Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars | |
---|---|
Banpresoft | |
Publisher(s) |
|
Platform(s) | Platforms |
First release | Super Robot Wars April 20, 1991 |
Latest release | Super Robot Wars 30 October 28, 2021 |
Super Robot Wars, known in Japan as Super Robot Taisen,
Games
Most are standalone games, whose background stories may involve the plots of the included series, but no other Super Robot Wars titles. However, there are several main continuities existing with a large Multiverse:
- Classic
- Consists of the 2nd, the 3rd, EX, F and F Final games (in that order).[4] F and F Final replaced the 4th, while 2G is not considered canon, due to its non-inclusion in the Complete Box set. The side-story Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental is divided into two parts: "Part One" occurs before the 2nd and "Part Two" after the 4th (4th was released before F and F Final). The primary antagonist organization of this series is known as DC (Divine Crusaders).
- Masou Kishin
- Consists of Gaiden: Masou Kishin - The Lord of Elemental, OG Saga: Masou Kishin 2 - Revelation of Evil God, OG Saga: Masou Kishin 3 - Pride of Justice and OG Saga: Masou Kishin F – Coffin of the End (in that order). Gaiden: Masou Kishin - The Lord of Elemental for the SFC was ported as a remake for the NDS (with a series first use of the OG Saga prefix replacing Gaiden.) and later as a remake of that DS version in a limited edition bundle with part 2 of this series, named OG Saga: Masou Kishin I & II, for the PSP. The last two titles in this series were released for the PS3 (the former also was ported to the PS Vita).
- Alpha
- Consists of Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 games (in that order). "Part One" of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental also provides relevant information, taking place before Alpha.
- Compact
- Consists of Compact, Compact 2 and Compact 3 games for the Wonderswan (in that order). The first series game on WS Compact was remade as Compact for WonderSwan Color for the Wonderswan Color. Compact 2 was released as three chapters for the WonderSwan; the trilogy was later compiled with updated visuals, sound and new content as Impact for the PS2.
- Impact
- Consists of Impact and MX games for the PS2. Previously, Compact 2 was released as three chapters for the WonderSwan; the trilogy was later compiled with updated visuals, sound and new content as Impact for the PS2. Despite the sharing of gameplay mechanics between all of the Wonderswan games, and the similarities between Impact and MX, Compact 2 and Impact are not tied to any other games in the series. MX for the PS2 is seen as a direct sequel to Impact as it reuses several of the same series of the latter and has similar gameplay elements and much of its soundtrack remixed from the one in Impact. MX was ported to the PSP with minor adjustments and additions.
- Original Generation
- This series does not feature any manga or anime characters at all, instead starring the "Banpresto Originals", original characters made specifically for previous games in the series. This timeline draws upon from all previous continuities. Both Original Generation games for the GBA which were released in the US were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Super Robot Wars Original Generations, followed by the sequel Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, the remake version of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental, Masō Kishin 2: Revelation of Evil God, 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation, Masō Kishin 3: Pride of Justice, Masō Kishin F: Coffin of The End and Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Moon Dwellers. Also part of the Original Generation series is the Endless Frontier series, composing of Endless Frontier and Endless Frontier Exceed, which is set after Original Generation Gaiden. This continuity was the only one to have had titles officially released in the West. The Moon Dwellers is one of the first in the series that has an English translation for the Japanese market.
- Z
- This continuity consists of Z, Z Special Disk, Z2, and Z3 in that order. The story focuses on the Twelve Spheres, which play an important part in the game's story line. This timeline is well-known for introducing an extremely large amount of debuting series, on a scale that previous SRW titles have never reached. In addition, Z3 was the first SRW game to have HD sprites.
- International Era
- Consists of V, X, T and 30. This continuity is commonly named this due to SRW V being the first mainline game to receive official translation and release outside of Japan. Using the engine utilized in Z3, these games are independent of each other plot-wise.
- Mobile games
- Consists of X-Omega and DD. X-Omega is a departure from SRW's usual turn-based strategy formula, and is more similar to a defense-type game, where units are placed and commanded to defend against invading enemies. It is known to have an extremely large number of debuting series, and also have non-mecha anime crossovers.
- DD returns to the usual SRW turn-based strategy formula, and battles are much more reminiscent of normal SRW games. However, players are only allowed to deploy 4 of their own units at a time, and instead of mechs being pulled from the gacha, attacks are instead.
Recurring elements
Story
In most games, the player selects or is given a Banpresto original character and machine, who is connected to the overarching storyline which ties together the events of the constituent anime for the game. Some featured anime also has their plots intertwined: in
One of the most notable recurring changes in the series is the near-complete absence of character death. Whenever the game gets to a point that a character died within their anime, the games will frequently use an element from another series to ensure the character's survival. This is likely done in order for the games to appeal to a broader audience.
Gameplay
Battles in Super Robot Wars are turn-based. The player usually gets to move their forces first, one at a time, then control switches to the game's AI. When a unit attacks, the target reacts by blocking (increasing defense against the attack), evading (reducing the attack's chance to hit), or countering (striking back with their own attack). Once chosen, the battle animation is played out. If the player unit is not destroyed and successfully damaged the enemy, then the unit gains experience points. All battles are carried out either the terrain of land, air, sea or space, which affects the performance of machines, pilots and weapons in various ways. The battlefield also contains objects which grant various effects. For example, besides providing repair and energy refill, a military base also provides land units with defense bonus but will hinder them from moving freely. In addition to standard mecha and vehicle units, the player often has one or more "Battleships", air- or spacecraft units that in addition to powerful long-ranged attacks, can also dock other units to refill energy, repair damage.
Units in-game are generally separated into two categories: "
Weapons carry various attributes other than range, accuracy modifier and attack power. All weapons can be divided into melee and shooting categories that determine its effectiveness by pilots' status. Other attributes can be affected by terrain or a target's defensive ability. In addition, some units make use of "MAP Weapons" which affect multiple squares at once, with some damaging everything in the area and others, such as Cybuster's Cyflash, ignoring allies. Some games feature weapons which inflict status effects on enemies that drain their energy, weaken their armor or damage the pilot's stats.
History
Origins and development
In 1990, Japanese video game developer
Banpresto outsourced development of earlier Super Robot Wars games to Japanese studio Winkysoft.[10] Beginning with Super Robot Wars Complete Box in 1999, the company moved production in-house, with Banpresto's consumer game division Banpresoft handling development of future installments. Sugiura intended for 4th Super Robot Wars to be the final entry, however the franchise's lasting popularity prompted the creation of further sequels to meet demand.[11] The company placed Takanobu Terada in the role of series producer; he at first showed little interest in its super-deformed character designs and gameplay structure.[12] As Super Robot Wars sequels added more original character designs and its scope expanded, Terada showed more appreciation and embraced his role. Sugiura hoped the series could help introduce its players to the anime and manga series featured in each installment, commenting that he hoped it would "sell more and more for 20 years".[11]
In 2005, Banpresto's parent company
Localization
Many mecha titles included are released only in Japan and the number of titles involved within a single game make for complicated rights and licensing issues releasing it elsewhere. Before
In early 2016, Bandai Namco have announced that Super Robot Wars OG: Moon Dwellers and Super Robot Wars V will be given an English release for the Southeastern Asian version along with a Chinese translation.[19] In December 2017, Bandai Namco announced that Super Robot Wars X would be released in English for Southeast Asia market in 2018. In November 2018, Bandai Namco announced that Super Robot Wars T will be released in English for Southeast Asian market in 2019. Super Robot Wars 30 has had a global release on the Steam platform in all regions, marking the first time in about 13 years that a Super Robot Wars game was released in such a manner.[20]
Reception and sales
As of April 2014, the Super Robot Wars series has exceeded 16 million copies across all platforms.[21] The debut entry sold a combined 190,000 units and became a best-seller for the Game Boy during its first few weeks on the market.[22] The best-selling entry is Super Robot Wars α on the PlayStation, having sold over 715,000 copies.[23] Super Robot Wars games have become consistent best-sellers for both Banpresto and Bandai Namco, having regularly appeared on top sales charts in Japan as late as 2019.[24][25][26] As of 2022, the series has shipped over 20 million copies worldwide.[27]
Ollie Bardner, a writer for
The games' main influence is the creation of animated shows influenced by original units and characters created for the games. The best examples are
The series was certified by the Guinness World Records for the "most intellectual property licenses used in a role-playing video game series".[29]
Related media
Music
JAM Project, consisting of veteran anime theme musicians, like Hironobu Kageyama, Rica Matsumoto, Eizo Sakamoto, Masaaki Endoh, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui and Yoshiki Fukuyama have also contributed to many Super Robot Wars soundtracks, usually providing the opening theme song and the song played over the closing credits. The series also spawned a set of concerts and albums called "Super Robot Spirits", where veteran vocalists—some of whom would go on to form JAM Project—sing covers of popular mecha anime openings, and in some cases, live versions of songs they themselves originally sang.
Anime
Manga
There have been several Manga adaptations that retell the stories of the Super Robot Wars series. Super Robot Wars Divine Wars (スーパーロボット大戦OG ディバイン・ウォーズ, Sūpā Robotto Taisen Ō Jī Dibain Wōzu) by Akihiro Kimura tells the story of the
Net radio
SRWOG Net Radio - Umasugi Wave (スパロボOGネットラジオ うますぎWAVE, Suparobo Ō Jī Neto Rajio Umasugi Wēbu) began to air to go along with the release of the
See also
- List of Japanese role-playing game franchises
Notes
References
- ^ "ラインナップ | スーパーロボット大戦 公式サイト[SRW]". Suparobo.jp. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Takanobu Terada Hints at Big Plans for "Super Robot Wars" Series". www.crunchyroll.com. 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ^ "Super Robot Wars 30 announced for PS4, Switch, and PC". www.gematsu.com. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
- ^ "Super Robot Taisen (Classic Series) (Retrospective)". www.hardcoregaming101.net. 2011-08-12. Archived from the original on 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
- Nintendo Life (in Japanese). Gamer Network. Archivedfrom the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ ISBN 4-8222-2550-X.
- ^ "スーパーロボット大戦 (ゲームボーイ)". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ a b Barder, Ollie (22 April 2014). "All is fair in love and Super Robot Wars". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ a b SilverStarRipper (12 August 2011). "Super Robot Wars". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 27 October 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- Forbes. Archived from the originalon 21 June 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ a b スーパーロボット大戦シリーズ20周年記念特製ブックレット [Super Robot Taisen series 20th anniversary special booklet] (in Japanese). Banpresto. 18 March 2012. p. 35.
- SoftBank Publishing. Dorimaga. 25 April 2003. pp. 41–43.
- CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon 24 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
- ^ Karlin, David (31 March 2006). "Bandai and Namco Finalize Merger Details". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ Curse, Inc. Archived from the originalon 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ Gantayat, Anoop (6 April 2011). "Banpresto and Bec Merge to Form B.B. Studio". www.andriasang.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
- ^ "Atlus Announces Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation for the Game Boy Advance". 2006-03-03. Archived from the original on 2010-11-16. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
- ^ "Atlus busts out with Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier for DS". Gonintendo.com. 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ^ Barder, Ollie (February 18, 2016). "'Super Robot Wars OG The Moon Dwellers' Will Be Getting An English Localized Release". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (2021-07-14). "Gundam, Mazinger, SSSS.Gridman, and more collide in new Super Robot Wars game". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
- ^ "「スーパーロボット大戦」シリーズ累計出荷本数1,600万本突破。第1作のHDリメイク版がPS Storeで販売開始" [Cumulative shipment of "Super Robot Wars" series exceeded 16 million. The first HD remake version is now available on the PS Store]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Aetas. 24 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ISBN 4073107178.
- ^ "Game Search (based on Famitsu data)". Game Data Library. 1 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. Archived from the originalon 14 May 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- Gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the originalon 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Romano, Sal (27 March 2019). "Media Create Sales: 3/18/19 – 3/24/19". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ [1] Bandai Namco group fact book 2022, P. 03
- USgamer. Reedpop. Archived from the originalon 21 March 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Super Robot Wars 30 RPG's New Video Unveils More Titles in Lineup, October 28 Launch". 6 June 2023.
External links
- Banpresto's official SRW site (in Japanese)
- SRW's Official Blog (in Japanese)