The Gundam franchise is so big in Japan that Bandai Namco has spawned numerous games on various platforms. However, only some of these Gundam games are available in English. While there were a few games that made the cut to North America around the 2000s, most of them remained exclusive to Japan. Platform userbase and IP licensing issues hampered attempts to localize many of those games.
It wasn’t until the late 2010s that Bandai Namco started to regularly release Gundam games in English as it gradually acquired the stakeholders behind the franchise, including Sunrise and Sotsu. Bandai Namco initially focused on exclusive releases in Southeast Asia, an emerging region with both a sizable English-speaking population and lower licensing hurdles. In more recent years, the company even managed to hold worldwide simultaneous releases for newer Gundam games.
Gundam Vs series: The most popular competitive games
The Gundam Vs 2v2 fighter games are arguably the most sought-after entries, as they have a larger player base than other sub-series. While the original arcade games in Japan serve as the base platform, Bandai Namco ported some of them to consoles. A few of them also had English releases in North America.
As of September 2023, the series’ latest console release — and also the entry with the most active players — is Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. MaxiBoost ON, which is available in multiple languages including English on the PlayStation 4.
It is also worth noting that all English Gundam Vs releases to date are only available on PlayStation platforms. Federation Vs. Zeon also appeared on Dreamcast and Gundam Vs. Zeta Gundam came out on GameCube, but these releases were exclusive to Japan.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation Vs. Zeon (2002 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam Vs. Zeta Gundam (2005 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS-Force (2016 – PS Vita)
- Gundam Versus (2017 – PS4)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. MaxiBoost ON (2020 – PS4)
Battle Assault series: For those who prefer classic 2D fighters
Before the Gundam Vs series came to light, Bandai released a number of 1v1 2D fighting games. When the company localized Gundam: The Battle Master 2 to Gundam: Battle Assault in 2000, it received a very positive reception in North America that warranted more titles in the genre.
The Battle Assault sequels also featured rare cases where Bandai gave more spotlights in North America than in Japan. Battle Assault 2 and the Game Boy Advance Gundam SEED title came out later in Japan. But while the latter added more content from Gundam SEED Destiny, D3 Publisher split Battle Assault 2 into two games featuring G Gundam and Gundam Wing separately. Battle Assault 3 was not even released in Japan at all, thus making it an English-exclusive title.
- Gundam: Battle Assault (2000 – PS1)
- Gundam: Battle Assault 2 (2002 – PS1)
- Battle Assault 3 Featuring Gundam SEED (2004 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Battle Assault (2004 – GBA)
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series: For those who want easy hack-and-slash actions
People who are not too fond of competitive games can try the Koei Tecmo-developed Warriors games to relieve stress by mowing down numerous enemies at once. But despite having Dynasty Warriors in the localized titles, these games do not include any historical figures from the Chinese Three Kingdoms period. The Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series featured a crossover of characters and mechs from existing anime titles with a more melee-oriented action system.
All four Dynasty Warriors: Gundam games released to date are available in English with help from Koei Tecmo’s localization team. However, the Western releases lacked any songs from the anime shows as music licensing was still a complicated matter around the 2010s. The first game had a special PS2 release and Reborn also came out for the Vita, but these releases were exclusive to Japan.
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam (2007 – PS3, Xbox 360)
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 (2009 – PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 (2011 – PS3, Xbox 360)
- Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn (2014 – PS3)
Gundam Breaker series: For those who want to create their own mechs
The Gundam Breaker series lets mecha fans live their wildest dreams of designing original units by using the provided Gunpla (Gundam plastic model) parts. But in lieu of in-universe characters, the series takes place in a near-future world where people can scan their Gunpla to use in simulators or tournaments.
New Gundam Breaker is available worldwide on the PS4 and PC. However, the latest title had a notably different approach to maintaining customization integrity from the previous entries. Gundam Breaker 3, which has a Southeast Asia-exclusive English release, polished the part customization system with extra accessories and editable skill slots. It thus allowed players to retain their mech designs for most of the game.
- Gundam Breaker 3 (2016 – PS4, PS Vita)
- New Gundam Breaker (2018 – PS4, PC)
Third-person shooters: For those who want the authentic feel of piloting Mobile Suits
The above action games feature over-the-top movements that feel closer to home for alternate universes and Gundam Build titles. However, Bandai Namco also released more down-to-earth third-person shooters for players who want more authentic experiences in piloting the gigantic Mobile Suits.
Most of these titles also take place in the Universal Century. A special mention goes to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Never Ending Tomorrow as the only non-Universal Century third-person shooter to receive an English localization.
The latest entry in this genre is Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation Code Fairy, which is available digitally on the PS4 and PS5.
- Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes (2000 – DC)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo (2001 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space (2003 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Never Ending Tomorrow (2004 – PS2)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire (2006 – PS3)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation Code Fairy (2021 – PS4, PS5)
G Generation series: For those who want to catch up with Gundam lore
SD Gundam G Generation is a series of strategy RPGs built under two main concepts: Re-enacting lores from the franchises’ works and letting players form their dream squadrons. While some of the entries featured in-franchise crossover stories, the ones with the lore retelling are better known for letting series newcomers catch up with stories from not only the mainline anime shows but also the manga-only side stories.
Both of the two SD Gundam games that are available in English feature story re-enactments. SD Gundam G Generation Genesis, which came out exclusively in Asia, covered the Universal Century stories until Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (or Hathaway’s Flash with DLC). The subsequent entry Cross Rays received a worldwide PC release, and it featured every alternate universe other than Universal Century.
- SD Gundam G Generation Genesis (2016 – PS4, PS Vita, Switch)
- SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (2019 – PS4, Switch, PC)
Super Robot Wars series: For those who want crossovers with other series
The Super Robot Wars series distinguishes itself from G Generation by featuring crossover stories with not only Gundam titles but also many other anime shows. It was long thought that the series would have the highest difficulty for localization due to the sheer amount of licensing involved. Bandai Namco eventually turned the impossible into reality.
Super Robot Wars V was the first-ever crossover entry to have an official English release, albeit only in Southeast Asia. While Super Robot Wars X and T also followed suit, Bandai Namco finally made the massive worldwide PC release with the 30th anniversary title Super Robot Wars 30.
- Super Robot Wars V (2017 – PS4, PS Vita, Switch, PC)
- Super Robot Wars X (2018 – PS4, PS Vita, Switch, PC)
- Super Robot Wars T (2019 – PS4, Switch)
- Super Robot Wars 30 (2021 – PS4, Switch, PC)
Other console and PC Gundam games available in English
Bandai Namco also released more Gundam games with one-off genres that had not been reused in subsequent releases. This list includes Gundam 0079: The War For Earth, an interactive movie game that was also the franchise’s first game to be made by a Western studio.
The 2002 entry Zeonic Front heavily featured strategy elements as the player must give commands to squadron members to navigate through the stages. The 2006 RPG MS Saga: A New Dawn was also noted to have exclusive English voiceovers, as the original Japanese release (Gundam: True Odyssey) did not have any dubs. The latest permanent console game released worldwide as of September 2023 is SD Gundam Battle Alliance.
- Gundam 0079: The War For Earth (1997 – PC)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front (2002 – PS2)
- MS Saga: A New Dawn (2006 – PS2)
- SD Gundam Battle Alliance (2022 – PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
Free-to-Play / Games-as-a-Service Gundam Games in English
Online-exclusive free-to-play games have been trending in recent years, but they also have a drawback where the servers will be eventually shut down. As of September 2023, titles like Gundam Breaker Mobile and Gundam Evolution are already slated to sunset. Nevertheless, Bandai Namco is still pouring energy into titles that are still afloat, and some of them are also available in English.
Bandai Namco formally brought Battle Operation 2 to North America in October 2019, even though it already supported the English language for Asian users since 2018. It also worked with LINE to release an English version of Gundam Wars for Southeast Asia in 2017. In addition, the company is preparing to release more free-to-play games like Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage and SD Gundam G Generation Eternal for the global audience.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 (2018 – PS4, PS5, PC)
- LINE: Gundam Wars (2017 – iOS, Android)
- Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage (Coming to iOS and Android)
- SD Gundam G Generation Eternal (Coming to iOS and Android)
Published: Sep 20, 2023 03:15 pm