Custom Robo [GC]

Those who had the privilege of importing the Japanese only title Custom Robo for the Nintendo 64 have a good grasp of what Custom Robo: Battle Evolution has in store for you -- plenty of robotic battling mayhem and customization. For those that have no insight into the franchise -- it was full of robotic battling mayhem and customization. Borrowing from the Pokemon phenomenon, Robo led you through a simple story that rewarded you with new custom parts for your mech. The other side of the equation was the two-player battle mode that allowed you and a friend to duke it out Smash Bros.-style in your customized mechs. Not a revolution in game design, but the style was unique enough that it captured the hearts of many.

In fact, most US gamers that followed the import coverage felt that they were missing out. So, in an attempt to make amends, Nintendo is releasing the newest iteration, Battle Revolution in the States. While it incorporates the same play mechanics as the original, Custom Robo GCN has grown up a bit since the Nintendo 64 days. But, does it actually succeed in revolutionizing -- anything? Read on robo commander.

Features:

• Over 30 different body types and hundreds of parts for you to collect
• Multiplayer options range from one-on-one and two-on-two to four player free for all.
• Single player story mode lets you unlock new parts and learn strategies.
• Requires 15 blocks of memory

Gameplay
Now that it's on GameCube, Custom Robo has altered its "kids competing in tournaments" theme to an older audience friendly "teenagers defeating evil syndicates bent on world domination." Along with older main characters in the "RPG" story mode, there are more weapons and robo bodies to choose from, and a wide array of multiplayer modes (in terms of configuration, not game types).

The story mode, while billed as an RPG, is actually more of a tutorial for first time players. In it, you play as a teenage lad who is trying to fulfill his lost father's wish of becoming a custom-robo commander. In an attempt to get his foot in the door, he falls in with a group of bounty hunters, the Steal Hearts, and soon uncovers a plot by the evil Z Syndicate to control the ultimate robo, and in turn control the world. Meanwhile, there's an unpiloted robot running loose in the city that needs to be stopped -- which is somehow connected to an ancient catastrophe. Only you and the Steel Hearts will be able to uncover this tangled plot.

Before you get carried away picturing yourself piloting hulking Gundam mechs, there are a few important things to clear up about custom-robos. First -- they are very small. They fit inside a metal cube similar to a Pokeball where they reside until you're ready to "dive" into a holosseum. These holographic realms are where all your battling takes place. The odd thing about all this is that these robots that can only work inside these holographic realms have somehow become a criminal's greatest weapon. Police forces and bounty hunters alike have to challenge criminals to custom-robo battles in order to apprehend them (via a KO). This begs the question...why not arrest the perpetrators while they're in battle or shoot them with tranquilizers while they wait for you to fight them? Apparently in the future criminal and law enforcer alike believe in fair fights.