Gundam: The Battle Master

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Gundam the Battle Master is a PlayStation fighting game, using Universal Century Gundam robots, up to Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack. However, the pilots are not the same ones from the respective series. This series marked the debut of Psycho Gundam Mk III, which is the second time a non-SD Gundam robot make its debut in video game since Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story.

[edit] Gundam Battle Assault

Gundam Battle Assault is a series of American-made games, the first two of which are based off of Gundam: the Battle Master. The series is mainly used as a way of promoting series new to America, and since it is based off of an older PlayStation game, tends to be budget-priced.

Gundam Battle Assault (the original) is identical to Battle Master 2, with two changes: the AMX-103 Hamma Hamma is removed and replaced with the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam, and all MS are piloted by their correct pilots (except for the Psyco Gundam Mk-III and Hydra Gundam, piloted by Valder Farkill and Treize Khushrenada respectively). The game was intended to promote Gundam Wing's American release, as is reflected with its plot. The game's main story mode has the player taking on the role of Heero Yuy, who is attempting to bring peace by disarming belligerents with mobile suits. Heero can pilot any machine in the game, and the presence of characters from other universes is never explained despite the fact that the game is set in the After Colony timeline. The final boss of the game is Treize, who, as in Gundam Wing, is staging a horrific war to scare humanity into moving towards peace.

Gundam Battle Assault 2 is built off of the previous Battle Assault game, but features a tighter game engine. The game was made primarily to promote G Gundam, but also features new mobile suits from Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz. Story Mode features paths representing the three Gundam universes in America at the time. The player can choose to play as Amuro Ray or Char Aznable during the One Year War, follow a loose adaptation of Gundam Wing's plot as Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, or Zechs Merquise (as Preventer Wind), or the 13th Gundam Fight as Domon Kasshu, Chibodee Crocket, or Master Asia. As the game was built off of Battle Assault, the AMX-103 Hamma Hamma is still missing; however, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, AMX-004 Qubeley, and PMX-003 The O were also removed, in anticipation of Zeta Gundam's release. The game was eventually released in Japan as part of Bandai's Simple Series of budget-priced PlayStation games, split into two separate games: one focusing on G Gundam and the other on Gundam Wing.

Battle Assault 3 Featuring Gundam Seed was built off of the original Gundam Seed game for the Playstation 2, but modified from an action game into a 3D fighting game. Hidden units include the GF13-017NJII God Gundam, GF13-001NHII Master Gundam, XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero Custom, and OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III, all taken from the Encounters in Space video game.

Gundam Seed: Battle Assault is the American name for the Game Boy Advance Gundam Seed fighting game.

[edit] Featured Mobile Suits

Legend BM - Gundam the Battle Master
BM2 - Gundam the Battle Master 2
BA - Gundam Battle Assault
BA2 - Gundam Battle Assault 2
BA3 - Battle Assault 3 Featuring Gundam Seed
GSBA - Gundam Seed Battle Assault

RX-78-2 Gundam (Pilots: Mercury, Amuro Ray) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
RB-79 Ball (Pilot: Gloria, Shiro Amada) [BM2, BA, BA2]
MS-06S Char's Custom Zaku II (Pilots: Nichols, Char Aznable) [BM2, BA, BA2]
MS-06F Zaku II (Pilots: Nichols, Denim) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
MSM-04 Acguy (Pilots: Patricia, Akahana) [BM2, BA, BA2]
MA-08 Big Zam (Pilots: Gallus, Dozle Zabi) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
MSN-02 Zeong (Pilots: Noise, Char Aznable) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
MSM-03C Hygogg (Pilots: Carol, Mikhail "Misha" Kaminski) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" (Pilots: Largo, Anavel Gato) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
AMA-002 Neue Ziel (Pilots: Symeon, Anavel Gato) [BM2, BA, BA2]
MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam (Pilots: Mercury, Kamille Bidan) [BM2, BA]
PMX-003 The O (Pilots: Rachel, Paptimus Scirocco) [BM, BM2, BA]
AMX-004 Qubeley (Pilots: Rita, Haman Karn) [BM2, BA, BA2]
FA-101S Full Armor ZZ Gundam (Pilots: Honey-B, Judau Ashta) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
AMX-103 Hamma Hamma (Pilot: Date) [BM, BM2]
NZ-000 Quin Mantha (Pilots: Synapse, Puru Two) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
RX-93 Nu Gundam (Pilots: Date, Amuro Ray) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
MSN-04 Sazabi (Pilots: Smith, Char Aznable) [BM, BM2, BA, BA2]
Psyco Gundam Mk-III (Pilots: Maria Nichols, Valder Farkill, Ulube Ishikawa) [BM2, BA, BA2]
GF13-017NJII God Gundam (Pilot: Domon Kasshu) [BA2, BA3]
GF13-006NA Gundam Maxter (Pilot: Chibodee Crocket) [BA2]
GF13-009NF Gundam Rose (Pilot: George de Sand) [BA2]
GF13-011NC Dragon Gundam (Pilot: Sai Saici) [BA2]
GF13-013NR Bolt Gundam (Pilot: Argo Gulskii) [BA2]
GF13-001NHII Master Gundam (Pilot: Master Asia) [BA2, BA3]
JDG-009X Devil Gundam (Final Form) (Pilot: Kyoji Kasshu) [BA2]
XXXG-01W Wing Gundam (Pilot: Heero Yuy) [BA]
OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon (Pilot: Treize Khushrenada) [BA2]
OZ-15AGX Hydra Gundam (Pilots: Pixie, Treize Khushrenada, Valder Farkill) [BM2, BA, BA2]
XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero Custom (Pilot: Heero Yuy) [BA2, BA3]
XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell Custom (Pilot: Duo Maxwell) [BA2]
XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavyarms Custom (Pilot: Trowa Barton) [BA2]
XXXG-01SR2 Gundam Sandrock Custom (Pilot: Quatre Raberba Winner) [BA2]
XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam Custom "Gundam Nataku" (Pilot: Chang Wufei) [BA2]
OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III (Pilot: Zechs Merquise) [BA2, BA3]
GAT-X105 Strike Gundam (Base, Aile, Sword, Launcher) (Pilots: Kira Yamato, Mu La Flaga) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X303 Aegis Gundam (Pilot: Athrun Zala) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X102 Duel Gundam (Base, Assault Shroud) (Pilot: Yzak Jule) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X103 Buster Gundam (Pilot: Dearka Elthman) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X207 Blitz Gundam (Pilot: Nicol Amalfi) [BA3, GSBA]
ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam (Pilot: Kira Yamato) [BA3, GSBA]
ZGMF-X09A Justice Gundam (Pilot: Athrun Zala) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X131 Calamity Gundam (Pilot: Orga Sabnak) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam (Pilot: Shani Andras) [BA3, GSBA]
GAT-X370 Raider Gundam (Pilot: Clotho Buer) [BA3, GSBA]
ZGMF-X13A Providence Gundam (Pilot: Rau Le Creuset) [BA3, GSBA]
MBF-02 Strike Rouge (Pilot: Cagalli Yula Athha) [BA3, GSBA]
MBF-M1 M1 Astray (Pilots: Asagi Caldwell, Juri Wu Nien, Mayura Labatt) [BA3]
GAT-01 Strike Dagger [BA3]
ZGMF-1017 GINN [BA3]
ZGMF-1017 GINN Miguel Aiman Custom (Pilot: Miguel Aiman) [BA3]
ZGMF-515 CGUE (Pilot: Rau Le Creuset) [BA3, GSBA]
AMF-101 DINN [BA3]
TMF/A-802 BuCUE (Railcannons, Missiles) [BA3]
TMF/A-803 LaGOWE (Pilot: Andrew Waltfeld) [BA3]
UMF-5 ZnO [BA3]
ZGMF-600 GuAIZ [BA3]
MBF-P02 Gundam Astray Red Frame (Pilot: Lowe Guele) [GSBA]
MBF-P01-Re2<AMATU> Astray Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom (Pilot: Rondo Mina Sahaku) [GSBA]

[edit] Trivia

-One unique feature of Battle Master/Battle Assault is the fact that repeated damage to an area on an enemy will result in their armor breaking, exposing the machinery underneath. This is accomplished by animating each part of the mobile suits' bodies as separate sprites. In Battle Assault 2, the G Gundam and Gundam Wing mobile suits are harder to damage, perhaps reflecting their respective series, where they are thought of as nearly invincible (the only exception is the Hydra Gundam, which was programmed into the original Japanese game).
-In Battle Assault's story mode, the player can choose what mobile suit Heero pilots; notably, he can pilot anything in the game, even Newtype mobile suits such as the Nu Gundam, with no problem. However, he expresses shock (or perhaps disgust) if the player chooses the Acguy.
-Wing Gundam's skills and abilities are identical to the Zeta Gundam's in Battle Assault.
-Since the Hamma-Hamma has been removed from both American versions of the game, it is the only mobile suit not to have its original pilot, Mashmyre Cello.
-Though four machines were removed from Battle Assault 2, their game data remains hidden and can be accessed using a cheating device. The player must choose to replace one of the available units, however, and the pilots of the dummied mobile suits are glitched versions of existing characters (Akahana and Domon). The only exception is The O that has Paptimus Scirocco as pilot instead of glitched character, he doesn't have a victory quote though.
-The original Gundam was included in the Battle Master series, but was generally considered a sub-par character. Since Mobile Suit Gundam had recently aired in America, it received a major revamp in Battle Assault 2, with many considering it a top-tier character. This is thanks to many new moves and combo options, as well as its devastating super move (the Gundam Hammer), which can take an entire bar off the opponent's life.
-Gundam Epyon's attacks in Battle Assault 2 are modelled after its attacks in Gundam Wing: Endless Duel. The only changes made are the addition of an unblockable beam sword attack, and a new super move.
-Fans of Battle Assault 2 consider Gundam Maxter's story mode the most challenging, as the player must take on the Big Zam while using what is generally considered a sub-par character. Fans also consider good win records with the Acguy and Ball to be a special feat, while certain units (notably Heavyarms) are considered "scrub" characters.
-Battle Assault 2 features voice acting for several characters, most notably Amuro, Char, Dozle, and the primary casts of G Gundam and Gundam Wing. This marks the first and only time that G-Unit character Valder Farkill has been voiced by an American actor.