Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space

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Developer(s)	Bandai
Publisher(s)	Bandai
Composer(s)	Yasuharu Takanashi Takanori Arima Koji Yamada
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JP: September 4, 2003 NA: December 13, 2003
Genre(s)	Action, Mecha simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム めぐりあい宇宙, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Meguriai Sora) is a Third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 2 released in 2003. The game is centered on space based mobile suit (or mecha) 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.

Gameplay[]

The game takes place entirely in Outer Space, although the Moon, , and asteroids are sometimes visited. The player pilots a wide variety of Mobile Suits, , 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 can use a large assortment of different main, sub, and melee weapons that vary 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.^[1]

Reception[]

Encounters in Space received mixed to positive reviews by the game critics. It has achieved an average score of 59% from GameRankings, a reviews aggregate.^[2] IGN gave the game a 7.9 saying that is the best Gundam title on the PS2 so far. IGN stated that the game plays like a Zone of the Enders clone but said that that isn't necessarily a bad thing. They also praised the game for its large assortment of units, levels, and bonus content and recommended the game to Gundam and shooter fans.^[3] GameSpot gave the game a positive score of 7.0 and called the game one of the more accessible Gundam games to be released. However they criticized that the plot would confuse newcomers to the Gundam series. Still they praised the game for its quick pace action.^[4]

Cover Art for Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space, to The End of a Flash

Manga[]

"Thoroughbred Mode", one of the stories in the game revolving around a Pegasus class ship named Thoroughbred and its crew, was adapted to a three volume manga written by Tomohiro Chiba and illustrated by Masato Natsumoto, named Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space, to The End of a Flash (機動戦士ガンダム外伝 宇宙、閃光の果てに…, Kidō Senshi Gandamu Gaiden: Sora, Senkou no Hate ni...?). It also received a novelization, which was released to coincide with Encounters in Space.

References[]

See also[]

• Mobile Suit Gundam
• List of Gundam video games