SD Gundam Dimension War
A rare Virtual Boy tactical RPG based on the SD Gundam series.
SD Gundam Dimension War is a 1995 tactical role-playing game published by Bandai for the Virtual Boy exclusively in Japan. It is the only licensed game released for the system in that region and belongs to the SD Gundam series, a spin-off of the Gundam franchise. The game is notable as one of the two last Virtual Boy titles released in Japan, produced after Nintendo issued a final call for software before ending support for the console.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Locomotive
- Publisher
- Bandai
- Producer
- Nobuyuki Tanaka
- Composer
- Takashi Kumegawa; Akiko Hida
- Released
- December 22, 1995 (JP)
- Genre
- Tactical role-playing
- Series
- Gundam
- Platform
- Virtual Boy
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
SD Gundam Dimension War is a tactical role-playing game in which players command a fleet of robots and ships on a grid-based map. The goal is to complete each of the eight levels without losing the entire fleet. Enemies are positioned near the top of the map, while the player starts at the bottom. Not all enemies must be destroyed to advance; only the enemy battle cruisers placed at specific locations need to be eliminated. The third level introduces a heavily-armored boss that must be defeated to proceed. When a robot is near an opponent, the player can choose between an indirect attack, which fires from a distance, or a more dangerous direct attack that deals stronger damage. Selecting direct attack shifts the game into a combat scenario where the player uses a ranged laser cannon or a laser sword in melee. Both the player and enemies can move into the foreground or background during these fights. Fighting enemy cruisers switches to a third-person perspective, requiring the player to fire enough shots to destroy the cruiser. An autopilot option lets the AI handle battles automatically. Progress can be saved in one of three save slots.
Development and release
Locomotive Corporation developed SD Gundam Dimension War, and Bandai published it for the Virtual Boy. It was the final game Locomotive developed for the system. The title is based on the SD Gundam series, a spin-off of the larger Gundam franchise owned by Sunrise and Sotsu. Unlike most Gundam games, which were developed by Tose, Dimension War had no involvement from that company. The "SD" in the name stands for super-deformed, a Japanese art style featuring characters with large heads and small bodies. The word "Dimension" in the title refers to the multiple perspectives used during combat. After Nintendo issued a final call for Virtual Boy releases before ending support, Bandai, along with Athena, Taito, and J-Wing, rushed the game to market to recover costs. It was published on December 22, 1995, making it the last Virtual Boy game released in Japan. The game was produced in limited quantities, and most copies were bought by collectors and enthusiasts. It is one of the rarest and most sought-after Virtual Boy titles, with original copies selling for over US$1000 on the second-hand market.
Reception
The four reviewers at Famitsu considered SD Gundam Dimension War a mediocre tactical RPG with poor combat sequences and pacing, though they praised its music for fitting the atmosphere. Jason Moore of Retrogames was more positive, calling it a nice diversion from the Virtual Boy's arcade-like format and finding it more involving than other system titles, but he criticized the character animations as poorly made. Retrospective reviews have been largely negative, with critics ranking it among the worst Virtual Boy games. Dave Frear of Nintendo Life described it as disappointing, especially for Gundam fans, criticizing its presentation and repetitive combat scenarios, though he noted the music was well done and the game made good use of the system's 3D capabilities. Jeremy Parish claimed Dimension War may have the worst action scenes on Virtual Boy, disliking its pacing, confusing controls, and combat sequences. He argued the only reason to acquire it was for collectors seeking a complete Virtual Boy library, adding that it added little new to previous Gundam games. He concluded it was better than Virtual Lab, a poorly-received puzzle game. The staff at Retro Gamer similarly compared its quality to Virtual Lab, stating its value did not match its high online price.
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