N64: Super Robot Spirits Review

[retro junkie]

This review is taken from a series of reviews I did a couple of years ago concerning the fighters available for the N64.

This is defiantly a fan based fighting game. I think it is  based on some anime series, Super Robot Spirit, Super Robot Wars, that I am not familiar with except through this game. If you love the Gundam type mecha franchise and own an N64 then this game may be for you. I am under the impression that there are not that many carts available, being that, the game sold under 10,000 copies at its initial release. Or? Maybe there were a lot of copies that went unsold. Who knows? It was only released in Japan. Famitsu list it in the top selling N64 games in Japan as #80. Which was only 8,919 carts sold from 1996 through 2003. That really gives a bad impression on how well the N64 game did in Japan. With that many copies sold, the question comes to mind, "Is it a bad game?"



The game is in Japanese, but it being a fighting game makes it easy to get into. Your only loss is not knowing what is going on in the story mode, which is the mode highlighted when the game boots up in the start menu. Move down the menu until you see the number 64. This would be the mode which is the gauntlet, single player, fighting mecha after mecha until the end boss, Judecca. Right under the story mode is the "VS" mode. It appears that there are only 10 fighters to choose from and several of those must be unlocked.



This is really a 2D game, in gameplay, in a pseudo 3D environment. Backgrounds in the game lack imagination. The mecha units are polygonal in design which works well for the characters. They are suppose to look like robots anyway, right? The graphics, not having a lot of detail, are colorful, simple, and clean, animation is smooth. Each Gundam type mecha character is easily recognizable by their own unique design and individual color palette. I find the control responsive and tight. Each fighter has a common kick and punch with their own signature special moves. Some of the special moves are determined by how full the energy bar. That bar fills as you engage your opponent. And you are not limited to fighting just on the ground. Any time you want, you can take it to the air with the right shoulder button. I like this. It adds so much to the gameplay.



I find it a nice little fighter in the list of things available for the console. The game is easy to pick up and play. Moves are easy to learn and initiate. I find the fights fun and engaging. I haven't watched any of the anime series, so I am not that familiar with the characters, or story. Even though I don't know who they are, I still find it a fun and enjoyable game to sit down to and get into the action. It is a simple fighter with big chunkie ginormous mecha. Whats not to love? Even though I have had this a short time, I still cannot beat that end boss Judecca. But I will. To answer that question I posed at the beginning, no it is not a bad game. It may not be for every gamer, but if you love the genre and have this thing for big mecha, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. It is really not that hard to find or that expensive, even for a CIB copy. I am glad to have this in my N64 library. How do I rate this game? I am going to have to place this up there as being "great game."