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Another Century's Episode: R

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Another Century's Episode: R
Official Cover Art
Developer(s)From Software
Publisher(s)Banpresto, Namco Bandai
EnginePhyreEngine
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player

Another Century's Episode: R (アナザーセンチュリーズエピソード アール, Anazā Senchurīzu Episōdo R), abbreviated as A.C.E.: R, is a mecha action video game developed by From Software and published by Banpresto and Namco Bandai. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on August 19, 2010.[1] Another Century's Episode: R was the first game in the Another Century's Episode series to receive a B (12+) rating from the CERO.

Gameplay Changes

A new dynamic shooting mode called Chase Mode has been added to the game. This mode is similar to arcade shooters wherein the player's machine moves on rails and leaves the targeting weapons for the player to control. Each chase mode section precedes a boss battle; the examples released so far include the battle against the Behemoth from Full Metal Panic! and the battle against Nora Polyansky from Macross Zero. A new ability called Burst Attack appears in this installment. Burst attack is available to all units, and is a special charge attack that changes depending on what machine is being used.

This is the first title in the A.C.E. series that allows to swap pilots between machines (excluding the Shin Getter team in Another Century's Episode 3: The Final), though only for Universal Century mecha - those from Zeta Gundam and Crossbone Gundam - and Genesis Of Aquarion, in which pilot changing is a major plot point and constantly used.[2]

Featured Series/Units

  • Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam *NEW*
  • Theme Songs: "Crossbone Gundam", "Sono na wa Uchū Kaizoku"
    • Playable Mecha
      • XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai(Default Pilot: Kinkaid Nau/Seabook Arno-voiced by Kōji Tsujitani)
      • XM-X3 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-3 (Default Pilot: Tobia Arronax-voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi)
      • XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Full Cloth (Default Pilot: Tobia Arronax)
    • Non-Playable
      • EMS-06 Batara
      • EMS-VSX1 Quavarze (Pilot: Giri Gaduga Aspus-voiced by Mari Mashiba)
      • EMS-VSX3 Totuga (Pilot: Barnes -voiced by Shōzō Iizuka)
      • EMS-VSX2 Abijo (Pilot: Rosemarie -voiced by Mari Maruta)
  • Overman King Gainer
  • Theme Songs: "King Gainer Over" (Yoshiki Fukuyama)
    • Playable Mecha
      • King Gainer (Pilot: Gainer Sanga-voiced by Hirofumi Nojima)
      • Dominator (Pilot: Cynthia Lane-voiced by Rena Mizuki)
      • XAN (Pilot: Gainer Sanga)
        • Note: XAN is a variation of the King Gainer and first appeared in Super Robot Wars Z: Special Disc. In the latest CM, it shows that the unit has a life of its own and has no assigned pilot. Though Gainer Sanga can be assigned to it.
    • Non-Playable Mecha
      • Dobek
      • Undergolem
      • Power Golem (Pilot: Asuham Boone-voiced by Takehito Koyasu)
      • Mexbrute (Pilot: Kejinan Datto-voiced by Hiroshi Kitazawa)
      • Golem (Pilot: Asuham Boone)
      • Brunhilde
  • Macross Frontier *NEW*
  • Theme Songs: "Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late" (May'n), "What 'bout my star?" (May'n), "Seikan Hikō" (Megumi Nakajima), "Northern Cross" (May'n), "Ai Oboete Imasu ka ~ bless the little queen" (Megumi Nakajima), "Nyan Nyan Service Medley"
    • Playable Mecha
      • VF-25F Messiah Alto Custom (Pilot: Alto Saotome-voiced by Yūichi Nakamura)
      • VF-25F + SPS-25S/MF25 Super Messiah Alto Custom (Pilot: Alto Saotome)
      • VF-25F + APS-25A/MF25 Armored Messiah Alto Custom (Pilot: Alto Saotome)
      • VF-25S Messiah Ozma Custom (Pilot: Ozma Lee-voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi)
      • VF-25S + SPS-25S/MF25 Super Messiah Ozma Custom (Pilot: Ozma Lee)
      • VF-25S + APS-25A/MF25 Armored Messiah Ozma Custom (Pilot: Ozma Lee)
      • VF-25G Messiah Mikhail Custom (Pilot: Mikhail Blanc-voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya)
      • VF-25G + SPS-25S/MF25 Sniper Messiah Mikhail Custom (Pilot: Mikhail Blanc)
      • RFV-25 Messiah Luca Custom (Pilot: Luca Angelloni-voiced by Jun Fukuyama)
      • RFV-25 + SPS-25S/MF25 Super Messiah Luca Custom (Pilot: Luca Angelloni)
      • Queadluun-Rea Klan Custom (Pilot: Klan Klang-voiced by Megumi Toyoguchi)
      • Armored Klan
      • VB-6 König Monster (Pilot: Canaria Berstein-voiced by Hōko Kuwashima)
      • Macross Quarter
    • Non-Playable
      • Vajra small type
      • Vajra large type
      • Knight class warship
      • Queadluun-Rea (Pilot-Temzin-voiced by Jun Konno)
      • VF-27 Lucifer (Pilot: Brera Sterne- voiced by Sōichirō Hoshi)
  • Armored Core: Master of Arena/Armored Core 2: Another Age *NEW*
  • Theme Songs: "9"
    • Mecha
      • Nineball Seraph
        • Note: In the first game of the series, the original mechas from Banpresto (Gespenst Mark II Mass Production Type) and From Software (Cloud Breaker Mass Production Type) participated the game under the title "Banpresto Original" and "From Software Original", Both without any characters or stories. Armored Core's Nineball Seraph appears as a boss, but is playable in an extra mission with no pilot.
  • A.C.E. Originals
  • Theme Songs: "RE:birth" (Acid Black Cherry)
    • Playable Mecha
    • Non Playable Mecha
      • Red Attack Ship (name unknown)
      • Fighter Type 1 (name unknown)
      • Fighter Type 2 (name unknown)
      • Tank-like Mech (name unknown)
      • Long Range Alligator (Pilot: Spring-1-voiced by Kanae Oki)
      • Autumn Spirit (Pilot: Autumn-1-voiced by Yuko Komatsu)
      • Sea Stand Core (Pilot: Spring-1)
      • Geo Stand Core (Pilot: Summer-1-voiced by Tsuyoshi Koyama)
      • Air Stand Core (Pilot: Autumn-1)
      • ACE Core (Pilot: Winter-1-voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu)
      • Four Season (Pilot: Doctor Shiki-voiced by Banjō Ginga)

Note: For Gundam Series other than Gundam SEED Destiny, pilots can be switched between machines from any of them. The above list shows the original pilots in the animation production. Gundam SEED Destiny units are exclusive to their original pilots due to the unique nature of each unit.

Story and Plot

Rather than integrating different series into one or two unified universes like previous titles of the series, A.C.E.: R presents each featured series as independent timelines, with the series' main characters proceeding with their own stories before the events of the game.

The main events of the game itself revolve around an original timeline again completely independent of all other featured series. In this timeline humanity has expanded beyond the Sol system, with planet Eria becoming one of those resulting colonies. But somewhere along the line the Seasons, androids originally built to help the colonists settling on Eria, rebelled against their human companions. Leading a robotic army collectively known as the Icon, the Seasons successfully wiped out the humans on planet Eria, but there is one last trick up the colonists' sleeves- they made a data copy out of one of the Seasons androids and entrusted it, named Autumn-4, with genetic seeds of themselves as well as a trans-atmospheric battleship Ark Alpha. The intention was for Autumn-4 to take the gene seeds as far away from the Seasons' grip as possible so that the now-deceased colonists can be reborn on a safe world. Soon after commencement of Autumn-4's mission, however, Ark Alpha was intercepted by a fleet of Icon warships led by Winter-1, head of the Seasons. Overwhelmed by the numerically-superior enemies and in desperation, Autumn-4 activated a device within Ark Alpha called V-Drive, which has the ability to create a blackhole-like portal to parallel universes: it worked, with Brunhilde emerging from the portal and repulsing the Icon fleet, but also unintentionally caused characters from other timelines to be transported to planet Eria as well. To make the matter worse, the energy discharged by Brunhilde in the process affected Autumn-4's memory circuits and corrupted her record of the event, leaving her unable to explain to all the people who now find themselves stranded in a foreign universe as to what has transpired.

Nevertheless feeling responsible for their plight, Autumn-4 decides to find out what happened and how to return them to their home worlds while enlisting their help in finding a way through the robotic army of the Seasons, who would shoot first and never ask questions......

Music

With a few exceptions, the background music is instrumental, though the game includes a BGM editor that allows for replacing music during gameplay and cutscenes with music from the PlayStation 3's hard drive. Acid Black Cherry will provide the themes for A.C.E.: R. The opening theme is named "Re:Birth". There are two separate releases planned for this single. The first includes the title song Re;birth and will be released on 8/18. The second release is planned for October, and includes a game edit version of Re;Birth as well as 3 additional songs that Acid Black Cherry created for Another Century's Episode R.[3]

Reception

The game has sold up to 245,301 units and is ranked by Famitsu Sales No.47 in its top 100 charts of 2010. [4]

Prequels & sequels

Released in Japan on January 27, 2005.
Released in Japan on March 30, 2006.
Released in Japan on September 6, 2007.
Released in Japan on January 13, 2011.

References

  1. ^ http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1233749_1407.html
  2. ^ http://www.4gamer.net/games/108/G010886/20100607003/
  3. ^ http://www.acidblackcherry.com/news.html
  4. ^ Famitsu Sales: 2010 Top 100

External links

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