Let’s face it. The vast majority of Gundam games simply aren’t good. Many are a copy-and-paste formula where players take control of a mobile suit, have one or two allies, and must destroy a few enemy suits in some pretty sterile environments. Others focus too much on the story or copy another franchise’s formula which ultimately loses the feeling of Gundam. It’s a sad thing when games like Zone of the Enders or Armored Core are better Gundam games than actual Gundam titles.
Lamentation aside, there are a few diamonds in the rough. These 12 games best capture the essence of what it is to pilot the most stylish and iconic mobile suits out there. Sure, they may not be perfect, but they’re the best we’ve got untilĀ Gundam gains a much larger fanbase and attracts the interest of better-suited developers.
12. Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2
Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 shows that the various teams behind the Gundam franchise understand what players want, but have zero idea on how to actually make it. Players take on the roles of pilots during the Universal Century, because this is, whatever the reason, the default setting for the bulk of Gundam games. Matches are 6v6 and consist of capturing objectives with pilots being able to leave their Mobile Suits to call in support or capture points.
The visuals are fairly good and the gacha aspect of this free-to-play title isn’t too intrusive. However, the matchmaking is absolutely abysmal. It seems to be the chief complaint amongst players as it takes ages to get into a full lobby, and that’s assuming you’re not being disconnected. Compounding that is the aggressive banning system for leaving matches, which is largely out of players’ hands due to the troublesome connections.
11. New Gundam Breaker
New Gundam Breaker embodies the hobby side of Gundam: building models, or Gunpla. The idea is to collect parts and assemble a Mobile Suit to then take into battle. The visual novel story presentation serves only to transition you from one fight to another. The fights are rough, at best. The AI is inconsistent and players will find themselves fighting the camera and lock-on system just as much as the enemy. At this point, the multiplayer is all but dead, so the 3v3 battles feature might as well be removed.
Despite being released in 2018, it still sits at an abhorrent $49.99 on Steam. As such, I can only recommend grabbing it at a steep discount and downloading a 100% save file to build Gunpla with. It’s unfortunate that this is the only Gundam Breaker title to come to the West thus far.
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space
I sure hope you like the One Year War, because about half of the Gundam games revolve around this series and Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space is one of them. It’s akin to Dragon Ball Z putting an unusual focus on the Frieza saga. Encounters in Space pivots away from Amuro Ray and focuses on various campaigns in space. It definitely feels a lot less clunky than its predecessor, Journey to Jaburo, and shows off a playstyle not often seen in Gundam games.
9. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn is like mixing peanut butter and chocolate. A big part of the allure for Gundam fans is the massive battles where a protagonist like Banagher Links and his RX-0 Unicorn absolutely obliterate a swarm of enemy mobile suits. The Dynasty Warriors franchise channels this energy wonderfully. This fourth entry was a sleeper, as it was only available as a digital download for the PlayStation 3 and featured no English dubbing. Still, for going on an absolute tear as your favorite mobile suit in a target-rich environment, Gundam Reborn is the way to go.
8. Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon was originally an arcade title that was ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. For me, it was the darling Gundam game of that generation. Players take on the role of a nameless grunt and must earn mobile suits which then carry over damage to new missions if not allowed time to repair. These few layers add a lot to the experience, even if Amuro pops in at the end of missions to steal the spotlight.
7. Gundam Versus
Gundam Versus doesn’t try to hide what it is or what fans want. Released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017, this title functions more like a fighter than anything else. Players participate in 2v2 and 3v3 battles against other players or the computer. There are a staggering number of mobile suits available and even more as DLC. It’s a great experience if you can nab it at a discount and want to kill a couple of hours.
6. Gundam Breaker Mobile
I initially didn’t want to include Gundam Breaker Mobile on the list but realized that my spite over losing a save file shouldn’t cloud my judgment. This mobile game was a gacha trap but a fun one. The goal was to collect parts for a Gunpla model through the story, PvP, or dropping some cash to build the biggest and baddest mobile suit out there. It played exceptionally well and looked even better for a mobile title. Unfortunately, the game was shut down on June 4, 2023.
5. Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy
Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation Code Fairy takes a different path when it comes to modern Gundam games and focuses on the story by eschewing multiplayer in favor of a solid single-player experience. It centers on a small team of Zeon pilots on the North American front during the One Year War. It was released episodically for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 and is a nice contrast to the franchise’s love of Amuro Ray.
4. Gundam Evolution
For those not in the know,Ā Gundam EvolutionĀ was the result of someone asking forĀ Overwatch but with mobile suits. It played exactly the same and there were a few dozen suits to choose from with playstyles befitting their design. Despite some real promise, Evolution had some greedy microtransactions and its shutdown was announced a year after its release.
3. SD Gundam Battle Alliance
Released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, SD Gundam Battle Alliance took the formula established by earlier entries and presented it in the super-deformed (SD) style. It’s undoubtedly the most polished of that style but is incredibly tedious to level up the multitude of various suits. With over 70 suits to collect and upgrade, there’s plenty of meat on the bones here for those who don’t mind a grind.
2. Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme vs. Maxiboost ON
When it comes to modern Gundam titles, there has been one standout game and that is Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme vs. Maxiboost ON. After all, the longer the title, the better the game. In all seriousness, this entry took what was good about Gundam Versus and refined it. It was universally well-received by fans and critics alike thanks to its nuanced battle systems and staggering roster. Despite a brutal learning curve, this is the one Gundam title that every fan should own.
1. Gundam: Battle Assault 2
Released in 2002 for the PlayStation,Ā Gundam Battle Assault 2 lets players fight through some uninspired story modes. Who would’ve thought that a 2D fighting game best encapsulates the spirit ofĀ Gundam? However, the real draw was to beat on friends with 30 different mobile suits from some of the franchise’s most popular series. Dream matches like Zechs versus Char could finally be played out andĀ fans could useĀ Battle Assault 2 as a gateway to lure friends into the world of Gundam.
