Title Tech Romancer Manufacturer Capcom System/Year Dreamcast/2000 Genre Fighting/Action Players 1-2 Players Ports Arcade (The focus of this review is the Dreamcast port of this title.) Overview Though technically a ‘sequel’ to the earlier Capcom fighters Armored Warriors and Cyberbots, Tech Romancer(which, incidentally, is called Kikaioh in Japan) is in actuality quite different from either of its two ‘predecessors.’ All three games pay homage to the manga/anime mecha sub-genre, in which the protagonists battle valiantly against evil utilizing massive robotic war machines. This is where many of the similarities to those earlier games ends. Both Armored Warriors and Cyberbots are fine games in their own right. Tech Romancer, however, strives to go beyond the experience of these two games. Capcom sought with this title to create a completely immersive experience in which the gamer actually feels that she or he is playing an anime. Through the use of well-designed gameplay, beautiful presentation, and vast content, Capcom succeeds marvelously in this attempt. As noted above, Tech Romancer pays strong homage to the mecha genre. The game’s original concept is credited to Shoji Kawamori. Kawamori is renowned in the anime industry as a brilliant designer and creator. Kawamori was in large part responsible for the creation of the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross anime (known in America as Robotech). In addition, one of Kawamori’s collaborators from that series, Kazutaka Miyatake, shares the mechanical design credits for the game’s mecha with Kawamori. Finally, Studio NUE, Kawamori’s production company, assisted in the creation of the game’s cut scenes and animation sequences. Obviously, the presence of all of this talent contributed greatly to the game’s appeal and authentic gameplay. Each of the game’s 9 main protagonists has his or her own storyline in the game. In addition, both the design of the characters themselves and those of their mecha are often an overt reference to a specific, well-known anime series. For example: G.Kaiser/Kikaioh = Mazinger Z/ Tranzor Z Diana 17 = Aphrodite A (of Mazinger/Tranzor Z) Bolon = Bobo Bot/Boss Borot (Tranzor Z) Refaga = VF1-Valkyrie Veritech (of Macross/Robotech) Twinzam V = Getter Robo, Voltron & other ‘combination’ mecha series Dixen = RX- 78 Gundam Pulsion = Ultraman and other tokusatsu genre characters Wise Duck = Timber Wolf Mech from the BattleTech/MechAssault Universe (It is worth noting that in the last two instances, the referent work is not anime. However, both Ultraman and BattleTech are properties which are intellectually related to the overall theme of the genre, and thus fit the game quite well.) Graphics 9/10 Despite the game’s release date, Tech Romancer is still a pretty game to play. Perhaps because mecha are inherently ‘blocky,’ the appearance of the character models has aged well. Additionally, Capcom added numerous minor details that enhance the experience. For example, when your mech’s armor is destroyed, you will see bare electrical current sparking through shattered sections of your exterior. When a mech loses a match, it collapses in a heap as its nuclear core overheats, goes critical, and finally explodes in a shower of parts and flame. The backgrounds of the game are as well-executed as the character designs. Battles take place in a variety of different environments. Among these stages are open clearings set amongst tranquil forests, war-torn lunar colonies besieged by starships, massive towering cityscapes, and bizarre alien dimensions. As was noted above, Tech Romancer features some beautiful animation courtesy of Studio Nue. The various characters are all showcased performing heroic actions against the world-threatening Goldibus Corps. The opening intro animation for the game starts with a clock in the left corner of the screen which reaches either 6:30, 7:30, 4:30, or 5:00 as the animation begins. This is yet another allusion to the game’s origins; Capcom seems to imply that the player is starring in an early morning or after school anime feature. It’s the little graphical touches like this scattered through the game that truly make this title stand out. Gameplay/Controls 9/10 As you’ve already read, Tech Romancer was designed to look just like an anime mecha series. However, none of that would matter in the least if the gameplay weren’t also geared to fit into the same mold. Thankfully, however, this is precisely where Tech Romancer really begins to shine. First off: Tech Romancer is a ‘3D’-action game. Not only does it make use of polygonal form models for the characters and environments, it also allows players to move ‘into’ and ‘out of’ the plane of combat by pressing either up or down on the d-pad or analog stick. All four of the Dreamcast’s buttons are utilized for attack and defense. The Y button is Attack A (generally an attack which doubles as a melee attack when you are close enough to the opponent). The B Button is Attack B, the X Button is the Guard button, and the A button performs your mech’s Jump. Next, the game’s battle mechanics must be considered. Combat itself was designed to reflect the conventions that lovers of the Gundam and Macross series have come to anticipate in their movies. All of the playable characters have anywhere from 10 to 15 different normal attacks. These range from melee to long range weapons, and feature everything from beam swords, arrows, and halberds to missile barrages, grenades, and energy cannons. Certain characters also have additional defensive options available to them (Dixen’s “funnels” come to mind). It must be noted that for most of the mechs, the available weapon set emphasizes the well-timed use of mid-range to long ranged weaponry. Melee attacks and combos are generally short and simple. In addition to the attack options listed above, the game also makes use of items that can be activated at any time by a mech which possess them. These items can be power-ups which increase offensive or defensive statistics, which repair damage your mech has sustained, or which reflect any of several unique character weapons designed for your mech. (For example, Refaga can equip a cannon with a high rate of fire, while Dixen can use a flame-thrower). At the start of the round, each mech possesses three weapons or power-up items. More can be gained by destroying items in the environment. They can also be ‘stolen’ from one’s opponent; launching a successful melee combat string or a super move will often knock items from their inventory, which can then be added your own. You can have up to 5 items in your armory at any one time, and can cycle through these using the left trigger. Three gauges that must be carefully watched during combat represent the overall health of the character that you’ve selected. (These gauges are depicted in the diagram below. Note that these are designed to evoke the images often seen on the ‘control panels’ of mecha seen in the aforementioned anime series.) The damage gauge records the amount of damage that a character has taken from the opponent’s attacks. Damage from attacks comes in both an absolute and a recoverable form. Absolute damage cannot be lessened except through the use of a healing item (and these are quite rare). Recoverable damage will slowly decrease as long as the player does not sustain any further damage from attacks. When a player’s damage gauge fills completely, they’ve lost one round. When it fills twice, the match is over. The armor gauge reflects the condition of the exterior armor of your mech. As you block enemy attacks, this armor will degrade. When it reaches zero, the attack will ‘shatter’ the armor, sending your character flying through the air. From this point on, any attack launched against you– even those that are successfully blocked- will cause chip damage to your damage gauge. This highlights the need to make use of evasive maneuvers and options in order to keep your mech’s armor in tip-top shape. The special gauge can be used to launch particularly devastating special attacks, and must be built up during combat. The characters in Tech Romancer normally move just as you’d expect a 100-ton battle machine to move - at a fairly slow speed. However, there are a number of offensive and defensive options that can allow one to move quickly at just the right moment. Utilizing the right trigger at the instant that an enemy’s attack is about to land will allow your mech to dodge ‘into’ the screen and launch a rapid melee counterattack. There is also an attack maneuver called a Steel Dash (hold Guard while tapping forward twice). The Steel Dash allows your mech to rapidly thrust forward at an opponent. Normal attacks launched during or before you began movement will still cause damage, but you will maintain your forward momentum long enough to cut the distance between you and your opponent. If you’ve judged the distance just right, you’ll even hit them, allowing you to begin a potentially high-damage attack string. A discussion of the combat techniques wouldn’t be complete without mention of the stylish and lethal Final Attack. Once your opponent has sustained about 150% damage, the option to launch a Final Attack will appear at the top of your screen. The Final Attack is a signature ‘fatality’ which, if you are able to land it, will destroy the opponent’s remaining life and grant you victory. The first strike of the Final Attack is always a melee blow which you must get past your opponent’s defenses. In most cases, a well timed Steel Dash will permit you to do just that. If they insist on guarding, you can sometimes use the Power Breaker maneuver (press Guard, Attack A, and Attack B simultaneously) to shatter their guard first. The presence of this move really add spice and an element of desperation to a match. There are three main modes in which a player can choose to do combat – the traditional versus mode, Story Mode and Hero Challenge Mode. Story Mode advances your character through a series of events that chronicle a unique adventure. These events take place in ‘episodes’ much like those of the anime series that inspired them. Hero Challenge Mode allows you to battle all of the game’s 12 characters in sequence. At the end of the Hero Challenge, the computer will rate your performance based upon the amount of health that you had remaining at the end of the match and the speed and skill with which you dispatched your foes. It must be said that playing in either of the game’s two modes will cause you to play against two of the most frustrating characters that Capcom has ever devised: the sub-boss Quvearl and the Boss character Goldibus. Goldibus in particular is the very epitome of the term ‘broken.’ Even worse, the conditions for victory are skewed in Goldibus’ favor during the final battle. This is a big negative for the gameplay, IMHO. Thankfully, a human player is unable to select either character, so the gnashing of your teeth will take place only while battling T. Romancer’s software. The sum total of all of these combat options is a play style that emphasizes strategic keep-away and zoning tactics, punctuated by brief moments of intense hand-to-hand mayhem. Truthfully, it takes a while to learn all of the possibilities inherent to each mech. It also takes a while to learn when to melee attack and when to stay away and frustrate your foe with a cascade of rockets. This is compounded by the complete lack of a training mode. This curious omission practically guarantees that you’ll do most of your learning while in the midst of combat, either against the computer or against another human. Still, it must be said that the experience is a tremendous amount of fun once the fundamentals have been grasped. Sound/Music 9/10 Tech Romancer also enjoys some well-done musical selections. The game’s introductory animation is accompanied by a ‘theme’ song which is entirely in place in the game. (After all, what’s a hero without his theme music?) The background music for the stages also does a fine job of reflecting the ‘personality’ of the character who calls that area home. For example : Dixen and Refaga’s background tracks are appropriately martial in tone, while G. Kaiser’s anthem is upbeat and ‘heroic.’ The sound effects are as well-executed as any other aspect of the game. The walking sound of the various mecha is a heavy metallic thumping that seems to vibrate the very ground on which they walk. Cut scenes which play at the end of a match have a sound cue which is reminiscent of someone signing off from a high-tech radio. Naturally, weapons fire for vulcan cannons, rockets, and the like sounds just as it should. Finally, the characters in Tech Romancer all seem to have been voiced by some very competent voice actors. The dialogue for the game is in Japanese, but the emotional tones of the actors convey well the feelings of the various characters as they struggle along their paths. Replay Value 10/10 This is perhaps the best feature of this title. Due to the huge number of unlockable features, Tech Romancer’s replay value on the Dreamcast is surpassed only by that of Street Fighter Alpha 3. Despite the fact that the game has 9 playable mecha, there are actually 12 possible character storylines to be explored. This is because several of the mechs have more than one selectable pilot. For most of these characters’ stories there are several different endings. These endings branch off from specific moments in their episodes. In some cases adecision must be made in the midst of battle by the player, and this decision will determine which ending is viewed. In other cases, certain conditions for victory against specific opponents must be met. In at least one case, the ending is determined by the last digit on the timer after victory has been achieved! Unlocking all of the endings alone takes dedication and a lot of effort. However, this is only the beginning of the replay value. If you’ll recall, playing the game in Hero Challenge mode allows the computer to grade your abilities once you’ve finished. After you’ve been graded, you will also be given a sum of money commensurate with your level of success. This money is used to purchase additional game features in the ‘Tatsumi Techno Drome.’ Production and concept illustrations, cgi movies, and even additional playable characters can all be unlocked via this feature. (A highlight of my time playing this game was amassing enough money to purchase Jin Saotome and his Blodia.) Minigames that can be played on your VMU as well as a Dreamcast puzzle game are also available for acquisition. With Tech Romancer, it can truly be said that Capcom went above and beyond the norm. I only wish that every game had so many reasons to keep playing. Overall 9/10 Clearly, Tech Romancer was a labor of love. In fact I’d even go so far as to say that it was intended as a token of appreciation to all of the fans of the mecha genre. There are so many little touches, so many small details gotten just right that it could hardly be otherwise. This game isn’t for everyone; very few games are. However, if you know who Amuro Ray is, or why Protoculture is so valuable, or why the Inner Sphere is always at war, then this game was intended for you. Tech Romancer is one of two Capcom titles that no true lover of the genre should be without. - by Kain Maxi