Super Robot Wars
Encyclopedia
is a series of tactical role-playing
video games produced by Banpresto
, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai
. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha
anime
, manga
and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to team up or battle one another. The first game in the franchise was released for the Nintendo
Game Boy
on the 20th April, 1991. Later spawning numerous games that were released on various consoles
and handhelds
. Due to the nature of crossover games and licensing involved, only three games have been released outside of Japan, these games only feature Banpresto's own original characters and mecha. The franchise will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011.
Many games also have hidden features that can only be gained through a special sequence of events or completing optional challenging objectives. Some of these bonuses include extra stages, different endings, captured enemy machines and special upgrade for specific units, such as the IWSP Pack for the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. In some games, these are called "Skill Points" ("Battle Masteries" in the North American localizations) and the difficulty of the game increases accordingly.
, the White Fang
from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing allies with Paptimus Scirocco's rebellion from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
, resulting in the two enemy forces working together.
One noteworthy aspect of the Super Robot Wars games is that character death happens rarely. Players will often have the chance to prevent the death of an ally, as depicted in his or her animated series, while some games take this a step further and prevent heroic deaths freely, without extra effort on the player's part. Additionally, some enemies can be convinced (usually those who are not completely villainous, or who have good intentions) to abandon the antagonists and join the player, whether they do so in their respective series or not. When these concepts are combined, players can create a team that has no chance of existing within the original series.
All battles are carried out either the terrain of land, air, sea or space, which affects the performance of machines, pilots and weapons in various ways. For example, most Gundam characters excel in space combat, but suffer major handicaps underwater, and techniques requiring an atmosphere, such as the Mazinger Z's "Rust Hurricane", are unusable in space. The battle field also contains objects which grant various effects. For example besides providing repair and energy refill, a military base also provides land units with defense bonus but will hinder them from moving freely.
" and "real-type
". Super robots are heavy units with exceptionally high hit points and armor, and powerful, close-range weapons with high energy cost. On the other hand, real robots are light units which are faster and more agile, but have less armor and hit points, relying instead on dodging attacks. Their weapons have longer range and better accuracy at the cost of doing less damage per hit. Some units are treated as "support units", regenerating hit points and/or energy to allies, while battleships and carriers serve as transports or to resupply all units.
Though every unit takes a single grid on the tactical map and has little visual difference in battle animations, a larger unit gains defensive and offensive bonus against smaller units, but carry a disadvantage to evasion and accuracy. In later titles, certain attacks can bypass the size attribute, nullifying the effect of size in combat.
Some units have other unique characteristics: for example, Getter Robo can transform into different forms with new weapons and different attributes. To give the player more freedom in customization, some pilots are able to switch into other machines from the same series, such as placing Zeta Gundam pilot Kamille Bidan into Judau Ashta's MSZ-010 Double Zeta Gundam.
" ability being required to use the funnel weapons on the MSN-04 Sazabi
or the RX-93 Nu Gundam.
, fully animated battle sequences complete with detailed graphics, whether larger 2-D sprites, or 3-D graphics, such as the Dreamcast port of Super Robot Wars Alpha, were implemented with voice acting. The voices were provided by the same seiyuu, if available, as the one in the broadcast of the anime. Some games contain CG mini-movies, depicting a certain mecha's dramatic appearance and/or transformation during the stage. Since many of the seiyuu featured have worked in various anime, the games include in-jokes concerning their other roles: Amuro Ray
from Gundam and Misato Katsuragi
from Evangelion flirt often, referring to their seiyuus' roles as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon
, respectively. Hikaru Midorikawa
, the seiyuu for Heero Yuy (from Gundam Wing), is a huge fan of the Super Robot Wars series; in fact, he volunteers to do extra lines for no charge, and has done beta testing for Banpresto's games, with a blog alongside Banpresto's website.
Since the 4th Super Robot Wars, many games feature a database of every character and unit appearing in the title. The database entries are written in the context of the character/unit's original story, regardless of how it is altered in the game. Players usually gain access to the profiles of units and characters already encountered during gameplay and must play through the game several times in order to complete it.
Classic
Consists of the 2nd, the 3rd, EX, F and F Final games (in that order). F and F Final replaced the 4th, while 2G is not considered canon
, due to its non-inclusion in the Complete Box set. The side-story Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental is divided into two parts: "Part One" occurs before the 2nd and "Part Two" after the 4th (4th was released before F and F Final). The primary antagonist organization of this series is known as DC (Divine Crusaders).
Alpha
Consists of Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 games (in that order). "Part One" of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental also provides relevant information, taking place before Alpha.
Compact 2
The Compact 2 trilogy for the Bandai Wonderswan were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Impact. Despite Compact, Compact 3 and MX sharing gameplay mechanics with Compact 2 and Impact, there are otherwise no connections between the games.
Original Generation
Starring "Banpresto Originals", this timeline draws upon from all previous continuities. Both Original Generation games were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Super Robot Wars Original Generations, followed by the sequel Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, the remake version of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental, Masō Kishin 2: Revelation of Evil God and lastly 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation. Also part of the Original Generation series is the Endless Frontier series, composing of Endless Frontier and Endless Frontier EXCEED, which is set after Original Generation Gaiden. This continuity is the only one to have had titles officially released in English.
Z
The most recent continuity, which consists of Z, Z Special Disk, and Z2 in that order. The story focuses much on the Twelve Spheres, in which plays an important part in the game's story line.
series featured are Mazinger Z
, Getter Robo
and the earliest incarnations of Mobile Suit Gundam
. It was tradition for a Super Robot Wars game to include a Mazinger, a Getter and a Universal Century
Gundam series, forming what fans call the "Holy Trinity"; however, newer handheld titles began omitting one or more of these series in favor of increased focus on newer properties. There are also occasions when a Manga series gets included into a Super Robot Wars game despite not having an anime counterpart, such as when Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam
was included in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 and even series that never made it into an anime or manga series like Kanzen Shouri Daiteioh
, being included in Super Robot Wars NEO. Video Game series have also been included in the games over the years, a recent example being the Virtual On
series being included in 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha.
In 2002, Banpresto released Super Robot Wars Original Generation for the Game Boy Advance
, which featured a roster made entirely of original characters from the previous games in the series.
Thus far, only Original Generation games are officially released for the English market by Atlus USA. The titles of the games are given as Super Robot Taisen, possibly to avoid potential confusion with the British
television series, Robot Wars
. The games do not have the licensing problems other games may have since only original creations not from any anime or manga series are used in the lineup, thus making it the first game in the series to be released outside of the Asian market. Atlus also released Endless Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga
for the Nintendo DS
on April 28, 2009.
In addition, some games have been unofficially translated: the original Super Robot Wars
, Super Robot Wars 3, Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden
and Super Robot Wars Judgement
.
, consisting of veteran anime theme musicians, like Ichirou Mizuki
, Hironobu Kageyama
, Rica Matsumoto
, Eizo Sakamoto
, Masaaki Endoh
, Hiroshi Kitadani
, Masami Okui
and Yoshiki Fukuyama
have also contributed to many Super Robot Wars soundtracks, usually providing the opening theme song and the song played over the closing credits. The series also spawned a set of concerts and albums called Super Robot Spirits, where veteran vocalists—some of whom would go on to form JAM Project—sing covers of popular mecha anime openings, and in some cases, live versions of songs they themselves originally sang.
is a loose adaptation on the story of the first original Banpresto mecha in Super Robot Wars into a 26-episode series, featuring characters inspired by the allies of the Cybuster's pilot Masaki Andoh and original characters created for the anime.
In May 2005, Banpresto released the animated OVA Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation
, a 3-part non-canonical sequel to the second Original Generation game. The OVA was followed up by Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars
, a retelling of the plot in the first Original Generation game. A variety of drama CDs, manga and model kits accompany the Original Generation lineup. In Fall 2010, Banpresto followed up with Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector
, which is a retelling of the plot of Original Generation 2.
anime over 6 volumes published from 2006 to 2009. Meanwhile is manga series by Tatsunosuke Yatsufusa that tells a similar story but from the ATX Team's perspective. is a series of short stories that take place across the Original Generation timeline, written and drawn by various authors, some of the stories from OG Chronicle were incorporated in to the video game Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden
. , is a 2 volume series by Masaaki Fujihara tells the background story for the original machines known as the Chokijin.
anime. The show has been airing since January 2007 with four regular hosts, Tomokazu Sugita
, Masaaki Endoh
, Mai Aizawa
and Rie Saitou. The show often features series' producer Takanobu Terada as a special guest. After Divine Wars ended, the show carried on and was often used to regularly feature and promoted up and coming video game titles.
, garnered the sequel Kotetsushin Jeeg
after its appearances in the 2nd
and 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha.
A number of anime producers, who are fans of the games, have added allusions and homages to the series in their own works, from visual gags in Hayate The Combat Butler
and Lucky Star, to similarities between Signum
of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
to the female protagonist from Super Robot Wars A.
The games' main influence is the creation of animated shows influenced by original units and characters created for the games. The best examples are Getter Robo Armageddon
, Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo and the Mazinkaiser
OVA, released in the United States
in 2002. Shin Getter Robo first appeared in Ken Ishikawa's
manga for Getter Robo Go, then became by its apparition in various Super Robot Wars games until receiving its aforementioned OVAs. Mazinkaiser appeared for the first time in Super Robot Wars F Final, released for the Sega Saturn
and the Sony PlayStation in 1998, as an upgrade to the original Mazinger Z. Mazinger Z writer and illustrator, Go Nagai, eventually implements it into his manga as the prototype of the other Mazinger machines.
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
video games produced by Banpresto
Banpresto
is a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to team up or battle one another. The first game in the franchise was released for the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
on the 20th April, 1991. Later spawning numerous games that were released on various consoles
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
and handhelds
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. Due to the nature of crossover games and licensing involved, only three games have been released outside of Japan, these games only feature Banpresto's own original characters and mecha. The franchise will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2011.
Gameplay
All the games follow a basic structure: when a stage begins, the character receives introductory dialogue between playable characters, leading to the scenario on the battle field. To complete a scenario, the player must accomplish scenario objectives. Some scenarios are longer, with multi-part missions or have new objectives added as the story unfolds. On battle field, the player and enemy take turns to order their units with commands available, such as movement, attacking, forming squads and casting "Spirit Commands", a set of magic-like spells unique to each pilot. Once the scenario is cleared, more dialogue is exchanged between characters before the player is taken to an intermission menu. Here, units can be upgraded or optional parts installed, characters' stats and skills can be changed or upgraded, and other maintenance actions can be performed before the player continues on with the game.Many games also have hidden features that can only be gained through a special sequence of events or completing optional challenging objectives. Some of these bonuses include extra stages, different endings, captured enemy machines and special upgrade for specific units, such as the IWSP Pack for the GAT-X105 Strike Gundam. In some games, these are called "Skill Points" ("Battle Masteries" in the North American localizations) and the difficulty of the game increases accordingly.
Story
In most games, the player selects or is given a Banpresto original character and machine, who is connected to the overarching storyline which ties together the events of the constituent anime for the game. Some featured anime also has their plots intertwined: in Super Robot Wars AlphaSuper Robot Wars Alpha
, is part of the Super Robot Wars franchise, and was published for the PlayStation by Banpresto in 2000. Super Robot Wars Alpha is the initial game of the Alpha series, which spans the PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 platforms.-Summary:...
, the White Fang
After Colony Nations and Factions
This is a list of fictional nations and factions from the After Colony timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries.-Gundam Pilots:The colonies sent down five young boys in special mobile suits called Gundams to begin a campaign of guerrilla warfare against the Alliance, specifically a secret...
from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing allies with Paptimus Scirocco's rebellion from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
, resulting in the two enemy forces working together.
One noteworthy aspect of the Super Robot Wars games is that character death happens rarely. Players will often have the chance to prevent the death of an ally, as depicted in his or her animated series, while some games take this a step further and prevent heroic deaths freely, without extra effort on the player's part. Additionally, some enemies can be convinced (usually those who are not completely villainous, or who have good intentions) to abandon the antagonists and join the player, whether they do so in their respective series or not. When these concepts are combined, players can create a team that has no chance of existing within the original series.
Battle
When a unit attacks, the target reacts by countering, blocking or evading. Once chosen, the battle animation is played out. If the player unit is not destroyed and successfully damaged the enemy, then the unit gains experience points. And if the enemy is destroyed, the player will also receive money and optional parts. In later games, "Support Attacks/Defense" and simultaneous attacks by two or more units were introduced.All battles are carried out either the terrain of land, air, sea or space, which affects the performance of machines, pilots and weapons in various ways. For example, most Gundam characters excel in space combat, but suffer major handicaps underwater, and techniques requiring an atmosphere, such as the Mazinger Z's "Rust Hurricane", are unusable in space. The battle field also contains objects which grant various effects. For example besides providing repair and energy refill, a military base also provides land units with defense bonus but will hinder them from moving freely.
Units
Units in-game are generally separated into two categories: "super-typeSuper Robot
is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
" and "real-type
Real Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
". Super robots are heavy units with exceptionally high hit points and armor, and powerful, close-range weapons with high energy cost. On the other hand, real robots are light units which are faster and more agile, but have less armor and hit points, relying instead on dodging attacks. Their weapons have longer range and better accuracy at the cost of doing less damage per hit. Some units are treated as "support units", regenerating hit points and/or energy to allies, while battleships and carriers serve as transports or to resupply all units.
Though every unit takes a single grid on the tactical map and has little visual difference in battle animations, a larger unit gains defensive and offensive bonus against smaller units, but carry a disadvantage to evasion and accuracy. In later titles, certain attacks can bypass the size attribute, nullifying the effect of size in combat.
Some units have other unique characteristics: for example, Getter Robo can transform into different forms with new weapons and different attributes. To give the player more freedom in customization, some pilots are able to switch into other machines from the same series, such as placing Zeta Gundam pilot Kamille Bidan into Judau Ashta's MSZ-010 Double Zeta Gundam.
Weapons
Weapons carry various attributes other than range, accuracy modifier and attack power. All weapons can be divided into melee and shooting categories that determine its effectiveness by pilots' status. In some games weapons are divided into categories such as "missile" and "beam" which are less effective against opponents equipped with, for instance, jamming technology or reflective armour. Some weapons can be used after a unit has moved, while others can only be performed while remaining stationary. Other attributes can be effected by terrain or a target's defensive ability. In addition, some units make use of "MAP Weapons" which affect multiple squares at once, with some damaging everything in the area and others, such as Cybuster's Cyflash, ignoring allies. Some games feature weapons which inflict status effects on enemies that drain their energy, weaken their armor or damage the pilot's stats. Some pilots have special stats and skills that allow them to use specialized weapons, such as the "NewtypeNewtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....
" ability being required to use the funnel weapons on the MSN-04 Sazabi
MSN-04 Sazabi
The MSN-04 Sazabi is a fictional mobile suit designed by Yutaka Izubuchi for the anime movie Char's Counterattack; it has also appeared in titles including, but not limited to, the Super Robot Wars series of strategy games, the Gundam: Battle Assault series of fighting games, the PlayStation 2...
or the RX-93 Nu Gundam.
Other
As larger storage media became common from fifth generation consolesHistory of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
, fully animated battle sequences complete with detailed graphics, whether larger 2-D sprites, or 3-D graphics, such as the Dreamcast port of Super Robot Wars Alpha, were implemented with voice acting. The voices were provided by the same seiyuu, if available, as the one in the broadcast of the anime. Some games contain CG mini-movies, depicting a certain mecha's dramatic appearance and/or transformation during the stage. Since many of the seiyuu featured have worked in various anime, the games include in-jokes concerning their other roles: Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
from Gundam and Misato Katsuragi
Misato Katsuragi
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise created by Hideaki Anno. She is the operations director at Nerv, initially with the rank of captain; she is later promoted to major. In Rebuild of Evangelion Misato's rank is lieutenant colonel...
from Evangelion flirt often, referring to their seiyuus' roles as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon
Usagi Tsukino
is a fictional character in the Sailor Moon metaseries and the main protagonist of the franchise, as well as its title character. Her civilian name, , becomes Serena Tsukino in the English-language versions...
, respectively. Hikaru Midorikawa
Hikaru Midorikawa
is a Japanese voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Softon in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Tamahome in Fushigi Yugi, Seiran Shi in Saiunkoku Monogatari, Heero Yuy in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Kaede Rukawa in Slam Dunk, Zelgadis Greywords in...
, the seiyuu for Heero Yuy (from Gundam Wing), is a huge fan of the Super Robot Wars series; in fact, he volunteers to do extra lines for no charge, and has done beta testing for Banpresto's games, with a blog alongside Banpresto's website.
Since the 4th Super Robot Wars, many games feature a database of every character and unit appearing in the title. The database entries are written in the context of the character/unit's original story, regardless of how it is altered in the game. Players usually gain access to the profiles of units and characters already encountered during gameplay and must play through the game several times in order to complete it.
Super Robot Wars titles
Most are standalone games, whose background stories may involve the plots of the included series, but no other Super Robot Wars titles. However, there are at least five main continuities with an overall storyline:Classic
Consists of the 2nd, the 3rd, EX, F and F Final games (in that order). F and F Final replaced the 4th, while 2G is not considered canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, due to its non-inclusion in the Complete Box set. The side-story Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental is divided into two parts: "Part One" occurs before the 2nd and "Part Two" after the 4th (4th was released before F and F Final). The primary antagonist organization of this series is known as DC (Divine Crusaders).
Alpha
Consists of Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Alpha 2 and Alpha 3 games (in that order). "Part One" of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental also provides relevant information, taking place before Alpha.
Compact 2
The Compact 2 trilogy for the Bandai Wonderswan were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Impact. Despite Compact, Compact 3 and MX sharing gameplay mechanics with Compact 2 and Impact, there are otherwise no connections between the games.
Original Generation
Starring "Banpresto Originals", this timeline draws upon from all previous continuities. Both Original Generation games were compiled with updated visuals and sound as Super Robot Wars Original Generations, followed by the sequel Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, the remake version of Masō Kishin - The Lord Of Elemental, Masō Kishin 2: Revelation of Evil God and lastly 2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation. Also part of the Original Generation series is the Endless Frontier series, composing of Endless Frontier and Endless Frontier EXCEED, which is set after Original Generation Gaiden. This continuity is the only one to have had titles officially released in English.
Z
The most recent continuity, which consists of Z, Z Special Disk, and Z2 in that order. The story focuses much on the Twelve Spheres, in which plays an important part in the game's story line.
Series included
The first mechaMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
series featured are Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
, Getter Robo
Getter Robo
is a Super Robot manga series created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, as well as an anime series produced by Toei Animation. The series was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974 to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes.- Plot :...
and the earliest incarnations of Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
. It was tradition for a Super Robot Wars game to include a Mazinger, a Getter and a Universal Century
Universal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
Gundam series, forming what fans call the "Holy Trinity"; however, newer handheld titles began omitting one or more of these series in favor of increased focus on newer properties. There are also occasions when a Manga series gets included into a Super Robot Wars game despite not having an anime counterpart, such as when Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam
Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam
is a six volume manga written by Yoshiyuki Tomino and illustrated by Yuichi Hasegawa.-Overview:Crossbone takes place ten years after Mobile Suit Gundam F91, and multiple characters from that movie return as main characters within the manga. The manga has never been officially distributed outside of...
was included in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 and even series that never made it into an anime or manga series like Kanzen Shouri Daiteioh
Kanzen Shouri Daiteioh
, is a planned fourth Eldran franchise funded by Takara Tomy and Sunrise. Intentionally the series is planned to be a 51 Episode Anime series, but due to issues regarding the storyline, the company made a pilot episode OVA and a manga adaptation....
, being included in Super Robot Wars NEO. Video Game series have also been included in the games over the years, a recent example being the Virtual On
Virtual On
is a series of video games created by Sega AM-3 . The original series was first published for arcades in February 1995. The game features fast, action-oriented gameplay requiring quick reflexes...
series being included in 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha.
Banpresto Originals
Since the second game, the series has also included a number of original characters and mecha designed specifically for each game. These serve as viewpoint characters for the player, who follows the events of the game through their perspective. Most games also will end with an original threat that may ally itself with other villains from the series' involved, and usually serves as the final villain(s) in the game. These heroes and villains are collectively known as Banpresto Originals.In 2002, Banpresto released Super Robot Wars Original Generation for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, which featured a roster made entirely of original characters from the previous games in the series.
English releases
Many mecha titles included are released only in Japan and the number of titles involved within a single game means complicated rights and licensing issues when releasing it elsewhere (a problem that also affects other games, such as Jump Superstars).Thus far, only Original Generation games are officially released for the English market by Atlus USA. The titles of the games are given as Super Robot Taisen, possibly to avoid potential confusion with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series, Robot Wars
Robot Wars (TV series)
Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
. The games do not have the licensing problems other games may have since only original creations not from any anime or manga series are used in the lineup, thus making it the first game in the series to be released outside of the Asian market. Atlus also released Endless Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga
Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga
is a video game of Banpresto, co-developed with Monolith Soft, the studio behind the Xenosaga series. It is a spin-off of the Super Robot Wars: Original Generation series...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
on April 28, 2009.
In addition, some games have been unofficially translated: the original Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
, Super Robot Wars 3, Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden
Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden
, for the PlayStation, is the first side-story in the Super Robot Wars Alpha series, continuing from Super Robot Wars Alpha. Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden, or simply, Alpha Gaiden, includes several rare series choices, such as After War Gundam X, Turn-A Gundam and Xabungle, all of which debut in...
and Super Robot Wars Judgement
Super Robot Wars Judgement
, is a tactical role-playing video game released for the Game Boy Advance by Banpresto.-Gameplay:Judgement features several systems used in previous games, as well as new ones...
.
Music
JAM ProjectJAM Project
JAM Project is an anime music genre "supergroup" based in Japan, originally founded on July 19, 2000 by famous 1970s theme song artist Ichirou Mizuki...
, consisting of veteran anime theme musicians, like Ichirou Mizuki
Ichirou Mizuki
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese vocalist, lyrist, composer, voice actor and actor best known for his work on theme songs for anime and tokusatsu. For over 40 years, he has recorded over 1200 songs for Japanese film, television, video and video games. He is referred to by fans and...
, Hironobu Kageyama
Hironobu Kageyama
is a Japanese musical artist prominent in the soundtracks for anime, video game, and tokusatsu productions. He is sometimes called Kami by his fans. Kageyama got his big break at age 16, as lead singer of the pop group Lazy. By the early '80s, the band split and Kageyama went solo...
, Rica Matsumoto
Rica Matsumoto
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rika Matsumoto. She was one of the original members of the popular vocal group JAM Project. After the way of the stage, she embarked on voice acting and a singing career...
, Eizo Sakamoto
Eizo Sakamoto
is a Japanese heavy metal musician who was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture. He is most famous for being the lead vocalist of 1980s band Anthem. In the 1990s he started up the band Animetal which performed heavy metal covers of anime and tokusatsu opening and closing themes. He also was...
, Masaaki Endoh
Masaaki Endoh
is a Japanese singer/songwriter who is prominent in the area of soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions. He is one of the founders of the anison supergroup JAM Project and has been a regular member ever since its inception in 2000. The group recently celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a...
, Hiroshi Kitadani
Hiroshi Kitadani
is a Japanese vocalist who is prominent as an anison, or a musician who primarily performs theme songs and other songs in anime. He also works behind the scenes of many songs. He currently works with JAM Project, but has also been a part of Lapis Lazuli and Stagger and does solo work...
, Masami Okui
Masami Okui
is a Rock/Pop/Anison singer who was born in Itami, Hyōgo, Japan. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer.From almost the very beginning of her career, Masami has sung themes for anime TV and movies...
and Yoshiki Fukuyama
Yoshiki Fukuyama
, born September 14, 1963, is a Japanese guitarist, singer and songwriter. He originally became known on an international level for his work in the anime Macross 7 where he was the singing voice and guitar of the show's main character, Basara Nekki...
have also contributed to many Super Robot Wars soundtracks, usually providing the opening theme song and the song played over the closing credits. The series also spawned a set of concerts and albums called Super Robot Spirits, where veteran vocalists—some of whom would go on to form JAM Project—sing covers of popular mecha anime openings, and in some cases, live versions of songs they themselves originally sang.
Anime
Masō Kishin CybusterCybuster
is a 26 episode anime that aired in Japan between May 3, 1999 and October 25, 1999.-Plot:The story is set in 2040 after a disaster happens in Tokyo in 2029. The main character Ken Ando joins up with a company designated to clean up Tokyo, called DC...
is a loose adaptation on the story of the first original Banpresto mecha in Super Robot Wars into a 26-episode series, featuring characters inspired by the allies of the Cybuster's pilot Masaki Andoh and original characters created for the anime.
In May 2005, Banpresto released the animated OVA Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation
Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation
is a 3-episode OVA that takes place after the events of Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2, a Game Boy Advance game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise.-Synopsis:...
, a 3-part non-canonical sequel to the second Original Generation game. The OVA was followed up by Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars
Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars
is a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation game, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. A sequel titled began airing on the October 1, 2010.-Summary:The anime is not a...
, a retelling of the plot in the first Original Generation game. A variety of drama CDs, manga and model kits accompany the Original Generation lineup. In Fall 2010, Banpresto followed up with Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector
Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector
is a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 game, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. It was produced by Asahi Production and started broadcasting in several Japanese...
, which is a retelling of the plot of Original Generation 2.
Manga
There have been several Manga adaptations that retell the stories of the Super Robot Wars series. by Akihiro Kimura tells the story of the Divine WarsSuper Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars
is a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation game, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. A sequel titled began airing on the October 1, 2010.-Summary:The anime is not a...
anime over 6 volumes published from 2006 to 2009. Meanwhile is manga series by Tatsunosuke Yatsufusa that tells a similar story but from the ATX Team's perspective. is a series of short stories that take place across the Original Generation timeline, written and drawn by various authors, some of the stories from OG Chronicle were incorporated in to the video game Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden
Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden
is a tactical role-playing game, and direct sequel to Super Robot Wars Original Generations, for the PlayStation 2. The bonus segments of Original Generations, entitled Original Generation 2.5: Unified Wisdom, was regarded as a preview for Original Generation Gaiden...
. , is a 2 volume series by Masaaki Fujihara tells the background story for the original machines known as the Chokijin.
Net Radio
began to air to go along with the release of the Divine WarsSuper Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars
is a Japanese anime series, that retells the events from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation game, a game featuring only original characters and mechs created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise. A sequel titled began airing on the October 1, 2010.-Summary:The anime is not a...
anime. The show has been airing since January 2007 with four regular hosts, Tomokazu Sugita
Tomokazu Sugita
is a Japanese voice actor employed by Atomic Monkey. Best known for his role as Gintoki in Gintama, he also voices Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. He is also one of the three hosts on the radio show Bururaji promoting the videogame Blazblue which is produced and released on Nico Nico...
, Masaaki Endoh
Masaaki Endoh
is a Japanese singer/songwriter who is prominent in the area of soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions. He is one of the founders of the anison supergroup JAM Project and has been a regular member ever since its inception in 2000. The group recently celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a...
, Mai Aizawa
Mai Aizawa
is a female Japanese voice actress. She is employed by Aoni Production.- Television :* Mahō Sensei Negima! , Natsumi Murakami* Air , Girl * Negima! , Natsumi Murakami, Theme Song Performance...
and Rie Saitou. The show often features series' producer Takanobu Terada as a special guest. After Divine Wars ended, the show carried on and was often used to regularly feature and promoted up and coming video game titles.
Influence
Super Robot Wars eventually garners an influence on the Japanese animated industry, sparking fan interest in old anime mecha shows, some of which are first heard of or seen by fans playing the games. For example, Steel JeegSteel Jeeg
, more commonly known as Kotetsu Jeeg or Koutetsu Jeeg, is a super robot anime and manga series created by manga artists Go Nagai and Tatsuya Yasuda. The TV anime was produced by Toei Doga. It was first broadcast on Japanese TV in 1975. The series lasted for 46 episodes...
, garnered the sequel Kotetsushin Jeeg
Kotetsushin Jeeg
is a Japanese animated television series and retcon to the 1975 Super Robot series Steel Jeeg, created by Go Nagai. It is directed by Jun Kawagoe . The show began airing on the satellite network WOWOW on April 5, 2007 at 11:30 p.m...
after its appearances in the 2nd
2nd Super Robot Wars Alpha
, for the PlayStation 2, is the third game in the Alpha series, continuing from Super Robot Wars Alpha and Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden. The 2nd Super Robot Wars Alpha, or simply Alpha 2, includes series debuts Brain Powerd, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar and Steel Jeeg...
and 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha.
A number of anime producers, who are fans of the games, have added allusions and homages to the series in their own works, from visual gags in Hayate The Combat Butler
Hayate the Combat Butler
is a Japanese manga series, written and illustrated by Kenjiro Hata, about a boy who starts a new job as a butler and the events he experiences with his employer. Shogakukan have released 29 volumes in Japan. The English edition of the series has been licensed by Viz Media for distribution in North...
and Lucky Star, to similarities between Signum
Signum (Nanoha)
, voiced by Kaori Shimizu and Bailey Chadwick , is a character in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's. She appears in neither the previous series Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha nor the alternate universe story Triangle Heart, but appears in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS...
of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's
is a thirteen episode sequel to Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, a magical girl alternate universe spinoff of the Triangle Heart series of games and OVAs. A third series, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, was released in 2007...
to the female protagonist from Super Robot Wars A.
The games' main influence is the creation of animated shows influenced by original units and characters created for the games. The best examples are Getter Robo Armageddon
Getter Robo Armageddon
, often simply referred to as Change!! Getter Robo in Japan, is an original video animation released in 1998 by Bandai Visual, based on the manga and anime series Getter Robo, created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa...
, Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo and the Mazinkaiser
Mazinkaiser
is an anime OVA series, inspired by Go Nagai's Mazinger series. The OVA follows Kouji Kabuto, Tetsuya Tsurugi and the rest of the "Mazinger Team" as they fight against Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts....
OVA, released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2002. Shin Getter Robo first appeared in Ken Ishikawa's
Ken Ishikawa
was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator with Go Nagai, of the Getter Robo anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations...
manga for Getter Robo Go, then became by its apparition in various Super Robot Wars games until receiving its aforementioned OVAs. Mazinkaiser appeared for the first time in Super Robot Wars F Final, released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and the Sony PlayStation in 1998, as an upgrade to the original Mazinger Z. Mazinger Z writer and illustrator, Go Nagai, eventually implements it into his manga as the prototype of the other Mazinger machines.