Evangelion Jo - PS2

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Relive the entirety of the original Evangelion serial by playing the part of Shinji Ikari as he goes from simpering whelp to sheepish Evangelion Unit-01 handler. Bandai's Evangelion JO is an interactive retelling of the animated series which features snippets of conversation, CG scenarios, action-packed fighting sequences, and more NERV than you can shake a stick at. The game starts with a view of Shinji who's standing in front of a payphone while the sounds of cicadas whine in the background. Shinji looks at a postcard from Misato Katsuragi who's wearing a bikini and ponders a note that he received from his father when Misato appears in her sports car. She beckons Shinji to enter and they both drive to NERV Headquarters where his new life is about to begin.

NCS Game Notes
» Upon booting up the game, the logo screen appears accompanied by classical music. It's a recognizable piece which adds gravitas to the atmosphere.

» Press START and be greeted by "NEW GAME," "CONTINUE," and "OPTION."

» After starting a new game, the high-pitch of cicadas may be heard while a female voice-over provide a short introduction. Shiji may be seen standing in front of a payphone when he takes out a snapshot of Misato Katsuragi in a swimsuit. A loud crash may be heard and he looks over to see an Angel stomping on the ground. Hikari is picked up by Katsuragi in her sports car and the introduction continues at NERV HQ where Ikari is introduced to an Evangelion while his father Genji looks on addresses his son. Later on, Rei may be seen lying on a hospital bed with bandages. Outside, the Angel's attack rages on and causes the underground HQ to shudder and knock Rei off of her bed. Shinji runs over and cradles her but eventually enters the Evangelion and commandeers it against the invading angel. That's where you come in to take control and mount an assault on the invader.

» The entry plug for Shinji is shown being inserted into the EVA along with the capsule being filled with LCL. The EVA is then shuttled out of HQ and into the battlefield to face the Angel.

» The sync ratio shown on the bottom-left of the screen is 40%. Communication flashes from HQ are also shown on the lower-left corner.

» After taking a couple of steps, the Evangelion will fall on its face only to be picked up by the Angel and beaten mercilessly. This portion of the game can't be controlled since it's cinematic and designed to start out this way. After being beaten, the Evangelion goes berserker and attacks the Angel on its on volition. The Angel blows the Evangelion back and throws up a protective shield. The Evangelion will try to pierce the shield and your help will be called upon since you'll have to press the "L" and "R" triggers as quickly as possible to break the shield. If you're too slow in breaking the shield, the Angel will blow the Evangelion back once again. Once the shield is pierced, another action is required where you'll have to press a face button as indicated onscreen within the time required to continue the attack. In our case, we had to press the "O" button twice to knock the Angel down. Once knocked down, we then had to press the "O" button very quickly to land a few hard punches which eventually caused the Angel to destruct. Afterwards, the Evangelion is shown staggering back to HQ before stage completion screens appear which are accompanied by triumphant music. Your performance will be assessed an "Operation Reward," "Eva Destruction Rate," "Tokyo III Destruction Rate," and an "Acquisition Reward."

» You'll get a chance to save your progress after the stage rewards are counted.

» Voice acting accompanies most of the dialogue in the game.

» The next chapter follows Shinji's progress as chronicled in the original Evangelion series where he slowly finds his place in NERV and establishes a relationship with Misato. He'll meet Misato's pet penguin in her apartment and live with her under her care. Later on, he'll meet the girl who'll change his life forever in Asuka Langley and learn a little more about the enigmatic Rei Ayanami.

» After a short sequence with Katsuragi at her apartment, the next playable scene opens up at NERV HQ where control of Shinji is handed over to the player. Move him around with the L-thumbstick and interact with the NERV personnel by pressing the "O" or "SQUARE" buttons. To exit, move to the right and five other areas may be visited including the Evangelion hangar, Ritsuko Akagi's office, Tokyo III, and Misato's apartment. When visiting the two areas in Tokyo III, Shinji may wander around the streets and talk to the citizenry.

» The next battle takes place in Tokyo III where Shinji controls an Evangelion against an Angel in full-on 3D combat. Move around with the L-thumbstick and attack with a blade by pressing the "O" or "TRIANGLE" buttons. Pressing the "X" button will make the Evangelion perform an evasive barrel roll.

» After the encounter against the Angel, the next chapter starts with Shinji getting smacked down by a school bully while Rei Ayanami watches from a classroom overhead. In the next scene, another Angel attack is underway and the scene shifts to NERV HQ where Shinji is in his Plug Suit. Head on over to the Evangelion hangar, stop in front of the Evangelion and press the "O" button to initiate a sequence between supporting cast members that eventually gives way to another encounter against an angel which features 3D action where an Evangelion is maneuvered with the L-thumbstick. Knife-based attacks are meted out with the "Triangle" and "O" buttons. To center the camera on an Angel, press the "L1" button.

» To rush through interaction sequences that you may have viewed already, press and hold the "R1" button. You'll die a lot in the early part of the game because the Angels are tough and the Evangelion's offensive attacks aren't really up to snuff.

» The PS2 version of Evangelion JO is based on the PSP version and all the original development was made for the PSP then ported to the PS2.

View the back cover on the main NCSX website.