Biomotor Unitron - review by Adrian Tepes

Biomotor Unitron review by Adrian Tepes

Biomotor Unitron, from Yumekobo, is the first RPG for the NGPC. Well, sort of. The game is somewhat like Pokemon, but also has some more traditional RPG elements. All in all, I think it's a great game.

Graphics: 10

These graphics are great. The characters are all well-drawn, the mecha look cool, everything fits. And keep in mind I'm playing this in black and white. There's really nothing else to say, the visuals are exactly what I'd expect from a NGPC game.

Sound/Music: 8.5

The sound effects aren't anything special, to be honest, but what do you need for an RPG/sim game? The music is okay. It fits the game, it really seems like typical RPG music. It might be disappointing to compare this to Square's music, but it's not bad by any standards. I like it, but I'm not going to go out and buy a soundtrack.

Gameplay: 9

This Mecha builder type game is fairly simple. At the beginning, you select two members of the same race (human, elf, etc.), one male, one female. One of these members is your pilot, and the other your mechanic. You have a mech, a unitron, which you can battle in dungeons to gain EXP and money. There is also an arena, and by passing the tests, you can raise your grade. The goal, I think, is to become a Unitron Master. Your mech has several different parts. Body, armor, backpack, arm, and leg. All these affect stats accordingly, and also the appearance of your unitron. For example, the leg attachments look like anything from tank treads to a fish tail, with appropriate statistics. The arms are your weapon attacks. Different arms have different attacks (duh) and different attack properties. I haven't figured them all out, but there are fire, water, wind, and all that. You have two attacks, one per arm, but you can switch arms from your inventory at your hangar. Your pilot levels up by fighting monsters and other unitrons and such, while your mechanic levels by building parts. You give your mechanic an arm, a tool, and a material (different qualities of tools and materials are available) and then he (or she) will build you a new arm, with a new attack. Of course, there is a chance that he or she will fail, and destroy the arm, the tool, and the material, so be careful! This is more or less all I've figured out, and it looks like a solid gameplay system.

Overall: 9

I didn't like Pokemon a whole lot, but I do like Biomotor Unitron. If you're into the genre, then definitely check it out, you'll be impressed. Even if you aren't, try it, it's an interesting game. Of course, keep in mind that it's in Japanese, and the language switch WON'T turn it to English. I'll try to translate as much as possible, but I think the game is fairly easy to pick up. With that said, Biomotor Unitron is a great addition to the NGPC library, and a great RPG/sim game.