from dashing around shots or out of ability animations while conserving boost gauge and ammunition.
Q:What was that last part?
A: All characters have a recharging boost gauge that refills fairly quickly but you have to know when to burn it and how hard to do so for such things as flying, dashing, blocking, etc. Special moves are also on a recharging timer. For example a suit’s basic laser rifle might have 10 shots that recharge quickly, but several other heavier hitting abilities that only have 1 or 4 shots that recharge slowly. This creates tension as trying to decide when and how much to use (in Street Fighter terms) your Hadoken fireball or Dragon punch becomes a bit of a thing. Basically instead of spamming muscle memory combos you are carefully looking for and denying opportunity to use those nasty timered abilities in a 3d threat environment with the politics and worries of 2v2.
Q: What do you mean politics and worries of 2v2
A: Boy there is a lot compartmentalized in there. In the simplest of terms you have not one opponent to worry about, but two and one friend. This creates interesting double or single teaming dynamics.
Q: But wouldn’t this just mean someone gets jumped then the winners finish off the loner for a win?
A: No. Each match has a point gauge that depletes. Each kill is worth points depending on what unit was killed. So you can pick a heavier unit, but you deplete the teams pool faster if you go down. Also if/when you go down you respawn as the same unit. So it becomes quite a complicated web of dynamic strategy about who to hit and when.
Q: Interesting. But not combo heavy you say?
A: Yep. Sure there are basic combos, but all attacks are on either a single or pair of buttons presses. So you want to shoot that beam rifle? Push one button. You want to swing your beam sword? Push a different button. You want to deploy that guntank strike team? Push the beam and sword button. There are just shoot, melee, boost, and search buttons. The rest is combinations of buttons. So instead of quarter circles and buttons you have side plus boost (side flight), then a+b to fire a special (or just a to fire the beam rifle). It is much friendlier on timing and execution thus letting folks focus on the strategy and subtleties of those simple button presses. All units share the same button and button combo setup.
Q: Hmm. Sound pretty simplistic. So there are like 8 fighters that pretty much play the same then?
A: As of this release there will be over 90 different Mobile Suits and they can range a fair bit in abilities such as stunning lasers, nets, grapple lines, AI support powers, shields, morning stars, jet transformation, etc. Also units have serious differences in they may be melee or ranged focused. Or support or DPS focused (remember it is a 2v2 fighter).
Q: 90!?
A: Yeah, before I lose folks in the wall of text, feel free to check out some youtube. This is a compilation of a recent set of pre-release trailers that shows off some of the introductory videos and units from different Gundam series. The number in the top right is them counting through the number of units in the game. Actual game play pacing is different; they are showing off unit moves. Also note that the remaining team gauges are top left, remaining armor points are bottom left, EX meter is bottom left center, boost meter is bottom right center, ability and current ammo count are bottom right, and radar is top right.
Q: Whoa there Chappy! What are you trying to pull here; some of that was clearly Spanish! Are you some kind of import junky? Is this why I never heard of Gundam Mobile Park Extreme Boosting?
A: You noticed that did you? Heh. No, I am not an import guy. I have imported exactly one game in my life which was Gundam Extreme Vs and I will be importing another at the end of the week.
Q: End of the week?
A: Yes. Full Boost releases 1/30/14.
Q: Yeah. But. The German hieroglyphs are kind of an issue don’t you think?
A: It is a Japanese game and yes you would need to import it (or buy it digitally with a Japanese PSN account from your region free PS3). However, I don’t know a lick of Japanese and I can play the game perfectly fine. Look at those videos again. The only thing in Japanese is the suit’s name (player PSN names will be below those). While it is just a HUD that is perfectly understandable, it is filled with English words (Team, Burst, Weapon, Armor) as are the menus. The only problem I had with the “import” of Extreme was the story mode as I was unable to read the level up menus or mission goals. Still folks will have posted translations of that in a heartbeat. Not that it matters much as the meat of the game is the VERSUS mode and as you can see everything there is plain as day.
Q: Honest?
A: Yes. Well, and the painful part of setting up a Japanese PSN account in order to download the free (or later on paid) DLC, but youtube is your friend and you only need to do it once. You absolutely don’t need to understand Japanese to enjoy the game. In fact it has so much English in it that I wonder if Japanese players ask when they will get the fully localized version.
Q: Any other hurdles you are sneaking past me with the Robotech hand waiving?
A: The only thing that comes to mind is they have added an online pass that comes with the game to combat the apparently rampant smurfing going on with the ranked matches. I don’t know how this will play out with US players. Before we could just play online as normal on a US PSN account, but now there might be a need to play on a Japanese one. That remains to be seen at release as there is a lot of speculation.
Q: And the cost of this “not really an import” game?
A: Yeah, $74ish (depending on Asia or Japan version-- both are region free) plus either a chunk on shipping or a lot of waiting. I paid $16 for 1-3 day Fed Ex rather than wait the 5 to 60 days for free mail that languishes in customs. I ordered mine (both times) from Play Asia. If you are late to the party you might even be able to find an Amazon reseller that holds stock in Amazon’s US based warehouses.
Q: $74!!! Um. Yeah. Why am I still reading this?
A: I’m moderately charming? It is no exaggeration that Gundam Extreme Vs. was one of my biggest joys on the PS3 (the other being Demons Souls/ Dark Souls and MAG). I love the game and when I think about retiring last gen boxes I don’t really have a reason to keep the Xbox around, but I am loathe to put Gundam away forever. Plus, Robotech like awesomeness in a team based fighter shell! I can’t overstate how there really is NOTHING else like it.
Q: DLC?
A: There is a “first printing” bonus of an extra suit for download. Also they will be selling oodles of other DLC that is currently in the arcades for the next game Maxi Boost as they did with Extreme when Full Boost was in the arcade. I never bothered with it though and everything I would have bought is part of Full Boost now plus more.
Q: Like you would even notice a suit missing when you have 90 others freaking fighters to pick from!
A: That wasn’t a question. And… you would be surprised.
So. I am not sure if I got anyone’s attention, and hopefully not to beat a dead horse too much, but Gundam Extreme Vs is a damn good game that is a none of a kind experience as a western consumer. Anyone can play it; there is no language barrier. If anyone is interested, please let me know. I think it would be fantastic if we could get some kind of repeating Qt3 fight night going for this one. It natively supports all kinds of lobby options. If you like fighting games, then think about it. If you like piloted robot on robot anime action like Robotech or Voltron, then you should REALLY think about it. If you are a Gundam fan, then you didn’t make it this far and you are already ravenously surfing Extreme Vs streams awaiting the Full Boost launch streams. If you are any two categories put together and didn’t previously know about the game… don’t hesitate. Seriously, don’t.