#Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars

[posthumanwanderings]

undefined

[ Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars (GBA) - Galactica ]

[videogamepolls]

Requested by anon

[the-eeveekins]

My Ideal Super Robot Wars Lineup

As a mecha fan, the SRW franchise is one of my favorite video game franchises, bringing together characters and mecha across different series to franchises to fight side-by-side with incredible JAM Project music. I've played a lot of games in the franchise over the years, including the original Game Boy game and the latest entry SRW 30.

All thay said, there are obviously series that I LOVE when they're included and make an entry a must play if I can (Gunbuster, my love), so what would be my ideal SRW series line-up?

Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury☆

After War Gundam X

Turn A Gundam

Mobile Fighter G Gundam

SDF Macross Do You Remember Love?

Macross Frontier

Zone of the Enders☆

Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars ☆

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner ☆

Tekkaman Blade

Mazinkaiser

Shin Getter Robo Armageddon

Aim for the Top! Gunbuster

Aim for the Top! Diebuster

Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance

Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time☆

King of Braves GaoGaiGar

King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL

Super Beast Machine God Dancouga

Magic Knight Rayearth

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Hades Project Zeorymer

This is basically a combination of my favorite mecha shows and some stuff that I just love the mecha from (Zeorymer is an AWFUL show but the mechs are cool and the theme is a banger). How would these all fit together? To be honest I haven't thought that deeply about it. There are definitely characters I want to see interact (Suletta/Garrod/Loran/Domon/Noriko/Nono/Hikaru) and outcomes I'd love to see changed (looking at you, Gurren Lagann) and while G-Witch and Thrice Upon a Time are inevitable, Zone of the Enders is probably a pipe dream I'd love to see come true. Especially if it included The Fist of Mars, which was an SRW-styled SRPG set between ZOE 1 and 2 that was my introduction to the franchise.

[sundanceritz]

now playing: zone of the enders fist of mars, deus ex invisible war (famous games that everyone loves)

[lapsedgamer]

Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner MARS (PS4)

“High Speed Robot Action” says the strap line and the game delivers. They literally don’t make ‘em like this any more: a lean high concept game executed with style, the highest available production values, and a bunch of silly goodies. The original Zone of the Enders was arguably a little underdeveloped and this sequel, at the mid-point of the PS2’s lifespan, manages not to overstretch the premise even as it gives it a more thorough workout.

To wit: up, down, and 360-degree horizontal movement; a block button; a boost button which modifies your attacks; and a single contextual primary attack button for both shooting and melee. A secondary attack button executes one of a selection of limited-use situational moves. And that’s it for the duration of the game.

That carefully curated palette of abilities sees you through unique boss fights, cleverly gimmicked set-pieces, more boss fights and the steadily dwindling amount of ordinary gameplay you’d expect from a product of the Kojima stable in the mid-2000s. It’s less than ten thrilling hours of mech smashing even allowing for the healthy number of “game overs” required, with no filler.

As I haven’t played the original release I can’t speak to the accuracy of the port, although by all accounts it’s excellent. What I can say is that even - or perhaps especially - in this crisp 1080p PS4 version it retains the feel of early PS2 titles, all stark, sharp edges (antialiased here), high polygon detail, flat texturing and extensive post-process effects. The Norihiko Hibino score and chirpy audio design are also pleasantly of the time, the confusing localisation and best-they-could-do-with-the-material performances less so. (Even by the standards of the time this was not great work.)

I don’t have a PS2 to hand and I’ve heard nothing good about the Xbox 360 port of the first game, so this seems like a good time to revisit the series’ little-known GBA spinoff, the anime strategy title Fist of Mars.

[gamechestgames]

Just Finished: Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars

I was once again this year completely by a title I never expected much. Fist of Mars is a completely different game from the main series, bringing the tactical RPG genre to a side story from the same world. It’s undoubtedly a rip-off from the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime with the same pillars that sustain the narrative, but it’s an awesome rip-off. I felt that every mission was an episode, which I had to control, and it felt good being empowered this way. I would just like to have some challenge as the game became too simple and easy. Throughout the all playthrough I never lost a mission, and only lost a LEV once or twice. Nevertheless I would say the mechanics are well implemented and the visuals look fantastic on the Gameboy Advance.

If you’re a fan of the series this is a must!

[varivahl]

I need to recenter the screen a bit and figure out why the case only closes like 97% of the way but i finished a screen mod for my original GBA ♡

[earthtolexie]

zone of the enders is really really good.

[azraels-eden]

This is my favorite game of all time

[nobodycatchme]

Tatsuya Fujiwara & Susumu Nakamura | Intermission Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars

[theunderratedgamingarchive]

Lost to Time: Zone of the Enders

Are you old enough to remember a time when mecha was everything? When nothing was cooler than giant robots, regardless of what shape they came in? You probably are, because admittedly that era wasn’t that long ago.

Gundam, IGPX, Zoids, Medabots, Armored Core, yada yada yada, etc. In the late 90s and early 2000s, mecha was the shit. And personally I think they still are, but I’m a minority.

One series in particular has been lying very quietly despite initial success, and that’s Zone of the Enders. A mech game in which mankind settles the far reaches of its own solar system, only to turn against each other as the lines between Earth-born humans and everyone else is drawn, Zone of the Enders stood out to me for being a lot more political than most of its competition.

Granted, not everyone likes that, but I find that a good political scheme makes for an interesting plot line.

Specifically, I’d like to talk about the 2001 GBA installment, The Fist of Mars. Why that one specifically? Well, the Game Boy era was dominated by a very small handful of game titles, and for that reason a lot of good GBA titles got little attention. A lot of the games mentioned on this blog will actually be GBA games, and you know, it’s not hard to give them a try with today’s technology.

Back to the game at hand, Z.O.E: The Fist of Mars isn’t an ‘outstanding’ game. It’s wasn’t on the level of the GBA era Fire Emblems or the Pokemon games. But it was definitely good enough to warrant playing and appreciating.

The genre of the game is difficult to describe. Movement was turn based, similar to those aforementioned FE games, with different craft having different movement ranges, weapons, and abilities. You moved all of your units, and ended your turn when you were done doing everything.

The way combat worked was where it got interesting, because you could either leave the combat to chance or take control of both attack and defense personally. If you leave it to the game and RNG, it’s almost exactly like Fire Emblem. There’s a hit chance for both you and your enemy, and whether or not you hit or get hit is determined by that.

However, you can manually aim and evade attacks if you choose to, through a sequence that allows you to aim your reticule at the moving enemy target, or to dodge the targeting reticule of the enemy.

The cool part about this is that there are a lot of little details that affect this manual aiming system. Your hit chance still matters, because the higher it is, the larger you reticule is. The amount of time you have to aim and fire is determined by the kind of weapon you’re using. Whether or not you balance your mech for accuracy or firepower determines the size of the ‘critical hit’ box on the target.

Now admittedly, once you get the hang of this manual system (which was pretty cool for a GBA game), the entire game is pretty much a breeze. Even if you crank your firepower up to maximum (lowering your accuracy), you will rarely ever miss your target, and running circles around enemy attacks is usually really easy too.

No, the game is certainly not noteworthy for being sufficiently difficult. And in fact, it’s probably not even noteworthy for its specific characters. The main character, Cage Midwell, is someone you’ll want to punch in his crybaby face four times throughout the game. Everyone else is centered around one defining archetype. Deckson is the old reliable guy who’s been through some shit but is still kind and level-headed. Razma’s a sleaze but reliable when it counts. Semyl is the rough and tumble tomboy who’s still really sweet. You get it, most everyone is based on one defining trait.

And yet, the story is actually really damn good (and way longer than you would expect). Right from the beginning you’re thrust into a political conspiracy that’s downright fucked up. While there are obvious foreshadowed events you’d have to be an idiot to miss, there were also some twists that take you completely by surprise, because they were well hidden by that more obvious event you thought was supposed to be the only twist.

Moreover, the game doesn’t pull any punches with the dark reality of human evil. Blatant racism is everywhere (against people born in space maybe, but the concept still stands). There’s riots. Cold-blooded murder. Bombing orphanages. Not very subtle abusive and deceitful relationships. A big part of the game’s message is that humans can be pretty damn awful, and I actually like that, especially since this was aimed at kids playing GBA. No, it doesn’t get graphic at any point, but the fact that the game is even willing to gun down innocent civilians through text is pretty hardcore.

So yeah, the game is old. GBA era old obviously. But even though it’s not difficult, it’s pretty fun, and the story is impressive for a game aimed at a younger audience. The themes and subtexts are even more amazing all things considered.

So if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind kicking it old-school for awhile, fire up your old device (*cough or an emulator *cough) and give Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars a try.

[askbombasticblake]

Even backstabbing traps are worthy of forgiveness.

[aion-rsa]

15 Underrated Game Boy Advance Games

https://ift.tt/3vFzwrI

When the Game Boy Advance hit shelves in Japan on March 21, 2001, Nintendo was still riding the incredible success of the original Game Boy. After more than a decade of the Game Boy’s handheld dominance, though, gamers eagerly awaited the next evolution in portable gaming. The GBA delivered that evolution.

In fact, many features we now take for granted in portables like the Switch can be traced back to the GBA. The addition of shoulder buttons, full 32-bit color graphics, and eventually even built-in backlighting with the 2003 release of the Game Boy Advance SP were all lauded as welcome innovations and improvements. Sadly, the GBA’s time in the sun was remarkably short. Pressured by the upcoming release of the Sony PSP, Nintendo released the GBA’s successor, the Nintendo DS, less than four years after the launch of the GBA.

Yet, GBA games continued to be released all the way into 2008. The GBA is still fondly remembered for its excellent ports of games like Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and for helping launch new franchises like Mega Man Zero and Golden Sun, but its library was much more than just those major titles. Dig a little deeper into it and you’ll find that the GBA was also home to some truly excellent hidden gems that are still worth checking out 20 years later.

15. Urban Yeti!

2002 | Cave Barn Studios

Keep in mind that in the early 2000s, developing games for the GBA was much cheaper than making a console game. Steam wasn’t a thing yet, and cell phones could barely run Snake. So, if you were an ambitious young developer with a goofy idea and a dream, your best bet for making it happen was to put it on Nintendo’s handheld. 

Urban Yeti! is the type of weird, charming experience that typically only finds a cult audience on PCs nowadays. You play from a top-down perspective as the titular Yeti who is looking for his mate in a small city. Most of the time, the game plays like the first two Grand Theft Auto games with even more chances to punch random pedestrians. More importantly, finding a boombox starts a dancing freak out that clears the screen of enemies, and “missions” take the form of minigames inspired by titles like Toobin’ and Root Beer Tapper.

It’s weird and short, but always hilarious, and it’s unfortunately become increasingly obscure since its release.

14. Lady Sia 

2001 | RFX Interactive

Most of the platformers on the GBA were either fantastic SNES ports or dreadful licensed fare, but a few original titles do stand out. The first thing you’ll probably notice about Lady Sia is that it looks great. Its big, bright graphics were a perfect fit for the GBA’s small screen. The gameplay is also surprisingly deep and utilizes combos, magic attacks, and even the ability to shape shift into a sasquatch during boss fights. Yes, this is the second game on the list to feature a playable Bigfoot, but we promise it’s the last.

Lady Sia was fairly well received at the time of its release, and a sequel was even planned in 2003. Sadly, it was canceled due to a lack of funding. 

13. V-Rally 3

2002 | Velez & Dubail

The GBA was released at a time when the vast majority of console games were going full 3D. The GBA, however, was obviously built with 2D pixel games in mind. Those perceived limitations didn’t stop some developers from pushing the limits of what the handheld was capable of, though, as evidenced by the V-Rally 3 team managing to cram fully polygonal cars into the GBA.

Graphically, V-Rally 3 is undoubtedly the best-looking game on the system. Its surprisingly detailed outdoor tracks could easily be mistaken for an N64 game. You can even play the entire career mode in first-person. Thanks to some surprisingly smooth handling, though, V-Rally 3 proves to be much more than just great visuals. It may not look like much compared to modern racers, but it’s still the undisputed pinnacle of racing on the GBA.

12. Car Battler Joe

2002 | Ancient

Car Battler Joe is a decent RPG mixed with awesome car battling sections that elevate it above most of the GBA’s library. The story isn’t great (your father is missing and you have to find him), but the hook is that in this world, cars are a rarity. As such, you have to build your own Mad Max-style vehicle from spare parts found around the world and eventually battle other vehicles as you work to finish your quest.

That concept alone is begging for a sequel or spiritual successor. Sadly, most people have long forgotten about Joe, and even its re-release on the Wii U eShop in 2015 didn’t garner much attention.

11. Kuru Kuru Kururin

2001 | Eighting

Kuru Kuru Kururin is one of those puzzle games that sounds so simple in theory but ends up being surprisingly complex and a lot of fun. You play as a rotating stick (or “helicopter” in the North American version) that must make it to the goal at the end of a series of mazes. You control how quickly the stick rotates, and you’ll need to master that mechanic as the difficulty ramps up significantly in the later levels. This game remains a remarkably addictive experience until the end.

Though Kuru Kuru Kururin‘s core concept boasts nearly universal appeal, the game was only released on the GBA in Japan and Europe. A localized version finally made its way to North America in 2016 through the Wii U eShop, but Nintendo of America seems oddly stubborn about acknowledging the series. Neither of its two sequels ever made it out of Japan. 

10. Sabre Wulf

2004 | Rare

Most gamers say that Rare peaked during the N64 era with a string of successful platformers and shooters, but old-school Rare still managed to squeeze out a handful of classic games for the GBA after the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. Everything gamers love about classic Rare games is on full display in Sabre Wulf: the cutting-edge graphics, tight controls, and the trademark offbeat British sense of humor.

Unfortunately, Sabre Wulf didn’t find much of an audience. Prior to the release of this title, the Sabreman character hadn’t starred in a game in almost 20 years. The updated gameplay apparently didn’t appeal to older fans, and wasn’t innovative enough to attract younger gamers. It’s aged better than many other GBA games, though, and it’s certainly well worth a playthrough now.

9. Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars

2002 | Konami

While it was never as successful as Hideo Kojima’s other games, the Zone of the Enders series is still fondly remembered for some of the better action games of the PS2 era. Their unique mecha combat and Kojima’s flair for cinematic storytelling helped those games stand out from a competitive pack.

Unlike its console brethren, The Fist of Mars is a turn-based strategy game. That means it’s not nearly as fast-paced as the other Zone of the Enders games, but there is an aiming reticle for targeting enemies, so this is more action-oriented than the typical strategy game.

While Kojima wasn’t directly involved in the development of The Fist of Mars, the writing is surprisingly strong, hitting all the right dramatic and philosophical notes that mecha fans have come to expect from the genre.

8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2003 | Griptonite Games

EA released a couple of solid beat ‘em ups for consoles to coincide with the release of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the GBA versions are actually even better than those largely beloved adaptations. Like The Two Towers tie-in released a year prior, The Return of the King is basically Diablo in Middle Earth.

There are a whopping eight different playable characters pulled from the movie. Despite the technical constraints of the GBA, each of those characters plays completely differently. Aragorn is the classic warrior, Legolas is the able-bodied archer, and Gandalf uses magic to fell waves of orcs. They’re even all completely customizable with their own weapons and equipment.

Read more

Games

25 Best Game Boy Advance Games

By Chris Freiberg

Games

Castlevania: Why the Game Boy Advance Games Are Worth Revisiting

By Chris Freiberg

The GBA version of Return of the King still stands out as one of the best Lord of the Rings games ever made, and future games inspired by Tolkien’s books would do well take a few cues from it. 

7. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story

2006 | Flight-Plan

Thanks to lower development costs, the GBA featured many experiments that led to unusual combinations of genres. For instance, whereas many dungeon crawlers are typically slow, plodding affairs, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story sped things up through fast-paced, real-time battles inspired by the Tales of series. Battles in Swordcraft Story story are an absolute joy since you’re doing more than just scrolling through menus.

The sequel, released just a few months later on the GBA, is also worth checking out. Sadly, while the Summon Night main series is still chugging along, the Swordcraft Story subseries looks to be abandoned at this point. 

6. Klonoa: Empire of Dreams

2001 | Namco

For a brief period in the early 2000s, the Klonoa series felt like it was on the verge of becoming a household name. All of the games were praised for their tight, diverse platforming, and the series’ word of mouth was generally strong, but the games just never seemed to reach a large audience.

Empire of Dreams is a side-story set between the events of the two console Klonoa games. It features the same use of the “wind bullet” to capture enemies and the same creative level design as its console big brothers. While it can’t pull off the 3D effects featured in those games, impressive multiplane backgrounds and advanced rotation effects do help it stand out among the GBA’s crowded library of platformers. 

5. Rebelstar: Tactical Command

2005 | Codo Technologies

Don’t be fooled by the Rebelstar name: this is actually an X-Com game through and through. While there’s no base building or resource management in this GBA title, that classic tactical combat against an alien threat that defines the X-Com series can be found here in all its glory. Then again, what else would you expect? Rebelstar was created by the same guy behind X-Com, Julian Gollop.

Of course, this being a GBA game, Rebelstar’s visuals aren’t quite up to par with an X-Com title. In fact, some may find its more cartoony style jarring when paired with this style of gameplay, but Rebelstar certainly makes for a unique experience compared to the other tactics games out there.

4. Yggdra Union

2006 | Sting Entertainment

The final days of any gaming platform are a dark time typically defined by sporadic releases and shovelware. Yet, every now and then, a bright spot appears for those gamers who haven’t yet moved on to the next generation. As a deep mix of tactical RPG mechanics and card battles bolstered by some of the best 2D graphics on the portable, Yggdra Union is one of the better games released in the GBA’s post-DS era.

While the game’s story isn’t great, the regular banter between party members is charming, and there is a lot of content to keep you busy if the gameplay manages to hook you. A Switch port was even released in Japan last year, so keep your fingers crossed that it makes its way stateside. 

3. Drill Dozer

2006 | Game Freak

Game Freak will always be known for the massively successful Pokemon franchise, but the developer has occasionally dabbled in other genres. The best of those experiments has to be Drill Dozer: a game about drilling. Need to go forward? Try drilling. Backward? Also drilling. What about jumping? Yeah, that actually involves drilling, too. It sounds repetitive, but there are so many different ways use to Jill’s Drill Dozer that the mechanic actually never wears out its welcome.

It might be tempting to check out Drill Dozer via emulation, but it’s actually worth tracking down the original cartridge for this one since it’s one of only two GBA games to feature a rumble back in the cart. It adds quite a lot to the experience.

2. Astro Boy: Omega Factor

2004 | Treasure

A handheld game based on an anime that hasn’t been popular in the United States since the ‘60s sounds like a recipe for disaster, but legendary Japanese developer Treasure could do no wrong in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Like most of the games in the Treasure catalog, Astro Boy: Omega Factor features fast arcade gameplay, massive screen-filling special attacks, and some of the most beautiful sprites the GBA could produce.

Though Treasure was once a prolific developer, responsible for classics like Ikaruga and Sin & Punishment, the company has gone quiet in recent years. The studio hasn’t even released a game stateside in the last decade. However, a re-release of this gem could mark a great comeback for the legendary developer if the licensing could be worked out.

1. Ninja Five-O

2003 | Hudson Soft

Ninja Five-O should have been a system seller for the GBA. The game feels like a lost classic from the 16-bit era. It’s a beautiful combination of Ninja Gaiden and Bionic Commando bolstered by tight controls and an over-the-top story about a magic-wielding ninja who is also a cop. Anyone who has managed to track down a copy swears up and down that it’s one of the very best experiences on the handheld.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Yet, Ninja Five-O was set up to fail from the start. It’s unknown how many copies were made, but it was nearly impossible to find one at the time of its release. Even though the game was developed in Japan, it was never even released there. Media outlets also barely covered it. Yet, the legend of Joe Osugi has only grown over the years, with complete copies of this game regularly selling on eBay for around $1,000. Even an authentic standalone cartridge will set you back several hundred dollars. You know what, though? It’s actually one of the few rare games that may be worth the price. It really is as good as you’ve heard.

The post 15 Underrated Game Boy Advance Games appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3vHGg8f

[mendelpalace]

S'up. Hope ur good. Come join me as we battle our way across the city in the quest for the 'Last Roll' (of tp)!

Tracklist. Artist / Track Name / Game System Year   Keith Tinman  Dark Dungeons Addams Family Values  1994   Motoi Sakuraba  Shinji Tamura  Ryota Furuya  Hiroya Hatsushiba - Opening Yougekitai: Jashin Koumaroku  PC-9801 1993 Ryuji Sasai  Tadahiro Nitta - Water Dragon Xak  1989   Tatsuya Fujiwara  Susumu Nakamura - Black Ops Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars  2001   Konami Kukeiha Club - Pleasure of Tension Snatcher MSX2 1988   Nathan McCree - Opening Theme Skeleton Krew Mega Drive 1995   Matthew Simmonds - Geoscape UFO: Enemy Unknown Amiga 1994   Dénes Nagy - Mission 6 Briefing Wendetta 2175 Amiga 1995   Toshiko Tasaki  Shoji Meguro  Tsukasa Masuko" - Human Brain Research Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers  1997  Checklist: Keith Tinman - Blizzard Addams Family Values  1994  Is The Image In The Drive? Yes Jochen Hippel - Ending The Seven Gates of Jambala Amiga 1989   Kiyotaka Sato  Ryu Takami  Megumi Matsuura  BAKI" - FRPG12 Continental X68000 1992  Please make sure its a jpg and less than 1.5mb Keith Tinman - House Of The Dead Addams Family Values  1994   Nathan McCree - Stage 2: Elevator Shaft Skeleton Krew Mega Drive 1992   Hiroyuki Saegusa  Hiroshi Yamamoto" - Phantom of Deep (Stage 5) Aquales  1991   Hitoshi Sakimoto  Masaharu Iwata" - Adventures of Iron Gauntlet IV Mega Drive 1993   Kenny Chou - Title Zone 66  1993   Hitoshi Sakimoto  Masaharu Iwata" - SLKMSC07 Dragon Master Silk II PC-9801 1990   Akira Sato - Lazy Afternoon Akiko Gold: The Queen of Adult  PC-9801 1994   Muse - Title Dead of the Brain II  1992   Naoto Ishikawa - Traces of Breath Cy-Lips X68000 1993   Naoto Ishikawa - DNA-Dragon (Boss 1) Cy-Lips X68000 1993   Ryu Umemoto - Critical EVE Burst Error PC-9801 1995   Shin-chan  Keizo Nakamura  Hiroshi Kobayashi" - Simon's Theme Akumajo Dracula X68000 1993   Naoto Ishikawa - Do-It (Boss 7) Cy-Lips X68000 1993   Naoto Ishikawa - D-Beat (Stage 6) Cy-Lips X68000 1993   Hiroyuki Saegusa  Hiroshi Yamamoto" - Slky Castle Étoile Princesse X68000 1993   Miyoshi Wakabayashi - Title Screen Cynthia  X68000 1994   Akira Sato - R_5 Lam-Mal   1992

[nervespike]

Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars 

[gamechestgames]

Now Playing: Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars

I'll be going to Mars for a while due to "tactical" reasons...