Like Voltron but different
There are times when I am given some, less than great games to cover. But every now and again there are times when out of nowhere a gem of a game lands in my lap and that’s what happened when I got 70s-Style Robot Anime: Geppy-X. I originally thought Geppy-X was a new game that was made to resemble the old retro anime’s from the 70s, but no this is a PS1 game that had never made it to the West until now.
Geppy-X was one of the unique games from PS1 that came on multiple discs, 4 to be exact. What’s crazy is it’s not because of how long the game is because Geppy-X can be completed in one sitting, no the space was because of the cutscenes. You see, each game episode in Geppy-X plays out like an anime; even to the point that there is an intro, outro and even fake commercials. If you were a fan of these cartoons back in the day, then this package is certainly for you, it feels like a love letter giant robot anime of yesteryear.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
Listen though, I don’t want to oversell this; the aforementioned episodes are reasonably short. But with that compression they still manage to touch on the important parts of the story and even hit on some anime tropes as well. Also important to mention that this game isn’t satire. Yes, crazy things happen but it is played straight and I think it’s better for it. But for as good as I think the production values and stuff is, I gotta say the gameplay is just ‘meh’ at best.
The gameplay is a horizontal shmup where players can swap between three modes, each with different attacks and functions. The different modes all feel distinct enough but once players figure out which one they vibe with the most, that’s just going to be the one you use. This isn’t Mega Man, when you need to use a certain weapon as a weakness towards a boss. Where the gameplay could use the most polish though is when it wants the player to turn around. As players play through levels there will be occasions where players will need to turn to the left and fight, the process is as simple as pressing a button. The issue is thought that you can’t change directions if you are charging a weapon; players have to fire and wait for the animation to end and then press the button to turn. More than anything else, this is what made the game feel aged, despite everything else being so well polished.
The remaster for Geppy-X is exceptionally well done. The cutscenes all run at a better pace and the game play itself even got a nice visual bump that makes its characters pop. There is even a rewind, safe states and a bunch of various CRT effects for those who want that true old-school touch. Audio has been improved where it could be, in fact the only jarring thing visually is when it uses PS1 stills.
70s Style Robot Anime: Geppy-X feels more like an experience mainly because it’s so much more than just the video game here. What makes this game succeed is the great combination of the anime visuals, music, and storytelling and without those crucial items, I doubt if Geppy-X sees a remaster in the first place. But for those of use in the West who missed this completely, this has been a really fun package to experience and I would recommend it for those who want to play something that feels unique.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
