70's Robot Anime Geppy-X
| 70's Robot Anime Geppy-X | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Aroma |
| Publisher(s) | Aroma |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
70's Robot Anime Geppy-X is a 1999 Japanese video game released for the Sony PlayStation console. Developed and published by Aroma, it is a horizontally scrolling shooter set in a world that is an homage to mecha anime of the 1970s.
Plot
The game is set in the year 197X.[1] In the game, the protagonists use the Geppy-X giant robot to fight the invading forces of the Space Devil Empire.[2]
Gameplay
70s Robot Anime Geppy-X is a 2D side scrolling shooting game.[1] Stages in the game are presented as if they were episodes of a fictitious episodic anime series named Geppy-X.[1][3] Following the anime episode format, stages play the format of opening theme, Part A, eye catch, Part B, ending theme, and ending on a next episode preview.[2] The stages even include fake commercials and its own theme music.[1] For example, one such commercial in the game promotes a fictitious series which is a parody of Ashita no Joe, and another for merchandise related to the show such as shampoo.[3]
The titular robot, Geppy-X, can transform into three different robot forms, each modeled after famous 70s robots.[3]
The game only has nine actual stages despite taking up four compact discs.[3]
Development
The game was developed by Japanese game developer Aroma, and is an affectionate parody of mecha anime series from the 1970s, such as those created by Go Nagai.[1][3] These include the Go Nagai series Grendizer, Mazinger-Z, and especially Getter Robo (which was actually created by Ken Ishikawa, a manga artist who regularly worked with Go Nagai).[3]
The game's soundtrack features Japanese singers Isao Sasaki, Akira Kushida, Hironobu Kageyama who sing the opening and ending themes songs in the game.[2]
The game takes up a total of four compact discs, and makes heavy use of full motion video, and game music.[1][3] For comparison, the game Final Fantasy VIII also used that many discs.[3] In total, there are 8000 video clips used in the game.[4]
Release
The game was released on May 27, 1999 for the Sony PlayStation and was published by the Aroma Corporation.[4] The game was never released outside of Japan, and it has never been re-released on the PlayStation Network's Game Archives.
Reception
Upon release, four reviewers for Famitsu gave the game a total score of 26/40. Reviewers appreciated the thoroughness of the dedication to recreating a 1970s mecha anime in game form, including even commercials and songs. They said that anyone familiar with those series would find it rather nostalgic.[5] Spanish gaming magazine Superjuegos said the game would be a rather unremarkable shooting game with graphics that looked like it came from the Super Famicom, if it weren't for the replication of a 70s anime series. The presentation was so thorough, that the author spent weeks searching on the internet to see if there was a real Geppy-X anime series. Despite that however, the writer said that there were other better shooting games for the PlayStation.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "International Previews: Geppy X". Official US PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 12. Ziff Davis. September 1999. p. 86.
- ^ a b c "【次世代機／5月27日】今日は『70年代風ロボットアニメ ゲッP-X』＆『エースコンバット3』の発売19周年！". Gamedrive. May 27, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Manga Zone: 70's Robot Anime: Geppy-X". Superjuegos. No. 88. August 1999.
- ^ a b "'70年代風ロボットアニメ ゲッP−X". Sony PlayStation Official Website Software Catalog. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ "'70年代風ロボットアニメ ゲッP-X [PS] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2018-12-23.