Super Robot Taisen Original Generation Gaiden Limited Edition

START / Begin a new Super Robot Wars tactical action adventure
CONTINUE / Resume a game from stored PS2 data
LOAD / Resume a game from memory card data
SPECIAL MENU/ Play a SRW trading card game dubbed Super Robot Wars Shuffle Battler which begins with checking out a number of Shuffle Booster cards that are dealt. The title screen contains the following selections:

• VS BATTLE - Play VS COM or VS 2P
• VS MAP - Multiplayer card battling action
• TOURNAMENT - Battle against the ranks in progressively tougher bouts
• CARD MENU - View the cards in the game - most are locked at the outset

» The Shuffle Booster game pits two cards against each other with a mech or ship on it with HP, ranking, speed, def, CRT, and movement stats. Three dice are pressed upon to determine attack power which is then impacted upon the opponent. When the dice value is more than your card's HP, it's destroyed and then the next card comes up. A dice throw also determine who attacks first with the higher number gaining primacy. Despite the overall static nature of the game, it's still a fairly enjoyable tactical strategy game that's dependant on the dice selection and the stats of the attacking cards.

» The other options in SPECIAL MENU are:
1) Library
/ View mechs and ships from OG1, OG2, and OG Gaiden
/ View characters from all three OG games
/ Listen to BGM (all locked)
/ Watch short animation sequences from the OG games
/ View five pages of full screen artwork from the OG series
/ Read data snippets from the three OG games
/ Super Robot Wars Q & A section
/ Check out the paths from the OG games in flow-chart schema

2) Free Battle / Enjoy a no-strings attached battle between squads of mechs for fast and quick action without the drama or storyline of the actual game. Mech battle animations and voice acting are present for a full presentation of SRW action.

» In the title screen, a theme song plays where one refrain is a bunch of homies yelling "SUPA ROBO" in constant staccato followed by a woman singing.

» During some powerful attacks, the Dual Shock rumbles with fervor to connote the power of the onscreen attack

» At the outset of a normal game, an airship drops three mechs who land and are beset upon by six enemy mechs. A battle starts. Movement is akin to previous SRW games where MOVE/ATTACK/etc options are selected from a menu. Movement range is denoted by blue highlighted grids that appear before your target mech. Attacks are shown in side-viewed action sequences where a mech powers up and then mounts an assault. Counterattacks are shown on the same sequence after the aggressor attacks. Damage effects and destruction are shown in full animated detail.

» When two mechs are contiguous to each other, they can offer defense for each other and combine attacks for a super blast.

» The henchmen in the first level aren't much of a challenge... and neither is their purple-armored boss since its attacks are easily dodged but it does have 10000 HP and is at level 5. After destroying it, another enemy appears in the distance which looks like a cross between a vegetable, a mineral, and a mech. It throws powerful energy spheres which are overkill and accompanied by an impressive cataclysmic animation. It's also at 80000 HP and level 6. For all the majesty of its attack, it was only able to connect once. The animations can be skipped by pressing the "X" button. The battle ended with the beast being encased in ice and brought back to headquarters.

» Back at HQ, a non-interactive sequence plays which is pretty lengthy. To toggle AUTO-MODE so that the conversations between the characters are forwarded automatically, push down on R3 and let the sequence play without having to press the "O" button to move the dialogue along.