Please note that this is the Gundam Wiki's article on PlayStation 2 game; if you are looking for the article on the movie it draws its plot from then you should head to Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space. |
Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is a Third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 released in 2003. The game is centered on space based mobile suit combat. Developed and published by Bandai, the game is based on the Universal Century timeline of the popular Gundam franchise.
Rather than tell a single continuous story, the single-player game in Encounters in Space is broken up into a few short vignettes that take place over the course of four years. These vignettes are accounts of several significant battles during and after the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon.
The main story mode of Encounters in Space is essentially a game adaptation of the Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space compilation movie, and it also serves as a sequel of sorts to the previous PS2 game Journey to Jaburo (whose story mode covered Mobile Suit Gundam I and Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow). Furthermore, as with Journey to Jaburo, the main story mode of Encounters in Space features new 2D-animated cutscenes of the Mobile Suit Gundam series.
Gameplay[]
The game takes place entirely in Outer Space, although the Moon, space colonies, and asteroids are sometimes visited. The player pilots a wide variety of Mobile Suits, Mobile Armors, and other spacecraft throughout several different zero gravity environments. Also, thrusters can be used to give these mobile weapons a temporary boost in speed and maneuverability. These vehicles can move forward, backward, and side to side using the left analog stick and can move up and down using the R1 and R2 buttons, allowing for 360-degree combat. The game is mostly free roaming, although a few rail shooter sections are commonly encountered.
Players choose from a large assortment of different main, sub, and melee weapons that very greatly between different units. Certain crafts are also equipped with a special attack, which can be activated once a special meter has been filled. The game is divided into several different story modes, each corresponding to a different pilot or setting. These pilots range from main characters of the original Gundam series to lesser-known pilots from the Gundam manga. The game also includes a two-player multiplayer vs. mode. Players can also play against AI units in multiplayer. Finally, there is a mode where players can create their own unique pilots for use in multiplayer.
- White Base: Play through the One Year War as Amuro Ray in the RX-78-2 Gundam. The story is based on the movie trilogy though it is possible to unlock the original TV run, revealing additional units to fight against and unlock.
- Thoroughbred: Play through a new story of the One Year War made for the game. The chosen pilot is Ford Romfellow, pilot of a testbed Gundam called G05 and is partnered with Luce Cassel of the brother unit G04. Depending on how well the player performed at a certain point, the story will branch off into one of two scenarios.
- Ace Pilot: Play through a series of missions following significant or noteworthy mobile suit pilots such as Char Aznable, Yuu Kajima from the Blue Destiny game or Kou from Stardust Memory (which also uses clips from said OVA).
- Mission Mode: Create a Zeon or Federation pilot for use in Versus mode. The pilot is put through a training regime of eight missions. Players can use points earned from missions to increase their stats or give them special abilities. What suits they are allowed to sortie in depends on their rank, which increases with every mission success, piloting grunt mobile suits on lower ranks to piloting Gundams and Mobile Armors in the higher-ups. It is also possible to unlock additional mobile suits after completing specific missions on a high difficulty level.
- Versus Mode: A one-to-two-player split screen mode. Hidden units and characters that were unlocked along with a few extras can be used as well. Players can assemble a squad of up to three pilots but are limited to what suits they can use depending on their point value. Additionally, only two pilots on a team at a time can be used if one of them is using a Mobile Armor (indicated by an L icon).
Characters[]
Earth Federation[]
- Amuro Ray
- Kai Shiden
- Hayato Kobayashi
- Sayla Mass
- Sleggar Law
- Ryu Jose
- Yuu Kajima
- Philip Hughes
- Chuck Keith
- South Burning
- Bernard Monsha
- Kou Uraki
- Christina Mackenzie
- Jack Bayard
- Luce Cassel
- Ford Romfellow
- Keith Rhee
- Mark Simmons
- Rika Maruya
Principality of Zeon[]
- Char Aznable
- Black Tri-Stars
- Johnny Ridden
- Shin Matsunaga
- Anavel Gato
- Cima Garahau
- Nimbus Schterzen
- Karius
- Bernard Wiseman
- Kelley Layzner
- Gene
- Dozle Zabi
- Gadem
- Tokwan
- Lalah Sune
- Challia Bull
- Barom
- M'Quve
- Dimitri
- Roy Brewer
- Charles Mac
- Min Tea
- Shaku Yumiko
Extras[]
Mechanics[]
Earth Federation[]
Mobile Suits[]
- RB-79 Ball
- RB-79K Ball Type K
- RGM-79 GM
- RGM-79GS GM Command Space Type
- RGM-79SP GM Sniper II
- RGM-79N GM Custom
- RX-75 Guntank
- RX-77-2 Guncannon
- RX-78-2 Gundam
- FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam
- RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam
- RX-78-4 Gundam Unit 4 "G04"
- RX-78-5 Gundam Unit 5 "G05"
- RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1
- RX-78GP01-Fb Gundam "Zephyranthes" Full Burnern
- RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium"
- RX-78GP03S Gundam "Dendrobium Stamen"
- RX-78GP04G Gundam "Gerbera"
- RX-79BD-3 Blue Destiny Unit 3
Vehicles and Support Units[]
- Public-class
- FF-S3 Saberfish
- FF-X7 Core Fighter
- FF-X7-Bst Core Booster
- G-Fighter
- G-Armor
- SCVA-72 Thoroughbred
- Salamis-class
- Salamis Kai-class (0083 Refit)
- SCV-70 White Base
- Columbus-class
- Birmingham-class
- MSC-07 Albion
- Magellan-class
Principality of Zeon[]
Mobile Suits[]
- MA-04X Zakrello
- MA-05 Bigro
- MA-06 Val Walo
- MA-08 Big Zam
- MAN-03 Braw Bro
- MAN-08 Elmeth
- MS-05A Zaku I Early Type
- MS-05B Zaku I
- MS-06F Zaku II
- MS-06F Zaku II Dozle Zabi Custom
- MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type
- MS-06F-2 Zaku II F2 Type
- MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai
- MS-06R-1 Zaku II High Mobility Test Type
- MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type
- MS-06R-2 Zaku II High Mobility Type
- MS-09R Rick Dom
- MS-09RS Rick Dom
- MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II
- MS-11 Act Zaku
- MS-14A Gelgoog
- MS-14S Gelgoog Commander Type
- MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type
- MS-14F Gelgoog Marine
- MS-14Fs Gelgoog Marine Commander Type
- MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jäger
- YMS-15 Gyan
- MS-17 Galbaldy α
- MS-18E Kämpfer
- MS-21C Dra-C
- MSN-02 Zeong
- RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2
- RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis"
- AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra
- AMX-002 Neue Ziel
Vehicles and Support Units[]
- Jicco-class
- Gattle
- Chivvay-class
- Cui
- Dolos-class
- Gwazine-class
- Musai-class
- Musai-class Late Production Type
- Papua-class
- Pazock-class
- Sodon
- Zanzibar-class
- Zanzibar II-class
Extras[]
Cosmic Era[]
Future Century[]
After Colony[]
Universal Century[]
Gallery[]
Products[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- In the original, Japanese release of this game, the G, Wing and SEED units, along with the G and Wing pilots, were actually downloadable content for the game. However, as America didn't have a system like that set up, Wing Gundam Zero, Tallgeese III, God/"Burning" Gundam, Master Gundam, Aile Strike Gundam, and Aegis Gundam were included in the American release for free, but the Zaku II Shaku Yumiko Custom, Casval's Gundam, and Rick Dom C.A. Custom were not included (Though Anavel Gato's Custom Rick Dom, which carries exactly the same model number, stats, and even the beam bazooka is still included, and may be acquired after defeating it in the "What-If" Scenario at the Battle of Solomon in the "White Base" Story Mode.)
- For the English release, due to Bandai using Ocean Studios for dubbing most of the various Gundam anime series at the time (beginning with Gundam Wing), characters and scenes from Stardust Memory and characters from War in the Pocket were re-dubbed with new voice actors, as they were originally dubbed by Bang-Zoom!
See also[]
External links[]