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Robotech: Battlecry
by Jolex Del Pilar
Friday, April 19 2002
The famed Japanese animation is relived in 3D, Cel-shaded glory. All you mech fanatics, read on!
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Title:
Robotech: Battlecry
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Platform:
Xbox
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Publisher:
TDK Mediactive/Mattel |
Developer:
TDK Mediactive |
#
of Players: 1 - 2 |
Genre:
Action
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Origin:
United States
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Expected
Release:
Q3 2002 |
Grapevine:
Battlecry will be based on one of the most successful animated series in the United States and it's also doing something other new games have taken a liken to, Cel-Shading. |
TDK Mediactive and Mattel recently announced that “Robotech: Battlecry ” would begin to be developed for all major consoles and released in the Fall. This is good news for those of us who followed this famed anime from the 1980s. Battlecry will be based on one of the most successful animated series in the United States and it's also doing something other new games have taken a liken to, Cel-Shading. Now this might worry some, but think back to how Robotech cartoons were drawn, this is what TDK is looking for and the effect is fairly impressive.
Not much is known about the title except that it will be huge. TDK is looking for battles on a real giant scale, meaning you'll be causing havoc on the surrounding city in real time. Some gameplay elements allows a player to duck behind a building to avoid being hit by enemy fire. It isn't known whether the landscape will transform (i.e-crumble) under the missles and lasers that will be shot around in the game, but it is likely.
Some of the gameplay details that TDK released to us included:
- Different environments, including deep space and crowded cities
- Three transformation modes, including Fighter (fighter plane), Battloid (humanoid robot), and Guardian (combination of both), each with individual strengths and weaknesses
- Cel Shaded graphics
- Eight different arcade shooter gameplay elements, including search and destroy, guard, attrition, and escort.
It all sounds pretty standard but what makes it all the more exciting is the fact that it will have the Robotech license behind it.
That in itself will help this game sell units by the bushel. To understand the popularity of the Robotech series you need to know a little of its history.
Robotech fueled the transforming robot craze long before copies like Gundam hit the market. The show drew legions of loyal fans with its richly detailed Japanese animation featuring dazzling science-fiction drama. Robotech continues to be one of the most recognized animated television series to this day although much of the original popularity has worn off over time. But from death there is life. Many spin-offs have grown from the original license. Its ground-breaking production design launched a worldwide licensing phenomenon that has spawned several toy lines, musical soundtracks, dozens of novels, role-playing games, collectibles, and apparel and over 300 comic books.
Robotech: Battlecry will also feature a 2-player mode although nothing is known about it at the moment.
One can only hope the game is as good as the anime and we patiently await TDK's effort on this license.
--- Jolex Del Pilar, E3 or bust!
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