Gundam: The Battle Master, later known as Battle Assault, is a series of fighting games released for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance. The series features mobile suits from several eras of the Gundam metaverse and some non-traditional fighting game elements. Every entry was developed by Bandai in co-operation with Japanese developer Natsume,[1] who also made the 1996 .
| Gundam: The Battle Master | |
| Developer: | Bandai, Natsume |
| Publisher: | Bandai |
| Released: | [2] |
| Genre: | Versus Fighting |
| Modes: | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | PlayStation |
Gundam: The Battle Master is the first game in the series, released for the PlayStation in 1997. Even this first game features the large multi-jointed sprites and 2-screen-high stages that the rest of the series would follow on. The game would also feature its own unique pilots that are exclusive to this game, replacing the regular pilots that are often associated with each mobile suit in the franchise. It includes the following mobile suits from the Universal Century era:
Gundam: The Battle Master features gameplay unlike most fighting games, let alone the other games within its series:
See also: Gundam: Battle Assault (video game).
See also: Gundam: Battle Assault 2.
| Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Battle Assault Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny | |
| Collapsible: | yes |
| Developer: | Natsume |
| Publisher: | Bandai |
| Released: | Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Battle AssaultMobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny |
| Genre: | Versus Fighting |
| Modes: | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Game Boy Advance |
In 2004, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: Battle Assault was released for the Game Boy Advance and featured units exclusively from the then-recent localization of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. The units included all the Gundams from the show sans the Providence, as well as Rau Le Creuset's CGUE and the Gundam Astray Red Frame. It was released exclusively in the US.
The gameplay for this portable installment is similar to its three PlayStation predecessors, with the difference of being faster and more user-friendly. The player had the option of choosing a manual method for executing special moves or an automatic one (similar to the easy mode of Capcom's Vs. series). The player could also adjust one of three parameters (HP, Phase Shift Armor or Thrust) at the cost of the other.
There was also an updated version of the game focusing on the SEED Destiny sequel series, named simply Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. Unlike the original game, however, it was released only in Japan and included the original game as an unlockable. This version features all the units from the previous plus the initial suits of the SEED Destiny anime (it lacks GOUF Ignited, Murasame, Dom Trooper, Strike Freedom, Infinite Justice, Destiny, Legend and Akatsuki).
| Battle Assault 3: Featuring Gundam SEED | |
| Collapsible: | yes |
| Developer: | Natsume |
| Publisher: | Bandai |
| Genre: | Versus Fighting |
| Modes: | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | PlayStation 2 |
Battle Assault 3 is the fifth game in the series. It was released on the PlayStation 2, four months after the GBA installment. It was the first to feature full 3D graphics and it also focused on units from the Gundam Seed anime, including grunt mobile suits like GINNs. However, the Wing Gundam Zero Custom, Tallgeese III, Burning (God) Gundam and Master Gundam appear as unlockable secret characters. It was only released in the US.