Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation

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Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Super Robot Taisen - Original Generation Coverart.png
Developer(s) Banpresoft
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release
  • JP: November 22, 2002
  • NA: August 8, 2006
  • PAL: December 31, 2007
Genre(s) Tactical role-playing
Mode(s) Single player

Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation [lower-alpha 1] is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It was developed by Banpresoft and published by Banpresto in Japan, Atlus in North America, and 505 Games in Europe.

Contents

The game was originally released in Japan on November 22, 2002, and stars various original characters created by Banpresto for their Super Robot Wars series. Like the much earlier Super Robot Wars Gaiden, the game features no licensed mecha or characters at all - instead, it uses only Banpresto's own creations, in an original story. The games sold well in Japan, and later adapted for a short animated OVA called Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation , which takes place after the second game in the series. A television series, Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars , retells the story of the first game. Original Generation was released in the United States on August 8, 2006. It is the first game in the Super Robot Wars series to ever be commercially released overseas, since, unlike the rest of the series, it contains no characters from other media, therefore, no legal entanglements were involved in a foreign release.

A sequel, Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 , was available on February 3, 2005, in Japan and was released in North America on November 21, 2006. On June 27, 2007, Super Robot Wars: Original Generations , an enhanced remake of both Original Generation games, was released in Japan for the PlayStation 2.

Gameplay

Original Generation offers the player a choice to play the game from the perspective of either two male protagonists, both of whom find themselves fighting the Divine Crusaders and the Aerogaters from different fronts. While both routes share similarities, each character has his own unique missions to follow, as well as meeting different people and piloting different mechs in their respective scenarios. Regardless of who the player chooses, both protagonists and their parties will eventually join up to form one large cast, with brief branching stages, based on the character chosen in the beginning of the game.

As a first in the Super Robot Wars franchise, Original Generation allows the player to equip or remove weapons on mechs. For example, the Plasma Saber equipped on the Weiss Ritter can be removed and placed on the R-1 for its pilot to utilize during sorties. However, this unique system is only available on mechs that are of the real-type, while super robots are not capable of switching weapons. The game also allows the use of customizing playable pilots, through a set of pilot skills, bought by Pilot Points, received from defeating enemy units. These Pilot Points can also be used to upgrade their stats that determine how well he/she performs in battle as well as their terrain adaptivity.

Plot

It is two hundred years after the beginning of the "Space Era", a time period when civilization began expanding into space. However, by the start of the 21st century, two meteors struck and destroyed much of the Earth, sending humanity into chaos. By year 179 of the Space Era, secret technology, dubbed Extra-Over Technology, or EOT, was discovered by the Earth Federal Government within a third meteor that had hit Earth at the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. Dr. Bian Zoldark, while investigating the meteor, also found out that the creators of the Extra-Over Technology were heading to Earth to reclaim it. In order to defend Earth, the government starts to develop a group of humanoid mecha, known as Personal Troopers. [1]

The alien race that created Extra-Over Technology, called the Aerogaters by the Earth Federal Government, initially attacks an Earth ship sent out to investigate their presence in the far reaches of the solar system. This initial skirmish ends in a defeat for the Aerogaters, prompting them to seek for negotiations with the Earth Federation Army. Talks are arranged to take place at a secret facility in Antarctica, but the talks are targeted by a rogue faction called the Divine Crusaders.

The Divine Crusaders destroys the Aerogater delegation, then turn on the Federation forces. Bian Zoldark, revealing himself to be the leader of the Divine Crusaders, announces the existence of the Aerogaters to the world and rebel against the Earth Government. As Earth spins into civil war, a new Aerogater force is on the move, seeking to reclaim their lost technology...

Originating games

The characters, units and setting in Original Generation are all taken from the following games:

Reception

On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 32 out of 40. [2]

See also

Notes

  1. Japanese: スーパーロボット大戦ORIGINAL GENERATION, Hepburn: Sūpā Robotto Taisen Orijinaru Jenerēshon

Related Research Articles

Super Robot Wars, known in Japan as Super Robot Taisen, is a series of Japanese tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the Compati Hero series, 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 Game Boy on April 20, 1991. Later spawning numerous games that were released on various consoles and handhelds. Due to the nature of crossover games and licensing involved, only a few games have been released outside Japan, and in English; Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation and its sequel were the first of these in 2006. The franchise celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016, and its 30th anniversary in 2021, and Super Robot Wars 30 was also released overseas.

<i>Super Robot Wars: Original Generations</i> 2007 video game

Super Robot Wars OG is a 2007 tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation 2. OG is a remake of the two Original Generation games for the Game Boy Advance and is intended to celebrate the Super Robot Wars series' 15th anniversary. It was released on June 28, 2007.

<i>Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden</i> 2001 video game

Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden, or simply, Alpha Gaiden, is a video game for the PlayStation, first released in Japan in 2001. It is the first side-story in the Super Robot Wars Alpha series, continuing from Super Robot Wars Alpha. The characters of After War Gundam X, Turn A Gundam, and Combat Mecha Xabungle make debut appearances in the game.

<i>Super Robot Wars OG 2</i> 2005 video game

Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It is the second Super Robot Taisen game that was officially released in North America.

<i>Super Robot Wars Alpha</i> 2000s video game

Super Robot Taisen Alpha, known as Super Robot Wars Alpha outside Japan, is a 2000 tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Banpresto for the PlayStation. A version for the Dreamcast, Super Robot Wars for Dreamcast, was released a year later.

<i>Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation</i>

Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation is a three-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 mecha created by Banpresto for the Super Robot Wars franchise.

<i>Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars</i> 2007 television anime

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 Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector began airing on the October 1, 2010.

<i>Super Robot Wars A</i> 2001 video game

Super Robot Wars A is a video game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, part of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars franchise and the first to appear on the Game Boy Advance handheld; the letter "A" in the title stands for "Advance". It was ported onto mobile phones as part of the Super Robot Wars i collection in 2006. An enhanced remake of Super Robot Wars A was released for the PlayStation Portable on June 19, 2008 as Super Robot Wars A Portable.

<i>Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden</i> 2007 video game

Super Robot Wars OG Gaiden is a 2007 tactical role-playing game, and direct sequel to Super Robot Taisen: 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. The game resolves many matters left unchecked at the end of Original Generation 2.5, such as one of the main antagonist's unfinished plan and the activities of one of the enemy factions.

<i>Super Robot Wars R</i> 2002 video game

Super Robot Wars R is a video game for the Game Boy Advance and is part of the Super Robot Wars franchise. It is the second game for the handheld system, preceded by Super Robot Wars A. Like its predecessor, it is ported into a mobile cellphone as part of the Super Robot Wars i line.

<i>Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector</i> Japanese anime television series

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 TV stations on October 1, 2010. The anime also received a simulcast release on the English anime streaming website, Crunchyroll.

<i>2nd Super Robot Wars OG</i> 2012 video game

2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generation is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation 3 developed by TOSE and published by Namco Bandai Games under the Banpresto label. It is the sequel to Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden. It was intended to be released on September 29, 2011 as part of Super Robot Wars' 20th Anniversary but got pushed back to November 29, 2012.

<i>2nd Super Robot Wars</i> 1991 video game

2nd Super Robot Wars (第2次スーパーロボット大戦) is a tactical role-playing video game developed by Winkysoft and published by Banpresto for the Famicom. It was the first game to be produced in the "Classic" canon timeline, the second game in the overall series, and the first game produced for the Famicom video game system on December 19, 1991.

<i>3rd Super Robot Wars</i> 1993 video game

3rd Super Robot Wars (第3次スーパーロボット大戦) was the third game in a series, the second in the "classic" canon, and the first on the Super Famicom, published on July 23, 1993. Along with 2nd and EX, 3rd Super Robot Wars was released on the Sony PlayStation on June 10, 1999, as part of Super Robot Wars Complete Box and June 22, 1999, as a stand-alone port.

<i>4th Super Robot Wars</i> 1995 video game

4th Super Robot Wars is a tactical RPG for the Super Famicom developed by both Banpresto and Winky Soft and published by Banpresto. It is the 5th entry in the Super Robot Wars series and the last entry in the Classic Timeline. It was first released on March 17, 1995, and received mostly positive reception, with reviewers highly praising the improvements from the last game while criticizing the game's increased difficulty. The game was ported to the Sony PlayStation and released on January 26, 1996, under the name 4th Super Robot Wars Scramble.

<i>Super Robot Wars V</i> 2017 video game

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<i>Super Robot Wars OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed</i> 2010 video game

Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier Exceed is a crossover role-playing video game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Nintendo DS (DS) in 2010. Forming part of the Super Robot Wars series, Endless Frontier Exceed is a sequel to the 2008 DS game Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier, carrying over its gameplay elements.

<i>Super Robot Wars T</i> 2019 video game

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<i>Super Robot Wars XO</i> 2006 video game from Banpresto

Super Robot Wars XO is a 2006 tactical role-playing video game developed and published by Banpresto for the Xbox 360 in Japan. Part of the company's Super Robot Wars series, it is an updated version of the GameCube installment Super Robot Wars GC (2004). Players control a fleet of mechas from a variety of super robot anime series, including Mobile Suit Gundam and Getter Robo, to defeat opponents on a grid-based map. XO combines tactical role-playing game mechanics with action sequences, which use stylized anime-esque cutscenes unique for each character.

References

  1. "ATLUS U.S.A., INC. ANNOUNCES SUPER ROBOT TAISEN: ORIGINAL GENERATION FOR THE GAME BOY ADVANCE", ATLUS USA. URL accessed on May 28, 2006. Archived April 22, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ゲームボーイアドバンス - スーパーロボット大戦 オリジナルジェネレーション. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.120. 30 June 2006.