Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation

Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Developer(s)	Banpresoft
Publisher(s)	JP: Banpresto; NA: Atlus; EU: 505 Games;
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Release	JP: November 22, 2002; NA: August 8, 2006; PAL: December 31, 2007;
Genre(s)	Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)	Single player

Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation^[a] is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance. It was developed by Banpresoft and published by Banpresto in Japan, Atlus in North America, and 505 Games in Europe.

The game was originally released in Japan on November 22, 2002, and stars various original characters created by Banpresto for their Super Robot Wars series. Like the much earlier Super Robot Wars Gaiden, the game features no licensed mecha or characters at all - instead, it uses only Banpresto's own creations, in an original story. The games sold well in Japan, and later adapted for a short animated OVA called Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation, which takes place after the second game in the series. A television series, Super Robot Wars Original Generation: Divine Wars, retells the story of the first game. Original Generation was released in the United States on August 8, 2006. It is the first game in the Super Robot Wars series to ever be commercially released overseas, since, unlike the rest of the series, it contains no characters from other media, therefore, no legal entanglements were involved in a foreign release.

A sequel, Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2, was available on February 3, 2005, in Japan and was released in North America on November 21, 2006. On June 27, 2007, Super Robot Wars: Original Generations, an enhanced remake of both Original Generation games, was released in Japan for the PlayStation 2.

Storyline

It is two hundred years after the beginning of the "Space Era", a time period when civilization began expanding into space. However, by the start of the 21st century, two meteors struck and destroyed much of the Earth, sending humanity into chaos. By year 179 of the Space Era, secret technology, dubbed Extra-Over Technology, or EOT, was discovered by the Earth Federal Government within a third meteor that had hit Earth at the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific. Dr. Bian Zoldark, while investigating the meteor, also found out that the creators of the Extra-Over Technology were heading to Earth to reclaim it. In order to defend Earth, the government starts to develop a group of humanoid mecha, known as Personal Troopers.^[1]

The alien race that created Extra-Over Technology, called the Aerogaters by the Earth Federal Government, initially attacks an Earth ship sent out to investigate their presence in the far reaches of the solar system. This initial skirmish ends in a defeat for the Aerogaters, prompting them to seek for negotiations with the Earth Federation Army. Talks are arranged to take place at a secret facility in Antarctica, but the talks are targeted by a rogue faction called the Divine Crusaders.

The Divine Crusaders destroys the Aerogater delegation, then turn on the Federation forces. Bian Zoldark, revealing himself to be the leader of the Divine Crusaders, announces the existence of the Aerogaters to the world and rebel against the Earth Government. As Earth spins into civil war, a new Aerogater force is on the move, seeking to reclaim their lost technology...

Gameplay

Original Generation offers the player a choice to play the game from the perspective of either two male protagonists, both of whom find themselves fighting the Divine Crusaders and the Aerogaters from different fronts. While both routes share similarities, each character has his own unique missions to follow, as well as meeting different people and piloting different mechs in their respective scenarios. Regardless of who the player chooses, both protagonists and their parties will eventually join up to form one large cast, with brief branching stages, based on the character chosen in the beginning of the game.

As a first in the Super Robot Wars franchise, Original Generation allows the player to equip or remove weapons on mechs. For example, the Plasma Saber equipped on the Weiss Ritter can be removed and placed on the R-1 for its pilot to utilize during sorties. However, this unique system is only available on mechs that are of the real-type, while super robots are not capable of switching weapons. The game also allows the use of customizing playable pilots, through a set of pilot skills, bought by Pilot Points, received from defeating enemy units. These Pilot Points can also be used to upgrade their stats that determine how well he/she performs in battle as well as their terrain adaptivity.

Originating games

The characters, units and setting in Original Generation are all taken from the following games:

Shin Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars Gaiden: Masō Kishin – The Lord Of Elemental
2nd Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars F
Super Robot Wars F Final
Super Robot Wars Alpha
Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden
Super Robot Wars Compact 2
Super Robot Wars Impact
Super Hero Operations
Hero Senki: Project Olympus
Super Robot Wars Scramble Gather

Reception

On release, Famitsu magazine scored the game a 32 out of 40.^[2]

Notes

^ Japanese: スーパーロボット大戦ORIGINAL GENERATION, Hepburn: Sūpā Robotto Taisen Orijinaru Jenerēshon

References

^ "ATLUS U.S.A., INC. ANNOUNCES SUPER ROBOT TAISEN: ORIGINAL GENERATION FOR THE GAME BOY ADVANCE", ATLUS USA. URL accessed on May 28, 2006. Archived April 22, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ ゲームボーイアドバンス - スーパーロボット大戦オリジナルジェネレーション. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.120. 30 June 2006.

External links

(in Japanese) Official site Archived 2021-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation at GameSpot
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation at IGN
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation at MobyGames

[1] Japanese: スーパーロボット大戦ORIGINAL GENERATION, Hepburn: Sūpā Robotto Taisen Orijinaru Jenerēshon

[atlususa-2] "ATLUS U.S.A., INC. ANNOUNCES SUPER ROBOT TAISEN: ORIGINAL GENERATION FOR THE GAME BOY ADVANCE", ATLUS USA. URL accessed on May 28, 2006. Archived April 22, 2006, at the Wayback Machine

[3] ゲームボーイアドバンス - スーパーロボット大戦オリジナルジェネレーション. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.120. 30 June 2006.

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