Tech Romancer
Tech Romancer (Japanese name:
Choukou Senki Kikaioh) is a
1998 3D
fighting arcade game by
Capcom that draws heavily from the various sub-genres of
Mecha anime. It has been ported to the
Sega Dreamcast console. The player controls a giant robot which is used to fight another robot in one-on-one combat.
Studio Nue (the creators responsible for the mechanical designs for many anime series including
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Gunbuster, and
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory) designed the robots in this game. It is essentially thought of as the sequel to
Cyberbots.
The game is primarily played in two modes: Story Mode, and Hero Challenge Mode. The Dreamcast version also had minigames that could be played on the
VMU for points.
Story Mode
Each mecha has its own story mode, which plays out like an anime series, with each battle broken up by an episode title,
eyecatch, and dialog scenes before and after each battle. While most stories eventually culminate in a final battle against
Goldibus, an alien invader intent on conquering the world, each mecha has its own story (where it is the star of its own show), and decisions made in the dialog scenes, as well as the conditions under which a battle is won, can cause the stories to branch out and have multiple endings.
Hero Challenge Mode
An "Arcade-style" mode where the player fights through each of the major mecha and bosses towards a final showdown with Goldibus. Various hidden mecha and pilots found in the game can only be used in Hero Challenge Mode. In the Dreamcast version, points earned in Hero Challenge Mode and the VMU minigames could be used to purchase hidden characters and movies.
Each mecha has its own pilot, and some mecha have alternate pilots, with stories that are different from their counterparts.
Battles take place mostly on a flat 3D plain, with buildings and other terrain features scattered around. Destroying the terrain (by attacking or walking through them) releases power-ups, which include three weapons(vary between each character/mecha, armor or life powerups, and the Hero Mode powerup, which increases the power of your mecha's attacks, and may also unlock additional abilities or moves.
Rather than rounds, the matches are decided by the life meters of the fighters. Each fighter has two life meters, and is destroyed when the second one is depleted. In addition, each mecha gets an armor gauge that, when broken by consistent brute attacks, lowers the mecha's defense and makes it harder to recover attack taken.
Each mecha has at least two super attacks, as well as a Final Attack, which is useable when the opponent is down to the last 50% of their second lifebar. This attack, when activated and successfully connected, automatically destroys the opponent, winning the battle.
Armor Knight G(Grand) Kaiser (known as "Kikaioh" in the Japanese version, hence, the "title character") - A
Super Robot similar to
Mazinger Z and
Grendizer. G. Kaiser is the main character of the game. Attacks with rocket punches, bombs, and a heat beam in its chest. Piloted by
Junpei Todoroki in a Super Robot-style series.
Super Defense Armour Dixen- A Mecha similar to the
RX-78-2 Gundam from the
Mobile Suit Gundam series. Is armed with a shoulder-mounted beam cannon, grenades, and three remote-controlled beam guns. It can also switch between a beam rifle and a bazooka. Piloted by either
Nakato Farland in a Gundam-like story, or
Halma Frockheart in a story similar to
Gunbuster or
Candidate for Goddess.
** Final Shot - In Dixen's Final Attack, it grabs the opponent and throws them high into the air, then draws its beam rifle and shoots them in the back. Dixen's pose during the Final Shot is a direct reference to the final shot taken by the RX-78-2 in
Mobile Suit Gundam.
*
Pulsion An
Ultraman-like hero who transforms to fight evil. Pulsion's true identity is either the male Kai or the female Kei. Pulsion was originally a servant of Goldibus who had its memory erased in a fight with Diana-17. Kai has the choice of continuing to fight for justice, or return to the evil side, while Kei eventually has to fight an evil version of herself. It's design seem to be combination of
Ultraseven and
Evangellion.
Strategic Variable Fighter Rafaga -- A Transformable fighter in homage to the
Macross series. Like the
VF-1 Valkyrie, it can transform from a jet fighter to GERWALK and/or Soldier(mecha) mode. Its pilot,
Simon Harvard, is a ladies man similar to
Roy Focker, who falls in love with an alien pilot(see
Maximilian Jenius).
Infinite Body Twinzam V - Another Super Robot, this one similar to combining robots like
Getter Robo. Made up from a pair of jet fighters, It can transform between two forms depending on which is dominant. Twinzam V is altenately piloted by
Daichi Yumeno and his older sister
Sora, two children(ages 10 and 11) who seem to believe they're dreaming this all up.
Mariou Shogun Gourai - A huge
Samurai-style mecha, possibly a reference to
Escaflowne, complete with sword. Seemingly one of Goldibus' generals,
Shadow Red seems to have an agenda of his own. In reality, he is
Mamoru Todoroki, the father of Junpei. Shadow Red also plays a role similar to
Char Aznable in Dixen(Natako)'s storyline, and is fittingly voiced by
Shuichi Ikeda.
*
Diana-17 - Diana-17 is a fighting mecha piloted by
Reika Amamiya, a student at a girls' academy who is initially the first person to know of Goldibus' plans for invasion in the midst of a war. She tries to gather the other heroes in order to resist the invasion. Diana-17's design seems to be heavily influenced by
ARIELHeavy Armour Tank Wise Duck - A huge weapon-laden mecha that Studio Nue says is a homage to the HWR-00-Mk. II Destroid Monster of
Macross (known as M.A.C. II in
Robotech). Wise Duck is piloted by an entire crew, consisting of
Gonzales,
Arvin,
Ricky,
Thomas, and
Herman.
Magical Patched Robot Bolon - This patchwork robot, resembling the
Boss Borot from Mazinger Z or the titular patchwork robot from
Roujin Z, created out of the parts of several buildings, is the creation of
Pollin, A
Magical Girl who appears to be only about eight years old, although she can age herself to be roughly 17. She has a crush on Junpei, and ends up fighting several of the female pilots in the game over him in her storyline. She is actually the daughter of Goldibus.
**Depending on the branch Bolon's storyline takes, Goldibus is either Pollin's father or her
mother!
**In the North American version of the game, a scene occurs in Pollin's story were she and Kei argue over who loves Junpei more. In the original Japanese version, they argue over who has the larger breasts(against Pollin's adult form).
Hidden Characters
Strategic Variable Fighter Rafaga(
Amuritta Type) - This red fighter is piloted by
Amuritta, Simon Harvard's wingman. She has a small crush on her commanding officer, and closely resembles
Claudia LaSalle, who was the girlfriend of Roy Focker.
*Variants of Dixen and Wise Duck piloted by Shadow Red
*
Dark Pulsion - The evil version of Kai.
Variant Armour Blodia II Custom - The main mecha from
Armored Warriors and
Cyberbots, two other mecha-style games made by Capcom. Blodia is piloted by
Jin Saotome, who appears in
Cyberbots and
Marvel vs. Capcom.
Bosses
*
Gamda - A massive stone golem that seems to be made out of several temples with a huge eye in the middle. Controlled by
Arekshim, an alien ruler with an Egyptian theme.
*
Quvearl - An
Octopus-like bio-contruct controlled by
Yale, a female android(one of many, as it turns out) who ends up falling for Simon Harvard after he defeats her in a battle(See also
Milia Fallyna Jenius) Its remote bit attacks and design resemble the
Elmeth from
Mobile Suit Gundam.
** Their names are plays on rival
Ivy League universities
Harvard and
Yale.
*
Goldibus - the Ultimate Evil. Goldibus has two forms, and must be defeated twice to beat the game. His second form is more powerful and has two menacing special attacks, unlike his less ominous first form.
*
at
The Killer List of Video Games
