Mobile Suit Gundam: EX Revue

Mobile Suit Gundam: EX Revue is an updated version of the first Gundam fighting game. Like its predecessor, it is a Street Fighter II-style versus fighter based on the original 1979 television series of the Gundam franchise, with improved graphics, a changed and larger character roster, new arenas and a more complex fighting engine.

Players can select from 12 mobile suits: returning from the first game are the Federation’s Gundam and Zeon’s Zaku, Gouf, Dom and Gelgoog, the amphibious Z’Gok, as well as Char Aznable variations of Zaku, Gelgoog and Z’Gok. Sayla Mass’ alternate Gundam is replaced by the Guncannon, and the game also adds Zeon’s Gyan and Acguy. Each suit again features its own arena, based on locations and situations from the TV series. Many are all-new, others are just touched up from the first game. Each character also has its own ending sequence.

Single-player mode consists of 14 consecutive fights:12 against the standard suits (including a mirror match) plus 2 against secret boss enemies. The last boss suit and its pilot are not based on the TV series but were especially designed for the game. It is possible to unlock the two bosses for player selection. Two-player mode allows match-ups in all combinations: both players can select the same character.

The actual fights follow the standard best-of-three model, with the backgrounds changing slightly in each round. Controls involve the joystick and four buttons: three for light, medium and heavy attacks and one for throws (throws can also be triggered by the attack buttons). Every suit has three to four special moves (usually involving ranged weapons) triggered by input combinations, most of them requiring “Hadouken”-style circling movements with the joystick, then pressing an attack button.