As we’ve mentioned a few times already, the lovely Cloud Breaker 01 from the Xbox game Murakumo is now set for release in January of next year. Whilst the game was a bit bobbins, the mecha designed by Takayuki Yanase were beautiful to behold. It seems that PLUM have done an exemplary job too. You can also pre-order the kit here.

Update: GA Graphic has a nice update about the kit as well.

The promotional in-game movie for Gaia Blade that was shown at the 2001 Tokyo Game Show displayed a rather lush “real time simulation” RPG set in a mythical almost ancient Greek inspired landscape. A scantily clad female warrior dispensed with multiple beasts in a pretty brutal fashion.

Roll forward a year to the following Tokyo Game Show and now people were asking what had happened to Gaia Blade. This time there weren’t any in-game movies but instead a few instances of pre-production artwork. Again, set in the mythical world but now with bipedal mecha and the game’s name had been changed to that of Gaia Gear. Admittedly, very few were surprised to see mecha in a From Software game but they were confused after seeing in-game footage of what looked to be an entirely different type of game. The question on everybody’s lips was what in the hell was From Software doing?

A year later a game finally appeared, the name had changed yet again as had the setting but the same design of bi-pedal mecha were present; the world had finally been introduced to Chrome Hound: Age of Arms.

The reason behind some of the delay and the navel gazing prevarication was that Chrome Hound was going to be From Software’s first major foray into the world of online gaming via Xbox Live (the likes of Thousand Land doesn’t really count here, after all it wasn’t very online intensive). They had waited until the moment was right and that moment was when Kenichiro Tsukuda finished Armored Core 3 Silent Line.

Tsukuda was the first producer at From Software to attempt a game that utilised online gaming via a console. That game was Frame Gride and the console in question was that of the mighty Dreamcast. Unfortunately, Frame Gride wasn’t exactly the best of games and when it competed with the likes of Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, which also had a dedicated online service, it fell a little short of the mark.

However, Tsukuda’s work hadn’t gone unnoticed and he was subsequently asked to helm Armored Core 2. It wasn’t long until these games utilised USB modem versus, allowing players to directly dial one another and play over the phone (at an exorbitant cost we should add). It was also around this time that the existence of Armored Core Sigma was leaked, effectively a PlayOnline Armored Core game that would feature a battlefield comprised of human piloted AC’s with an operator overseeing each faction.

As such, when Chrome Hounds finally took its final form in the pre-production stages that it was only logical that they use the most experienced man for the job. At the 2003 Tokyo Game Show Tsukuda stood on the stage and showed the world what From Software had been working on.

Chrome Hound was a game where two teams of five players entered a battle zone and attempted to wipe each other out. On each side there was also a fixed commander (in a bunker or some such) that gave tactical instructions to the four other players. From the off it was clear that Chrome Hound was going to be an involved online experience. Visually it looked very similar to that of Steel Battalion too but due to the absence of the huge controller it was obvious that the game would be playable by mere mortals.

Punters even got a chance to play the game in online multiplayer matches. The game received positive press and it seemed that finally the Japanese public would be interested in buying some of these new fangled Xboxes.

Then, in the almost three year long tradition, the game disappeared yet again. Releases dates never came and the press machine lost interest. It seemed that Chrome Hound had entered production hell never to be seen again.

It wasn’t until mid-2004 that Microsoft announced that a game called “Chrome Hounds” would be appearing on the upcoming console, the Xbox 360. The game looked like a severely upgraded version of its Xbox progenitor and it appeared that somehow SEGA was now involved. It wasn’t until the following year’s Tokyo Game Show that the curtain would be finally pulled back and people would finally see what the hell had been going on.

Re-birth and release

A lot changed from the Xbox version that Tsukuda displayed in 2003, for one the production team was completely different. Tsukuda was no longer helming or associated with the project and instead it was given to Toshifumi Nabeshima to oversee, this is hardly surprising given the fact that Nabeshima is one of the founding fathers of From Software’s prestigious mecha gaming reputation. Moreover, an entirely new branch of From Software had come into view, in the form of From Networks. The underlying networking was so intensive that it had to be farmed out to the newly formed sister company. This alone boded well for the quality of the networking infrastructure; clearly, they wanted to get Chrome Hounds playing flawlessly online at launch.

The other big change in terms of management was the presence of SEGA as publisher. Normally, From Software handled all their own publishing, which is also one of the main reasons why their games have had a hard time leaving the Japanese marketplace (From Software lack any branches abroad, making it difficult to directly publish their games in other regions).

SEGA are very much a global company and couple this with the whole From Networks setup it’s clear to see that Chrome Hounds would be a globally online game. All of these elements coalesced into a unified online setup that would use dedicated servers hosted by SEGA. Ultimately, it was this uncompromising approach to the game’s online infrastructure that in part lead to its eventual downfall.

At the time, Chrome Hounds was a game moving into uncharted territory as the bulk of its content and worth depended on its online community. So it’s hardly surprising prior to its release, the gaming press had a field day. Put simply, the offline singleplayer element was nothing more than a glorified training mode.

Due to the fact the game lacked a community at that time meant that the offline component was the only part of the game that could be really appraised. Unsurprisingly the reviews were far from glowing. However, for those that were curious Chrome Hounds ended up offering something unique and wonderfully well crafted.

The Neroimus War

Chrome Hounds was set in the semi-near future where solar flares had rendered flight impossible as well as any form of space travel. Knocking out all communication and surveillance satellites, the world was thrust into a ground based existence. A new breed of weapon was developed; a large customisable mecha with various types of locomotion available. Colloquially known as Hounds, these mecha would form the backbone of almost any engagement.

What made Chrome Hounds so very special though was its approach to a persistent online battleground. Dubbed the Neroimus War, the player picked one of three sides; Morskoj, SalKar and Tarakia. Each battle won or lost would change the map of the war and eventually one side would win. This meant that players were part of something larger and could see, however slight, their effect on the battlefield.

Each battle comprised of opposing teams of Hounds, with their respective bases that needed defending or destroying. Crossing each map also required players to capture command towers. These would not only allow players to talk with one another once captured but also increase the viewable range of their commander. The latter was a crucial element to how the game worked, as it was necessary to have a tactically minded commander that could see the big picture and give instructions clearly to their teammates.

Unlike the original Xbox game, the commander was actually another specially equipped Hound also on the battlefield. Whilst it could equip weapons, the weight of the command apparatus limited the firepower quite a bit. This forced the commander to often take a back seat role in combat and instead focus on how the battle itself was playing out. Due to the fact that most Hounds were relatively slow ground pounders, the emphasis on good team tactics was subsequently very high. Woe betide any gung-ho fool that ran into the thick of combat without paying heed to the instructions of their commander.

Modular Customisation

Another major aspect to the game was its approach to the building and customisation of your Hound. In some ways, the customisation in Chrome Hounds was similar to Armored Core, which is hardly surprising really. However, whilst it based the building of each Hound around fixed categories (such as core, legs, arms, generator etc.) the means by which you combined them was very different.

Working within a weight limit you could create all manner of Hound configurations, using spacers and armor parts. There weren’t any real restrictions on how and were you could put things. It was a remarkable system and offered an enormous amount of freedom to the player.

It wasn’t uncommon to meet another Hound on the battlefield sporting all manner of bizarre configurations, with armor plates placed in front of the cockpit through careful use of spacers and extended mechanical proboscae of weapons teetering off at odd angles. It really was a wonderful approach to mecha creation and customisation. The overall parts list was also pretty substantial too, meaning that on top of the freedom player’s had in constructing their Hound they also had a large choice of parts to pick from. Whilst many rightfully hold Chrome Hounds’ online setup in high regard, the hound customisation was equally as progressive.

Shutdown and Legacy

On January 6th 2010 SEGA shut down Chrome Hounds’ dedicated servers, effectively ripping the heart out of the game. Whilst you can still buy the game, playing the offline training missions is a pretty depressing endeavour after what was arguably one of the most refreshing online multiplayer setups of recent years.

That said Chrome Hounds’ troubled birth and untimely death have borne fruit across other games though. For instance the massive “unidentified weapons” in the form of the M99 Patriot, MSK-X0 and Ghalib, were in many ways precursors to the epic Arms Forts seen in Armored Core For Answer. In addition the whole approach to a commander overseeing a battlefield made up of real human players has also made its way into Armored Core V, with its new operator role.

Maybe if SEGA had managed to handle the reviews better, allowing the press to see the game within some form of closed beta and having some people to play with online, then Chrome Hounds might have gotten off to a better start. Unfortunately, without decent sales and subsequent pickup of the numerous DLC packs the dedicated servers were ultimately going to be Chrome Hounds’ greatest asset but also instrumental in its downfall. If anything Chrome Hounds was sadly before its time, as now its approach to online multiplayer might have been appreciated more. Either way, Chrome Hounds was in many aspects a revolutionary game and despite its apparent failure its legacy continues to this day.

The current Wonder Festival coverage has recently surfaced and there is a veritable panoply of mecha gaming related kits that have been displayed. From the the wonderful Kotobukiya stall showing the first Nineball from the original Armored Core games as well as the Sobrero from Armored Core For Answer. In addition, their Jehuty kit also finally reared its head too. However, the most impressive kits shown are from PLUM’s stall with the suspected Valken kit shown as well as an amazingly intricate Cloudbreaker 01 from Murakumo, the latter was originally shown at this year’s Winter event.

Similar to a post we made back in 2009, GameSetWatch have found another industrious individual has taken the epic Steel Battalion controller and used it for
DJ-ing purposes. Called the “Zero System”, no doubt a nod to Gundam Wing, The Asterite as he’s known also has two additional joysticks to help him mix. Again, we always find this re-purposing of gaming hardware pretty nifty and we’re always happy to see more use made out of the brilliant Steel Battalion controller.

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Famitsu has the scoop on a big LAN party for the suitably wonderful Xbox game, Tekki Taisen (or Steel Battalion: Line of Contact) that was renowned for its online play setup. Specifically the “Project FireWorks” group has organised this awesome gathering as well as helped to show off the scratch built VT kits by a chap called “nanaC”. The event gathered over 100 fans of 5 by 5 teams, some even brought their own homemade cockpits. Many met one another for the first time too, despite having played together via an online battlefield. In any case, it’s nice to see that the fans still support games like these. Whilst there is a new Steel Battalion game on the way, we still think a properly complex controller is still what made the original games so very special. Thanks to Atsushi Kawashima for the heads up.

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What with Wonder Festival 2011 Winter going on, a bunch of places online have been reporting the event. Whilst the unnerving majority of the figures being shown are of scantily clad ladies, there are also still a fair few mecha on display. Specifically the announcement of a RIOBOT figure of Detonator Orgun, that was featured in Super Robot Wars W, to the somewhat more niche Cloud Breaker 01 kit from Murakumo.

Whilst this is yet another cool looking kit from PLUM, of prior Leynos fame, the Murakumo mecha are curious due to the man who penned them. Specifically, that of Takayuki Yanase who’s had a rather gilded career as a mecha designer in his own right since he left From Software. Something that From Software have been keen to capitalise on, as this design was featured (albeit modified) in the first Another Century’s Episode, not to mention the Ixbrau units Yanese exclusively designed for Another Century’s Episode 3. He even worked on the OG mecha for Super Robot Wars W too. In any case, whilst Murakumo was a pretty wonky game the designwork was lovely. So this is yet another kit that’s been added to our wish list.

If you want to have a gander at the remaining reportage for the current Wonder Festival, then GA Graphic and AkibaHobby (pages here and here) should satiate your needs. A mild warning though, as some of those links aren’t exactly work safe. We’ve also included some videos of the Cloud Breaker 01 in action below.

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A chap on flickr by the name of m_o_n_k_e_y has been rendering various cool mecha in Lego form. Specifically, he’s moved onto the vertical tanks from the original Steel Battalion games on the Xbox as designed by the wonderful Junji Okubo. The above model is based on the Vitzh, that’s basically the grunt of the VT forces. The guy has even had a crack at the internal cockpit as well, which is pretty cool really. Thanks to Persona for the heads-up on this.

What do you get when you combine Halo’s number one star and a Zaku II? You get the custom job you see above, built upon a Master Grade Gundam Zaku II Ver. 1.0 kit. Via Figure.fm.

Then Metal Wolf Chaos was announced and it was apparent that the Otogi production was supposedly behind this, well at least on paper. In reality, many of the Armored Core team were apparently “getting involved” in the game’s creation and the final result is something truly surprising and quite functionally invigorating.

The premise of Metal Wolf Chaos is quite unusual; the President of the United States of America has been subject to a coup d’etat by his very own Vice President. Michael Wilson, the usurped Pesident, isn’t going down without a fight though and so he dons his custom power armor and tries to go on a cross-country campaign to re-take the White House. Each mission is contained within a specific environment, much of which can be blown to pieces along with whatever else stands in his way.

The game is very much a third person shooter with a very standardised dual analogue control setup. The only elements that really categorise the game within the mecha genre are its use of weight coupled with boosting. Admittedly, your power armor is equipped with a suitably ludicrous amount of weaponry (that inexplicably fits into the two large shoulder pods at the rear) but the weapons are not that far off human scale so the subsequent action feels more grounded as a consequence.

On first impressions though the game is a bit of a con. As the opening and subsequent in-game cutscenes, many of which were used to promote the game at launch, show Michael Wilson’s “Metal Wolf” power armor flying through the sky and boosting around in a far more carefree manner than the game allows. Along with a selection of weaponry and abilities that are remarkably potent, such as landing on a tank from a height effectively crushing it, the cutscenes display a level of functional potency absent in-game. So when you finally enter into the game, the amount and speed at which you can boost around is hugely reduced. Couple that with the somewhat underpowered starting weapons and you do feel as though you’ve been partially duped.

This was something that took a while to shake off, as the sheer amount of functional restriction was hugely irritating especially after playing the far more free form Armored Core games. That said this “tsundere” approach is very much a From Software calling card. After pouring more time into the game it gradually became apparent, through subsequent weapon acquisitions, that Metal Wolf Chaos was a fiendishly well crafted shooter. The boosting that initially drive me somewhat spare, was actually quite nuanced; as the initial acceleration on a boost could be used to travel faster and more precisely if carefully chained together. In some ways it was almost akin to fathoming the depth in GunValkyrie’s approach to boosting, though arguably this was far more straightforward. In any case, it was becoming very obvious that the game was incredibly good.

Then there’s the story and this was probably why the game engenders such a cult following. The voice acting was entirely in English and hugely hammed up with it. Many initially thought that the narrative was actually delivered straight and that’s what a Japanese developer, such as From Software, actually thought about the American Presidency. In truth, it was actually quite clever satire as much of the game purposefully exaggerates the selfish arrogance and insecurity of those in power, as Michael Wilson ultimately destroys half the nation he is trying to take back, including a memorable section where you attack an armored version of the White House (shrewdly called the “Fight House”). As far as he is concerned, Wilson still thinks it’s “his” country and screw the Republic. It’s just that the way Japanese satire displays this obvious hypocrisy as being overtly silly, rather than through acerbic wit, meant that many took the whole setup literally.

The really interesting aspect to the narrative though was how it displayed the fickle nature of the American media and especially the news networks. As the moment Michael Wilson is ousted, he’s labelled as a terrorist and even the fictional “DNN” network openly approve of the fascist mindset that the nation has descended into. The parallels with networks like Fox News are subsequently quite unnerving and you get the feeling that this was entirely intended.

Apparently this satire hit too close to home and the game was held back from a Western release. The fickle portrayal of the American media was something most Western publishers were very much wary of (as the media was responsible for promoting their gaming output). However, From Software had unwittingly used an unsanctioned version of the Presidential Seal, which gave many American publishers a way out. Ultimately, the lack of a European release belies the real issue here as there is no reason why the Presidential Seal couldn’t be used abroad (after all game was successfully published in Japan without any problems).

Satire aside, Metal Wolf Chaos is very much a well wrought game. From the large selection of disparate weapons, to the intricate environments it’s a game that has to be thoroughly investigated. Despite the somewhat ostentatious presentation the game is actually quite nuanced and, to fully appreciate its functional scope, a similar level of insight is required as with From Software’s other games. It is more approachable in terms of its controls compared to something like Armored Core, which has a level of notoriety in that department, but it still expects the player to invest their time and skill to master the Metal Wolf. Once you reach this threshold, the game opens up into a playground of unbridled destruction.

Overall, Metal Wolf Chaos is a game many could initially play but not necessarily master. Couple that with its very Japanese satire and you have a game that’s probably quite misunderstood but has weathered that in a uniquely positive manner. There’s a lot more to this game than many may appreciate but if you persevere there’s something rather wonderful in store.

Tamashii: 9/10

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Specifically, the four Gungriffon games that have graced multiple consoles over the years. These games pre-date From Software’s perennial Armored Core series but due to a number of factors, both cultural and financial, the games have never quite garnered the appreciation they so sorely deserved.

This is not to say that the Gungriffon games haven’t been critically lauded over the years but they haven’t reached the broader appeal that something like Heavy Gear did for instance, despite both series sharing similar base rulesets for the mecha. Amusingly, the design of mecha themselves has often been mistakenly attributed to be Western in origin, despite the obvious linkages to Ryosuke Takahashi’s VOTOMS series, something that again Heavy Gear shares. As such, we’ll delve into the series as a whole and examine what has made these games remain such a cult hit.

Gungriffon (Saturn)

In March of 1996, a new kind of mecha game was released to the world. Set in the first person, the player worked within the cockpit of an Armored Walking Gun System (or AWGS) mecha as they traversed massive battle fields also teeming with similar enemy units. As Saturn games went Gungriffon was graphically particularly advanced for the time and, despite a moderate learning curve with the controls, quite tactile too. Heavily inspired by the functional parameters seen in VOTOMS, the AWGS mecha in Gungriffon utilised rollers in their feet but unlike the AT’s in VOTOMS could also fly for a short period as well.

Unlike Virtual On, which was then 6 months away from a console release, Gungriffon was a very straightforward and direct mecha game. Where the player basically just had to point and shoot for the most part. However, unlike a standard approach to an FPS, the mecha retained their mass and subsequent momentum. Managing the additional roller and flight elements also added an extra layer of depth as well.

On paper, this sounds like an instant gaming hit and it had also gotten the drop on the first Armored Core by a good 18 months. In addition, it received a swift release across the world. So what went wrong?

The main issue with the original Gungriffon’s lack of sales was mostly down to the console it was released on. Despite all of its graphical veneer and functional prowess, the Saturn’s lack of popularity left the first Gungriffon almost dead on arrival. It garnered a selection of very positive reviews though and the Western press, for once, actually appreciated what the game was trying to achieve. However, the more mainstream gamers failed to take stock of the game’s existence. This was especially true outside of Japan.

Gungriffon II (Saturn)

Released two years later, Gungriffon II had a long list of improvements in the form of additional control features as well as 4 player multiplayer (if you linked your Saturn’s together). From the optional usage of Virtual On’s twinsticks to the ability for two players to control one AWGS. GameArts added a fair amount to the already existing game. Unfortunately, the game hadn’t moved on graphically at all and some even thought the game had regressed visually. This significantly harmed the game in terms of sales in Japan, though it still retained a favourable critical response in light of its functional improvements.

Ultimately though, the game remained as taut as its previous offering but unlike the previous game this iteration wasn’t published by GameArts. Instead ESP stepped in and covered off the financial backing. This might explain why it was rushed to release, as ESP probably wanted to make good on their investment before the Dreamcast was released later in the year. This would have explained the obvious lack of visual polish prior to release. This wouldn’t be the first time that a separate publisher sullied the Gungriffon series either.

Gungriffon Blaze (PlayStation 2)

After the lacklustre sales of the Saturn games, GameArts obviously decided to put Gungriffon on a console that had a greater number of units in the marketplace. Gungriffon Blaze was the game that followed this thinking and was launched on the PlayStation 2 very near to the console’s release. Admittedly, they took a gamble but the reasoning that the PlayStation 2 would follow on from the success of the original PlayStation was suitably sound at the time. They’d also put more development time into this sequel and the subsequent polish was self evident.

Consequently, Blaze did very well and not only garnered further critical acclaim but also reached gamers the prior two Saturn efforts had wholly failed to. Unfortunately, Armored Core 2 was released literally a week before Blaze in Japan so this was the first and only time the two series battled it out on the same platform. Despite it’s quality Blaze was pretty much eclipsed by Armored Core 2 on launch, which is obviously unfortunate but Armored Core had greater momentum as it had secured a bigger and more loyal fanbase in the years earlier.

That said, Blaze is possibly the finest iteration in the Gungriffon series. As its speed and responsive controls made it a truly visceral arcade experience, though some argue this was down to Capcom’s input as they published the game in Japan. It’s also one of the most accessible iterations as the controls, compared to the Saturn games at least, used dual analogue inputs. This was something that Armored Core, the Gungriffon series’ main rival, wouldn’t match for another four years until Armored Core Nexus was released.

It’s hard to fault Blaze on functional level, though there were a few annoying control issues these were mostly irrelevant after a very brief learning curve. A learning curve considerably less foreboding when compared to Armored Core 2. Yet in spite of all these obviously accessible features, Blaze still couldn’t quite make a dent in its competition.

Gungriffon Allied Strike (Xbox)

On paper, Allied Strike offered considerably more than Blaze could have ever hoped to. Online multiplayer was one major element but the player could finally utilise both a first and third person camera now too. However, Allied Strike was a completely travesty for the series.

Functionally whilst quite precise, the overall game ran very slowly. This is not to say its framerate was in any way lacking but that the AWGS’s themselves moved at a slower pace. In addition the flight controls from Blaze were quite noticeably directionally limited, as was the rolling functionality. So you were locked in more in terms of your basic movement. A lot of this may have stemmed from the new online multiplayer focus, so as to keep multiplayer matches more tactical and balanced, but the singleplayer game suffered quite noticeably as a consequence.

The most bizarre fault of Allied Strike though was how badly it looked. Considering that this was released four years after Blaze and on more potent hardware, you would expect a bit of a visual facelift. At the very least a much greater level area and draw distance, things that would actually functionally matter.

Unbelievably, Allied Strike looked worse than Blaze did for the most part and had a far shorter draw distance to boot. Again, fingers have been pointed at Tecmo as they acted as the Japanese publisher for the game and that they actively encouraged feature creep to keep the game competitive with successful Western FPS games at the time. Though in typical fashion they probably still expected GameArts to hit their release date, so again the developer focused on making the game work at the expense of the visual polish.

Allied Strike was critically panned on release, mostly down to how painfully dated it was and that the immediacy seen in Blaze was long gone. In some ways, Allied Strike tried to emulate a simulation type of approach, which didn’t really fit the series’ lineage.

It’s a sad footnote for a series that has, despite its best intentions and innate quality, been undermined by factors like the host hardware and shortsighted publishers. That said, there’s still an opportunity here for GameArts to make something more considered for this generation of consoles, as Blaze is evidence enough that the Gungriffon series can deliver. Whether they’ll seize that remains to be seen though.