Dimension Halo is a giant mysterious ring that appeared above the world of Neotopia. The Gundam Force at SD lab has been mobilized to investigate.

It seems that the ring is emitting the signal as Neotopia, which means that somewhere within the ring is another Neotopia. But is that other world as peaceful as the Neotopia familiar to Captain Gundam, or Zero, or Bakunetsumaru, or Captain Haro.

“… someone must infiltrate the Dimension Halo and investigate the alternate Neotopia,” states Captain Haro.

To infiltrate and collect information is an easy matter of using Doctor Bell Wood’s Dimensional Transport Device.

All this is the setup for Bandai’s SD Gundam Force: Showdown, a PlayStation 2 title slated for release in October. The game is primarily a shooter style that is geared for players of all ages. The graphics are bright and colorful and the overall game plays well. It is a tad young in approach, and the levels are broken down into blocks and areas. The idea is to clear the blocks and areas before the timer runs out.

In addition to the three main warriors of the Gundam Force, there are also a couple of others that aid the adventure.

Shute is a young human man who can change the form of the Force members (if they find the right items), and he can change out weapons which accompany the form. When you begin the game, there are 52 enemies, 15 forms and 18 items available to fight, or discover. Juli is the one that will have the S.D.G. battle report available.

Enemies drop blue and green balls. The blue are energy (which can be used to obtain emblems); the green are healing.

There are several ways to fight. The L1 and R1 buttons help with cycling targets. You can use the straight attack or build up the special punch. You can also block attacks. Moving from level to level requires using the doors you can discover on the levels, or using the warp points.

All in all, the controls are rather simple to use.

The game’s graphics are a blend of three-dimensional and two-dimensional. Some of the cutscenes are 2D, while the combat is 3D. The camera is a locked angle. Ok, so Chief Haro looks like a half-lined basketball. And the kid sidekicks are more 2D than 3D, this game is bright and colorful and shows that off in every facet of the title.

The musical score can get a little wearing with its repetition.

SD Gundam Force: Showdown has some faults, to be certain, and the game is not overly complex and almost feels like it is geared for the younger player. However, the game does not come at players with the attitude of being the most serious of endeavors. This is light entertainment and the whole game seems to reinforce that notion.

This is the reflexive kind of game that allows gamers to play through quick levels with a light entertainment feel. This is a nice little program, not exceptional, but still fun to play.
 

Gameplay: 7

Shute interrupts a lot early on with phone calls and updates. The game levels are relatively short, but the controls are simple to learn and the action inside each of the small levels is nonstop.

Graphics: 7.5

This is a very bright and colorful game. The animation is decent. SD Gundam Force combines 2D and 3D elements rather well. While there is nothing innovative here, it works for the style of game presented.

Sound: 7

The musical score is heroic, but can get tiring after a while. The voice acting is a bit over the top, but serviceable in the context of the game.

Difficulty: Easy

The game sports three difficulty levels to allow players to set the challenge they wish for.

Concept: 7

The game is simplicity itself, from the story and level design to the control layout.

Overall: 7

This is not the type of game that will stop players in their tracts, but the rich eye candy, and the simple concept, this is a game that is definitely a pleasant diversion. You don’t have to think overly much as you work through the game, and it does get progressively more challenging. Mark this down as light entertainment.