Gundam: Battle Assault (video game)

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Gundam: Battle Assault is a 1998 fighting game for the PlayStation developed by Natsume and published by Bandai. It’s based on the Gundam Wing series and acts as a follow-up to Gundam: The Battle Master (1997). The story centers on Heero Yuy, the Wing Gundam pilot, as he works to stop a war by destroying remaining enemy Mobile Suits under Treize Khushrenada.

The game is a two-mode, one-on-one fighter. Players select from nine mechs and battle in Story or Versus modes. It uses a traditional fighting-game setup with a six-button control scheme, special moves, and two playable modes. The system is a modernization of The Battle Master, featuring a standard health bar, a boost gauge, and an ammo counter. Most mechs can enter a flight mode, and many have powerful super moves that can be used up to three times.

Battle Assault was developed by much of the same team behind prior Natsume Gundam projects. It was first released in Japan as Gundam: The Battle Master 2 on March 12, 1998, with an original cast. When Gundam Wing aired in the U.S., Bandai localized the game as Battle Assault for English-speaking audiences, changing the cast to characters from other Gundam series and adjusting the story. The U.S. version launched on November 6, 2000, and the Japanese release followed in 2001, with the UK version arriving on December 7, 2001.

Reception was mixed. Critics praised the large, slick mech sprites, animations, and the sizable character roster, but criticized the slow pace, the story mode, and limited replay value. Audio and presentation received mixed opinions as well. In Japan, the game sold about 33,092 copies over its lifetime, with the first week totaling around 24,735 units.

A sequel, Gundam: Battle Assault 2, was released for the PlayStation in 2002.