Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost Review
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost is an action based Gundam Game which might satisfy gamers who love action battles 2 vs 2 against CPU or human. It is quite unfortunate that it is not officially released for the PC, however, resourceful fans managed to get a version running to let us have a peek at what the world is missing out about the game!
(Jump to the FAQ if you want to try it yourself and skip my review)
A bit about my Gundam Gaming experience. So far I have played so far were “Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3”, “Gundam Breaker 3” and “New Gundam Breaker” because it’s predominantly in English which is easier to get into.
However, one day I came across this Gundam Game Title series called the “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” that is all the rage in Japan. The “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” series of fighters has been around for over two decades and has dominated Japanese arcades for most of that time. In fact it is so popular that it is also an esports game title in Japan.
Fortunately for the rest of the world, we finally got a chance to have a taste with a 2020 PS4 release aptly called “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON (English / Japanese)” or Gundam MBON for short. This has enabled to allow this series to spread its wings across to more fans of the Gundam franchise. I have been reading up some reviews of the titles a bit and most players seem to note that most of the control schemes are ported over but sometimes not exactly played “the way it was intended to”.
Despite owning a PS4 myself, I hadn’t brought myself to get this title (probably because most Japanese titles seem to be on the steeper end of the pricing range). But I am still keeping track of the price in case of good deal comes my way.
While waiting, I am curious to play the arcade version “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. 2 XBOOST” (released on March 10, 2021) instead. The game marks the 10th anniversary of the “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” series, and includes new suits and battle systems.
Some of you might remember that 2021 is probably the year of the pandemic where there were a lot less game releases and marketing. And it is also around this time that we saw a small shift in Japanese game maker’s strategy to focus on the PC gaming market due to less footfall to arcade centers.
Since I had a HORI Fight Stick Mini 3 with me (which I used to play most of my MUGEN games on my PC), I figured hey, if I could get my hands on the arcade copy, it’ll be a fun game to drool over and play.
It was through my adventure of searching for it online that I found TeknoParrot and the arcade emulator game community, and plowing through tons of reddit and internet archives, I have finally found the Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost (pronounced as Cross Boost) Arcade Version and just managed to play 1 round (with lack of skills of course) but it was like hitting a jackpot for me.
Head over to the FAQ section at the end of the article to find out where to get the game (download at your own risk).
Jump To The Juicy Bits:
- Difference between Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost EXVS2 VS MBON
- Gameplay
- Controls
- Graphics
- Music & Sound
- Summary
- More Information About Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost On PC
- Where can I play this game ?
- Wait, this is a game that is meant for the Arcades?
- Why don’t they launch and market “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS 2 XBOOST” for the console or PC on the same day as the Arcades release?
- Is there an English version of “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” ?
- Is there a Story Mode in this game?
- Does Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost have single player?
- How many Gundam games are there?
- What are the chances of Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost getting ported to the PC?
- I am looking for Online Players / Server for Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost Arcade game.
Difference between Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost EXVS2 VS MBON
First off, it might be useful to know that there has been many “Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs” releases so far (according to what I gathered in Wikipedia) so it can be quite a mouthful to know which is which. (See box to the right).
The Only WorldWide (WW) release was MBON in 2020 for the Playstation 4 and it was never released on PC.
So you can see there is clearly quite a large gap of players who did not get a chance to see this game in its full action packed glory.
Will Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost ever be officially released for the PC? Only time will tell.
In terms of fighter selections:
- 220 mobile suits to choose from (Gundam Seed Freedom, Gundam Providence, Rick-Dom, Zakus, full list here)
- Significantly less “clone” units compared to MBON
- Most units got new/revamped movesets
- More Burst Options
- Training mode in EXVS 2 is now similar to “Free Battle” mode in the console version.
- Updated graphics – Using the Gundam Versus engine
- More maps, more BGMs, new boss and last boss in triad battle
- Arcade mode in EXVS 2 is different from MB-On or Gundam Versus, where they completely ditched the “Branch” system, and changed it into a more streamlined stages.
Of course, if you are into Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost for multiplayer, I encourage you to stick to MBON. Thats because its not really connected to a large multiplayer use base at the moment unless you hunt them down in the discord channels (see FAQ section).
Just make sure you go to player match and set the Battle settings to 2v2 ALL, with region matchmaking set to ALL, and you’ll find rooms filled with players most of the time (particularly at night).
Gameplay
“MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS.” is part of the Gundam VS video game series, which is a 3D arcade fighting game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games. The game is known for its 2-on-2 battles where players control mobile suits from the Mobile Suit Gundam series. It’s celebrated for its stunning graphics, beautifully animated mobile suits, and strategic team-based combat.
To a new player, the first thing going into the game is the concept of Cost System. You may bring any mobile suit (plus your partner) into a match with you, but the trick here is to not get killed and expire your Cost prematurely. Everytime you (or your partner) respawn, a portion of the Total Cost will be deducted.
Many of the strategies behind advanced players are based on optimizing strong / weak toolsets (read : Mobile Suit) for the best chance of winning the match. And of course, each player would have a Card that you use to identify yourself along with some personalized settings and customization that works pretty much like an Online ID.
However, understandably some (like me) is just happy to play against the CPU with Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost, which is good enough to pick up the basic skills of Movement, Shoot, Melee, Boost and Targeting and “start getting gud” before playing against another human. Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost does have a pretty good “Free Battle” style training mode for you to figure out your Mobile Suit (you can also watch a few videos on specific movesets on YouTube) and practice a little before you go into battle.
According to GundamGuide, the best way to experience Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost is to start with the RX-78-2 Gundam – the venerated OG – as it’s a suit that embodies the core fundamentals of the game, the “Ryu” of MBON. This Mobile Suit actually belongs in the 2000 class (in contrast to how some of you may have thought that the “Cost” actually means how difficult it is to play the Mobile Suit), it is the perfect suit with which to learn the game’s basic functions and feel.
Another note : the entire Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost game is in Japanese, so you might need some quick translations to get going into the main parts of the game. For the most part, it’s just down to simple screens to set up your card, and selecting the burst mode. However, some of you would need a list of all the special moves that the mobile suits have.
Let’s see whether I have time to do a YouTube Video to help you guys out. Just subscribe to my channel and stay in the loop for the necessary screen translations when it is released later.
One thing is for sure : everything is unlocked at the beginning of the game in Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost, which is great. It means you don’t have to grind and unlock your favorite Mobile Suit to play in game, and with close to 220 units, there is plenty to explore and try out depending on your play style.
Instead of a 2 vs 2 match, Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost has a “Triad Battle” mode that you can play on your own just to face off with some CPUs and some boss fights with epic Mobile Suits. You can treat this as a “single player mode” if you will and just focus on personal enjoyment.
Controls
Since Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost is made for the Arcades, I opted to use my Arcade Stick to get a good feel of Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost in its originality. Of course, if you are a keyboard / gamepad person, there is still a way to use that too.
One thing you might notice is that your Mobile Suit is more than capable to execute melee and shooting, since each of them have a set of extra moves that is very specific to your chosen Suit. This is where the fun begins where you experiment over 200 Mobile Suits to find the one that fits your fighting style.
If you deep dive into the many game guides from veteran players on the internet, you’d be pleasantly surprised that most of them would have a special notation that they use to “teach you” what buttons to press and in what kind of specific sequence. Of course, the rest is up to you to build up some muscle memory and just like any other game, you will get more comfortable with the timing and combos that comes second nature to you.
Basic Moves List In Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost:
- Shoot (A / Square)
- Melee (B / Triangle)
- Sub Weapon (AB / R1)
- Special Shooting (AC / L2)
- Special Melee (BC / R2)
- Charged Shot/Melee (csA / csB)
- Burst/Burst Attack (All Three Buttons ABC / R3)
The only feedback I have heard from players who used the gamepad is particularly for button presses that simulates “double keys” (example the sub weapon is A+B together), it can trigger a double input and if the next input is a melee attack, it did not quite cancel the earlier action fast enough (or termed as “locked”). So if you are keen on competitive gaming with this title, you are shortchanged quite a bit as many of the “git gud” strategies do involve transitioning to another movement combo and being adaptable in a faced paced combat session.
After all, the game is originally played using a fight stick so in terms of design perhaps that is a small oversight by the developers.
Graphics
Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost uses a colorful and bold art style, with characters and environments standing out with intense hues. Don’t expect realistic shading or muted tones since most of the Mobile Suit’s textures and backgrounds are simpler to ensure smooth performance during fast-paced gameplay.
Since it’s a high action game, you can expect dynamic effects such as explosions, beam attacks, and fluid mobile suit movements are likely depicted with exaggerated details and bright colors to emphasize the intensity of combat. I particularly liked the moment that your enemy breaks apart after the explosion and it rains down legs, arms and debris and it provides a satisfactory “win” feeling crushing them into bits.
Occasionally your Pilot avatar comes out to say some iconic quotes to add on to the Gundam franchise flavor which is welcomed as always as a Gundam game. These will honor their anime designs in 2D but no less improved with clearer and contrasting colors that fits the overall color scheme and contrast on the screen.
If you managed to execute a Burst Attack move, the screen flashes with each Mobile Suit Pilot’s Battle Cry and it certainly gets the excitement going. Definitely it’s a moment to experience (again) especially for Gundam Series that you might have not caught up on for a long time.
So even though the visuals in Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost are designed to immerse you in the intensity of giant robot combat, with less emphasis on hyper-realism, as a fan of the Gundamverse I think you’d still enjoy the game’s energy and frantic action, and I actually get a kick out of rewatching my previous gameplay recordings when I edit my videos. Ha!
Music & Sound
The BGM music in Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost is da bomb and you can really feel the “Gundamness” in all your battles. The soundtrack includes a variety of tracks, often inspired by the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, which adds to the epic feel of the battles. The game includes iconic themes from the Gundam series, which have been extended and remixed to suit the fast-paced action of the game.
Oftentimes I would catch a very familiar tune that brings back the battling energy again after a long draw of chasing the enemy, and that’s really awesome since it’s pretty dependent on which mobile suit you are playing at that time.
However, if you plan to stream / record your gameplay of Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost and post it on Social Media, just be aware that you might get Content ID-ed or Copyright Claimed, so do it at your own risk.
Summary
I’d give Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs 2 XBoost points for being a unique title on its own and having so many iterations before this version proves that the developers put in a lot of effort to keep battles interesting no matter which Mobile Suit you have dedicated to mastering. Even if you are a seasoned player, every single “new version” that has been released will surely catch you off guard with adjustments in certain units and you might find a Mobile Suit to fall in love with again.
So while we wait for the release of the Netflix “Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance” Anime Series in October 2024, or the upcoming Gundam Breaker 4 on the 29 August 2024, its time to catch up on other hidden Gundam gems that we may have missed in the last few years.
For more details, do visit the Official Game Website – https://gundam-vs.jp/extreme/ac2xb
More Information About Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost On PC
(This section may contain spoilers, read it at your own risk)
Where can I play this game ?
You may play it officially in the Japanese Arcade Centers in Japan.
Or, for review purposes, decode the follow text to get the link. You may try to figure out how to get it running on your PC on that page.
aHR0cHM6Ly9ueWFhLmxhbmQvdmlldy8xNzI5NDAz** You can use this tool (Link : https://www.base64decode.net/) to decode the link above.
Another fan setup a Discord link here if you are looking for more details : https://discord.gg/RSZ8ZHupuz
Wait, this is a game that is meant for the Arcades?
Yes I can honestly tell you I had a pretty interesting time trying to set it up to work on my PC. The game is designed in such a way that it is meant for multiplayer and Card identification system, so there is a server that needs to run in the background to keep the game running. But with a little patience and fidgeting, you should be able to get it working since someone managed to create a way to run it without needing a separate machine to act as the server.
Why don’t they launch and market “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS 2 XBOOST” for the console or PC on the same day as the Arcades release?
It has a lot to do with the “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” business model that is favoring the Japanese arcades. Based on this video made by NewtypeSeiji basically the game developer is earning more from Arcades than a single Console / PC Title purchase.
My take is, so far what was observed is that the game developer’s approach is to use the Arcades to fine tune the balancing of the Mobile Suits before packaging it as a standalone title for the console. But as we can see, it is also at the same time getting more expensive to operate Arcades in Japan so with less players enjoying more expensive matches, the data feedback could get less in time too.
Is there an English version of “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS” ?
You can try to play “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS MAXIBOOST ON” (the short name for this is MBON for the community), but it was only released for the Playstation 4 platform. Or if you are feeling brave and try “MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS 2 XBOOST” or its earlier versions, you could use Google Translate or https://game2text.com/ to just an idea of what all the Japanese words mean.
Is there a Story Mode in this game?
Nope. No story. Just straight up “battle your way to victory” type of game. The fun is in trying to get to know your Mobile Suit better and not to get blasted into bits by your opponent before your team points expire.
Does Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost have single player?
The closest thing to a “Single Player” is the Triad Battles, where you are paired with a CPU partner.
How many Gundam games are there?
According to wikipedia, there are around 250 games based on the Gundam Series, with the majority in Japanese. Perhaps we will get lucky if “Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost” gets officially ported to the PC someday with English UI and Titles.
What are the chances of Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost getting ported to the PC?
Well, If you observed how fast Gundam Evolution (a Free To Play game made for PC) had their End OF Service Announcement within 1 year of their launch… I don’t think it’d be a viable decision to publish the title on the PC just yet. However, I must say they seem to gain quite a good following on their other title “SD GUNDAM BATTLE ALLIANCE” (single player, offline by default). On the other hand, MBON did appear on the APAC / PS Tournaments Open Series which shows that perhaps majority of the competitive players are based in Asia at the moment.
I am looking for Online Players / Server for Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. 2 XBoost Arcade game.
Head on over to GundamGuide, they have a list of discord channels of players who are running online servers, you might find one nearest to your location but be warned all of them are volunteers and you can expect the occasional lag issues.
