Gundam Side Story 0079

In Japan, the Gundam franchise commands a huge empire of entertainment. The series, which first hit Japanese airwaves in 1979, was revolutionary for portraying giant mechs as just another cog in the machinery of war. These gigantic "Mobile Suits" were mass-produced like tanks, and were equally as susceptible to damage and destruction. In other words, this was the future of war--and these were the grunts on the frontline.

Following their release of Macross VFX-2 on the PlayStation, Bandai hopes to capture a similarly niche audience with Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From The Ashes on the Dreamcast. Like the two previous Gundam side stories on the Sega Saturn, Rise From the Ashes is more of a sim than an all-out action arcade title. The similarities with the game's control scheme and mission objectives suggest that Gundam 0079 is a direct follow-up to the Saturn titles.

If you're expecting Virtual On-style gameplay, give yourself some time with Gundam's controls. The game is slower-paced and more sim-oriented. While shooting, blocking and dashing are important aspects of Gundam's gameplay, you'll find that a lot of the action boils down to a good beatdown with the Beam-Saber. The game does a convincing job of bringing you into the cockpit; each step you take, each burst from the 60mm Vulcan cannon resonates nicely with the Dreamcast Jump Pack. Unfortunately, there's no third-person perspective so some of you may find the cockpit to be a bit claustrophobic in heated moments of melee. Eventually, you can choose between two variations of the GM and the heavily armored RX-77 Mobile Suits to use for each mission. Like all good sims, it's important to understand each suit's limitations and expertise.

Gundam 0079 is a real contender for some of the richest graphics yet on the Dreamcast. Each of the mechs are cut with so much detail, they look like FMV at a glance. Also impressive is the level of interaction with background objects (stuff blows up real good). 3D terrain means you can use hills to mask your presence. For fans of Gundam, the authenticity here is a dream come true.

Contra IV, one of the biggest action/adventure games for the SNB, is just now rockin' its way onto the Game Boy. Contra fans will be happy with this scaled-down version.

3,2,1... Contra!

All the elements of the SNES game are here, including the screen-filling bosses, the speaker-rocking explosions, and the gut-ripping weapons. There's even some color in this SGB version!

The story line, though secondary to the action, remains the same: You must find out where the Aliens are coming from and destroy them before they multiply. To help, you'll find floating weapon pods with Spread Guns, Contra Bombs, and Flamethrowers! The easy controls are limited to shooting and jumping, and the only drawback is your inability to change weapons.

Good Graphics

It's hard to believe that impressive explosive graphics were packed into such a small game. There's even the over head-view stage on the decimated freeways from C4. The visuals feature details a-plenty, though some annoying flicker occurs when an enemy is destroyed.

The sound kicks in for an added surprise. The music is steady and fast, and the explosions will make your GB shake!

A Soldier's Story

Contra for the Game Boy is a real delight! Action/adventure games don't get much hotter. If you're looking to dust off your Game Boy, Contra is the reason!