Latest news with #SuperRobotWars
Geek Culture
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Super Robot Wars Y' Delivers Core Mecha Battling Experience With An Expanded Roster & Notable Gameplay Additions
Watching two giant bipedal mechas going toe-to-toe on the field of battle, what's not to love? The concept of massive robot battles might be commonplace in the realm of anime, TV and movies with the likes of genre greats like the Gundam and Transformers franchises, but when it comes to video games, not many titles have successfully captured the same thrill of mech combat, let alone built a vast franchise spanning over 70 mainline titles and spin-offs such as the Super Robot Wars series. Tracing its roots back to 1991 with the original Super Robot Wars for the Game Boy, the franchise has largely stuck to the same formula over its many iterations, offering strategic grid-based combat with a heavy emphasis on spectacle and flashy battle animations, alongside being a celebration of all things mecha, steadily adding new playable robots to its roster spanning a massive range of IPs like Gundam, Evangelion, Grendizer , and Macross . Developed by Bandai Namco Forge Digitals (formerly known as B.B. Studio) and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, which took over the franchise from Banpresto in 2019, Super Robot Wars Y marks the next chapter in the cross-IP mech-battling epic, and based on our time with a roughly 20-minute gameplay preview demo, will feel instantly familiar to returning fans, albeit with some minor but noticeable improvements. Fundamentally, Super Robot Wars Y remains identical to other games in the franchise, with players having to undergo grid-based battles and complete missions to recruit new pilots and mechas spanning multiple mech-based IPs across anime and manga, steadily building up their roster to handle increasingly tough encounters. The game boasts an impressive character assortment from 21 different robot series, with notable newcomers including Godzilla Singular Point, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury, and And it's this clash of multiple IPs in a single title that led to the main inspiration behind the game's naming convention, as even though the 'Y' in Super Robot Wars Y might seem like the team has run out of ideas and has begun throwing random letters behind their titles, the use of this alphabet actually has a rather interesting meaning behind it, revealed game producer Toma Kota during an accompanying interview with Geek Culture and other media from Southeast Asia. 'It's been four years since the previous title in the franchise, and we wanted to signify a new series with a particular alphabet. The alphabet Y stood out because it can have two meanings, the first being that it looks like an intersection of three different lines,' explains Kota, who notes how this perfectly symbolises the franchise's rich history of bringing multiple different IPs and fanbases together, something that makes its games so well-loved over the past 34 years. The other meaning ties directly to one of its newly added gameplay systems, the increased emphasis on player choice. 'When you look at the shape of the alphabet Y,' Kota adds, 'it looks like you are actually choosing two different paths when you look at it from the bottom to the top of the alphabet, and the Y kind of shows the decisions players have to make as they play the game.' The addition that Kota is referring to isn't so much a literal fork in the road tasking players to make black or white choices, but more giving players the options and freedom to craft their journeys however they see fit. This comes in the form of the title's adjusted mission design, with players able to freely choose which storylines to tackle and in what order, so they can focus on unlocking the characters and mecha that they want to build their dream team sooner. This feature isn't completely new per se, as its predecessor, Super Robot Wars 30 (2021), also offered the same freedom, albeit to a much greater extent, which resulted in some unintentional setbacks. 'Because players were able to choose so freely [in the previous game], sometimes they felt lost in terms of the storyline and when they were in it,' Kota explains, adding that this was one piece of key feedback received following the previous title, and something the team took the opportunity to improve this time around. According to Kota, Super Robot Wars Y will now feature a level of freedom in its mission choices that gradually lessens as the player progresses through the main storyline, meaning players have a large number of options to choose from at the start, offering the same opportunity for roster flexibility as in Super Robot Wars 30 , but once they go through the paces and build up their teams, the game will gradually narrow down its mission choices to ensure that they don't venture too far off track and begin losing the plot. Additionally, the game also introduces a chapter categorisation system to further help players identify where they are in the narrative at any given point. Alas, due to the curated nature of the gameplay demo, we weren't able to properly grasp how this new campaign progression system would work, as our time with the game was limited to a single battle encounter. What was shown off, however, was the game's other major addition, the Assist Link system. In past Super Robot Wars games, players only had control over two aspects of combat, directly controlling both the actions of mechas and their pilots, but now, side characters, which were left to the narrative sidelines in the past, play a much more crucial role in the moment-to-moment action. Before heading into battle, players can now choose an Assist Crew, a supporting group comprising various side characters, which can provide gameplay buffs in combat. For every enemy defeated, the player will now earn Assist Counts, which can then be used during a player's turn to trigger special effects such as enhancing a unit's attack power, healing life and energy points, or granting various buffs to selected units. In addition, members of the Assist Crew also gain experience when using such support abilities, gradually increasing in rank and unlocking new passive abilities and effects that can benefit a player's entire team. Furthermore, players are also encouraged to build their Assist Crews tactically, as each assignable character falls into one of three categories, and when there are three or more members in the crew that match, this will also grant a team-wide boost known as a synergy effect. The Assist Link doesn't just serve as a way to freshen up battles, however, as Kota states that this was another way for the team to enhance the game's narrative, as ranking up certain side characters can lead to the formation of something known as Assist Groups, extra conversations between various characters that help to expand upon the lore of each of the character's associated mecha universe. Although this particular feature was also unavailable during the preview, his comments allude to there being some sort of relationship system between the various characters, allowing a player to build bonds within the team that, while optional, can help to add flavour to the title's overarching narrative. While not much is currently known about the game's main storyline, it will feature a new trio of main characters and their accompanying mechs. These are Cross and Forte Tsukinowa, siblings in a group known as the Special Stealth Forces Haze, and their mechs, the Lunedrache and Lunedrache II. The pair are joined by Echika Y. Franburnett, the owner of a massive mobile city known as the A. Advent, with the trio designed by returning artist Wataru Watanabe, and each original mech design made by mecha illustrator M Ganzy. Apart from its various new additions introduced to shake up its familiar core design, Super Robot Wars Y will also feature minor tweaks designed to ease newcomers into the franchise, such as a reworked user interface (UI) for a cleaner, more coherent look that helps players better navigate its menus and in-battle commands, alongside what's described by Kota as a 'Super Casual' difficulty mode, which is specifically designed for new players to the grid-based combat genre. For returning players, gameplay progression has also seen an improvement in the form of Mission Experience Points (MXP), a dedicated currency earned after clearing missions that can be spent on a new branching skill tree, offering increasing benefits across combat, survivability and skills that serve to help players feel increasingly more powerful as its narrative progresses. These changes might certainly help garner more interest from franchise newcomers, but one thing has always remained the major appeal of the game, and that's watching mechas from different well-known franchises go head-to-head with foes in flashy combat animations and here, it looks better than it has ever been, with crisp 2.5D graphics interspersed with scenes that look straight out of a character's associated anime, making each battle a marvel to witness, although an Auto Battle Mode is provided for players who want to resolve battles as quickly as possible, which does help lessen some of the grind when choosing to replay encounters to level up characters. There's a reason why the Super Robot Wars franchise has stood the test of time as one of gaming's most lauded mecha battling titles, and that's the confidence to stick to what works and what fans expect out of the series. By keeping its fundamental concepts intact with every entry, and instead focusing on introducing new mecha IPs and meaningful gameplay changes, the series caters to not only its specific target audience of grid-based combat aficionados who have been with the franchise from the very beginning, but also an ever-expanding group of mecha fans with every new IP added. Super Robot Wars Y will go into battle on 28 August 2025 for the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Forbes
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Wonder Festival Spotlights ‘Evangelion' Amidst Blazing Summer Heat
The Japanese summer heat was no joke. Ollie Barder Following the winter edition of Wonder Festival earlier this year, the summer version focused on promoting Evangelion , while we all melted from the heat. As always, Wonder Festival is split into two main parts: commercial and fan-based. The former had very noticeable absences, with the likes of Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, Bandai, and Takara Tomy lacking their typically large stalls. While Bandai and Takara Tomy did have some small showings, it was more the new Chinese manufacturers that were showing off their impressive wares. Specifically, the likes of CCS Toys and POSE+, with the former's upcoming Ultimate Dancouga from Super Robot Wars 30 looking incredible up close (shown below). The upcoming Ultimate Dancouga from CCS Toys is very impressive in the flesh. Ollie Barder However, the main focus this year on the commercial side was Evangelion , with a large area dedicated to new and upcoming merchandise as well as more esoteric elements. One highlight was seeing the original artwork used in Newtype magazine back in the 90s to originally promote the TV series (shown below). Following the commercial side of things, the fan-based offerings were enormous as usual, with a still steady stream of fan-made Armored Trooper VOTOMS kits, as well as some Layzner and Galient kits thrown in for good measure. There was also more Armored Core stuff this year, although not so much for Armored Core VI , but more for the older games that have seen a recent resurgence in popularity online. Not least due to the digital re-releases of the first three Armored Core games on PlayStation. Seeing the original cels to make the promotional art for 'Evangelion' was fascinating. Ollie Barder In addition, there was an awful lot of Virtual On kits on show, with one stall offering enormous papercraft versions of things like the mid-game boss Jaguarandi from Virtual On Force . Talking of Virtual On Force , one stall had every variant from the game, which made for a rather marvellous sight. One notable point on the fan side was that there was almost nothing from Gundam GQuuuuuuX or Requiem for Vengeance , which is definitely curious, as there were other Gundam offerings, albeit sparse As with all things Wonder Festival, it's always more interesting to see what the fans are up to, as that tends to influence the commercial side of things a few years down the road. In any case, it was another great Wonder Festival and reinforced my love for this event, which never fails to impress and intrigue. Although I much prefer the winter event, the current Japanese summer is pretty brutal. Wonder Festival 2025 Summer Ollie Barder Wonder Festival 2025 Summer Gallery Date: 27th July 2025 Entry: 3,500 yen Follow me on X , Facebook and YouTube . I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kris Kwok On ‘Mecha Break' And His Team's Enduring Love Of Mecha
'Mecha Break's' journey to release has been a long and challenging one. With Mecha Break's release imminent, it felt entirely necessary to sit down with Kris Kwok and discuss the game in detail. Kris is the CEO of Amazing Seasun Games and has headed up Mecha Break since its precarious inception. However, Kris and his team have stuck it out, and it looks like all their hard work on Mecha Break is about to finally pay off. Before that, I wanted to know a bit more about Kris' background and how he ended up where he is now. 'I majored in Computer Science at university, but it didn't take long for me to realize that making games was far more exciting than playing them. By my junior year, I was already experimenting with game design, using the Warcraft III editor to build mini-RPGs. On weekends, my classmates tested the dungeons I created, and that's when I discovered something fascinating: you can gauge a game's success just by watching players' faces. Their focus, excitement, and engagement are all there, written in their expressions. That's when it dawned on me: great games are all about the players. If they're not enjoying it, the game will end up dead in the water. 'After graduating in 2003, I joined Seasun and eventually produced the JX3 series. The game has been running successfully for over 16 years, with 120 million registered players in China. 'As for my favorite games, aside from Super Robot Wars and Armored Core, I'm a huge fan of Apex Legends and the Call of Duty series. I hope that once Mecha Break launches, it can earn the same kind of love from players. But if I had to pick an all-time favorite, it's got to be World of Warcraft.' One of the more interesting things about Mecha Break is that the studio has been very up front about its rocky development process, and that this game has been in development for a long time, as Kris explains. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 'The idea for our latest project sparked nine years ago. Growing up in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, I was captivated by mecha anime, just like so many kids. I dreamed of growing up and racing cars, flying planes, and piloting mechs. Luckily, entering the game industry gave me the chance to turn that dream into a reality. 'Our team shares this deep connection to mecha, their precision, movement, and intricate design. When creating new mechs, we dig into what makes them so captivating and bring those ideas to life. From concept art down to each mech joint, every detail sparks creative collision and countless refinements within the team. I've been hands-on at every step, designing models, balancing weapon systems, shaping gameplay mechanics, and building an immersive world. 'For me, the magic of mecha lies in their raw power, incredible speed, and overwhelming firepower. These are the core elements showcased in Mecha Break. The goal was to recreate those jaw-dropping, adrenaline-pumping battle scenes that define mecha anime. When we launched the first playable demo, the feedback was phenomenal; it confirmed we were on the right track. Over the past four years, we've refined every detail to amplify that sense of power, speed, and firepower. Player feedback has been clear: piloting a mecha in Mecha Break feels amazing. 'But creating a high-quality mecha game isn't just about our team's passion; it's about fulfilling mecha fans' dreams worldwide. Watching this dream materialize and knowing it's about to reach a global audience fills me with excitement and pride. 'Mecha Break' will be released this July. 'The journey hasn't been smooth. We started the Mecha Break project in 2015. We've faced four complete reboots, team shakeups, and countless challenges. Honestly, it's a game that failed many times but kept going because our passion refused to let it die. That passion carried us through, and today, here we are.' Mecha Break also has a lot of modes and other aspects to its gameplay that make it an involved and complex game, something Kris was happy to elaborate on. 'To meet the high expectations of mecha enthusiasts worldwide, we collaborated with renowned designers like Takayuki Yanase, celebrated for his work on Gundam and Armored Core, to create original concept art. Our team also delved deep into industrial design, studying armor plating techniques and mecha skeleton structures to balance realism and style. By incorporating advanced 'hard surface modelling', we achieved precise articulation in mech joints, rotating seamlessly without clipping, to make every design feel grounded and functional. With advanced tech and multi-functional development, we've crafted stunning combat effects, intricately detailed models, and precise real-time projectile calculations, all to deliver a premium mech gaming experience. 'Mecha Break also redefines mecha combat with maps and gameplay mechanics that go beyond traditional hero shooters. Battles unfold across large-scale environments that seamlessly integrate ground and air combat, giving players the freedom to maneuver, dodge, and enjoy thrilling, fast-paced gameplay. 'To keep the action fresh, Mecha Break offers three distinct modes: 3v3 and 6v6 modes, which emphasize tactical coordination, and Mashmak mode, a PvPvE extraction shooter. Since the Open Beta, Mashmak has seen significant upgrades. The official release adds new bosses, optional PvE instances, and three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Extreme. Each features distinct loadout options and air-drop mechanics. These additions expand the variety of gameplay and make Mashmak more accessible to casual and new players while keeping it exciting for veterans. 'The game also offers extensive customization. Players can unleash their creativity by designing their ideal pilot outfits using free-to-edit sets and accessories, all of which can be adjusted anytime. Each Striker is divided into over ten paint zones, and every zone has more than 120 colors and textures to choose from. Add to that a huge library of patterns, insignias, and accents, and players can truly build a mecha that's uniquely theirs. 'The Base isn't just where players can display their Strikers, it doubles as a living space for pilots. Players can explore the base, get up close and personal with their mecha using boarding platforms, unlock new areas with in-game items, and interact with NPCs to learn more about the lore. You can even invite friends to visit your base, strike custom poses, and take photos. For the release, we're adding more interactive spaces like a gym, cafeteria, and bar, all designed to enhance the immersive experience of life as a mecha pilot. 'With Mecha Break, our goal is simple: combine the thrill of mech combat with the intensity of the shooting genre, while making the dream of piloting a mecha, straight out of anime, a reality. That's the heart of why we created this game. 'We want Mecha Break to immerse players in the world of mecha, delivering explosive action the moment you jump in. 'At launch, we're introducing five new maps and two Strikers, with plenty more on the way. As a live-service game, we'll roll out updates every three months, with four seasons per year. The first two seasons alone will bring three new Strikers each, with six already in balance testing. But we're not stopping there. The Mecha Break universe is expanding with plans for an animated series, collectible mech models, and more.' Mecha Break is released on July 1 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, via Steam. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Super Robot Wars Y' Reveals Full Series Roster And August Release
In the latest and more detailed trailer for Super Robot Wars Y, we now know all the series included and that it will be released this August. As per previous Super Robot Wars games, the initial teaser trailer doesn't tend to reveal the full roster of series involved in each game. These are normally announced properly in a longer and more detailed trailer that follows the initial teaser. This new and longer trailer (shown below) is the one that reveals the full roster, and there are some interesting additions. One of the bigger surprises is the inclusion of Godzilla Singular Point and its version of the robot Jet Jaguar. This is definitely a cool addition to the series, but I do miss the crazy battleship additions from previous entries. While this game has its own OG battleship, much like Super Robot Wars 30, I had hoped we'd have seen something from an anime like Outlaw Star or something similar, but oh well, it seems that tradition was short-lived. The other big thing is the inclusion of Dunbine again (show above), and the fact that the game will also have units from the 1988 OVA. My guess is that we will see even more Aura Phantasm designs this time around, following the recent and massive increase in popularity for Dunbine as a whole. The Gundam roster of units is also pretty strong and definitely feels more catered to a Western audience, which is no bad thing. The big and welcome addition is that of Reideen, which hasn't been included in the games for a good while. Originally released back in 1975, Reideen is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As for the rest, we have a bunch of DLC units that will be from Super Robot Wars V, X, and T, and the addition of Cybuster. The latter being the Super Robot Wars series equivalent of 'we have Dunbine at home' and originated from the spin-off Maso Kishin games. The other nice bit of news is that one of the OG mecha for the game will also be getting a Robot Damashii toy. Super Robot Wars Y will be released on August 28 for Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Reideen The Brave' Is Getting One Of The Most Expensive Toys Possible
With Reideen the Brave celebrating its 50th anniversary, the classic super robot anime is getting a suitably golden celebrative toy. Specifically, U-Treasure is making two gold statues of the titular Reideen. The first is made of pure gold and is priced at 3,520,000 yen (or around $24,000 at the current exchange rate), only five of these will be made. The second and more affordable option is made from silver and coated in gold and costs 352,000 yen (or around $2,400 at the current exchange rate). The reason why this is in any way an actual thing, is because the dormant version of Reideen in the anime is colored gold. Only once it is activated and controlled by its pilot does it change color. Reideen the Brave is also a very important anime on a number of counts. It was technically the first anime to feature transforming mecha, with the Reideen transforming into its flight form of God Bird. It also had many of the production team that would go on to make Mobile Suit Gundam. From Yoshiyuki Tomino as its chief director to Yoshikazu Yasuhiko for its character and mecha design. The latter mecha design was also helped along by the team at Studio Nue, just like the original Mobile Suit Gundam, most notably by that of Kazutaka Miyatake. Reideen the Brave also helped to inspire the creation of RahXephon, which is something various Super Robot Wars games have referenced over the years by having the mecha team up. Even Yutaka Izubuchi, the writer, director and mecha designer for RahXephon referenced Reideen the Brave in its creation. Not to mention the premise of Reideen the Brave, that of ancient mecha being brought back to life by one of its descendants, also inspired shows like Giant Gorg, which also involved the creative talent of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. This is why Reideen the Brave is something of a cultural icon, and its ongoing popularity has finally necessitated an actual gold toy. In any case, pre-orders for both versions of this toy started yesterday in Japan. However, if you want a more affordable and articulated toy, you should check out the various releases from Bandai Spirits. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
