Kikouseki Unitron review by substance J

When you think of the NGPC's "lost" titles, Kikouseki Unitron probably does not come instantly to mind. While not as immediate of a loss to the North American market as Faselei! or Evolution, it's still another 'sure thing' that slipped away along with Ogre Battle Gaiden and KOF Battle de Paradise when Aruze secured their spot in infamy this past June. I've never been a rabid RPG fan, especially when it comes to Japanese language games. But based on my enjoyment of the original Biomotor Unitron, I decided to track down the Kikouseki flavor. For my collection first, and perhaps actually playing it, second.

Graphics
Either Kikouseki Unitron was intended to be one of the system's big hitters this year, or someone at Yumekobo decided to let loose their operating budget, because the production values have been pushed through the roof regardless. The lengthy intro and title screen just begin to show off the new art style and rich color depth. Just about everything in the game has received a facelift, from the character art to the little dungeon treasure chests. I really didn't think someone could make a simple town map look *this* cool. But my favorite revisions would have to be the mecha and enemy characters. The original Biomotor Unitron had its share of cool designs, but for every one really neat Cyclops there were 2 freaky little 'Mushroom with Arms' characters gone wrong. This time around, each enemy has a more serious and dynamic look to it, all of which I've loved so far. And of course, the center of the game, the mecha, have been retouched. Imagine the change as less "Astro Boy," and more "Frame Gride." The many new weapons look sleek and deadly to boot. Not to sound redundant or overblow the topic, but Yumekobo's artists came up with many new attractive and clever special effects for battle attacks, from death rays to slash marks. It's interesting to note the glossy 3d rendering used for the box art, as well. I'm very impressed.

Sound
Pretty typical RPG fare here - slightly catchy, kinda dramatic, sorta serene. All together average. It sounds similar to the music from Biomotor, but different enough to be a fresh listen. I suppose that's good, so yay! I'd not even bother to mention sound effects, though there were a couple bullet impacts during battle that caused me to take note. Cool.

Gameplay
It's a bit tricky to review an import game like this, because there are two ways of looking at it...the quality of the core game...and what you will actually get out of it. Neither of which gives a complete picture. But when it comes down to it, some RPGs you can't understand are more fun than other RPGs you can't understand. I would have to say, right off the bat, that Kikouseki Unitron is one of the fun varieties.

Since most players who would be interested in this game are veterans of Biomotor, I won't delve too much into base gameplay features such as weapon building and the like. Much of that has stayed the same, but some notable elements of the series have been retooled in Kikouseki. First off, your engineer is now more of an all-round partner than a simple weapons maker. Your base is a mobile carrier (shades of Patlabor here) that follows you from the town to the dungeons, providing support in a couple of ways, from item storage to combat assistance (I'm not certain as to how this works, but it seems that after every 20 attacks or so, the carrier will either charge your EP before your attack or make an assault of its own, usually adding about 20 points damage). Affinity now plays a larger role in your success, or at least the frequency you buy repair items at. This is a cool touch...each dungeon of course has its own affinity, and its enemies share it for the most part. So if you take your fire affinity into an icy dungeon, greater damage will be dealt to your foes. But now this isn't necessarily in your favor. If a water affinity is used in the same dungeon, you're able to utilize specific shrines that serve as recharging stations for your HP and EP meters, filling them completely each time you visit (shades of Battle Beasts? Nah...). Other new dungeon elements include hidden pitfalls (usually dealing 15 HP damage. Look out!) and various warps that will transport you around and between levels. There are now other characters down there as well, like Sayaka, the perky merchant Elf. She's got some vicious weapons to sell.

Now the subject of importability. Obviously, it's best to be familiar with the concepts and structure of Biomotor before you begin to make sense of Kikouseki. Thankfully for we Japanese-illiterates, the potentially bewildering weapon development and Unitron setup menus are true to those in the English prequel, so it's possible to find your way through by memory if need be. If you have accurate and preferably quick Katakana comprehension, much of the vital information should read as second nature. I've been able to build and equip arms and maintain myself in battle easily, thanks in large part to my year of "studying" Kana. Character conversations still leave me clueless for the most part, but I'm making sense of things slowly (thankfully, and perhaps oddly, there is very little Kanji to be found). It's still possible to play blind, but the added comfort of knowing your "Ceramic" from your "Repair 2" is a nice cushion.

Overall
I had been looking forward to Kikouseki Unitron since the day it showed up on SNK's website so long ago, but I considered it a lost cause when Aruze pulled the plug. Still, I bought it as a collectable. Little did I realize how playable and enjoyable it would prove to be. Yumekobo has taken the solid foundation from Biomotor and tweaked it into a worthy sequel that screams quality. Especially from a design standpoint. If Kikouseki Unitron had the opportunity to be released worldwide (as it seems to deserve), I'm willing to bet it would be regarded along the lines of Faselei! as a niche classic. Still, it's a fun ride. The mostly non-vital story elements and predominantly Kana/Gana interface make it a superbly playable import purchase. Get this.