Video Game Vintage Title: WarTech: Senko No Ronde

WarTech: Senko No Ronde

WarTech: Senko no Ronde is an Xbox 360 video game, a port of the arcade fighter/shooter hybrid developed by G.rev for the Sega Naomi board.

Two revisions have been released in the arcades. A home port was released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the Xbox 360 with enhanced graphics, a more concise story for each character, and network play. The American localization was released on May 29, 2007 for the Xbox 360 from Ubisoft. On May 20, 2010, a sequel entitled Senko no Ronde: Dis-United Order was released for the Xbox 360, which has many new features, a larger cast and more extensive story mode. As of right now G.rev has announced no plans for localizing the sequel outside of Japan.

WarTech: Senko No Ronde Plot

Due to a past catastrophe on Earth, humanity was forced to live amongst the stars for several centuries, resulting in the creation of the S.D. calendar and the birth of the Aria Federation, an empire whose influence extends from Earth to Saturn. In S.D. 1478, an embassy located within the empire's capital on Earth's moon was seized by terrorists, and forces deployed by Aria's Special Space Service ended in disaster as the terrorists triggered a self-detonation device, killing themselves and several civilians in the process.

The actual game begins six years after this event, with the player assuming the role of one of eight characters who will become involved in a mastermind's scheme to take control of the Aria Federation's superweapon and use it for his own purposes.

Toward the Terra, a science fiction series created by Keiko Takemiya, has played a major influence for both Senko no Ronde's story and art style.

WarTech: Senko No Ronde Gameplay

Two players fight each other from top-down and isometric perspectives using giant robots called Rounders. The game can be described as a fighter/shmup mashup, with elements of 2D fighters mixed with modern top-down shooters. It is very similar to Psychic Force, a unique, heavily projectile-based fighting game developed at Taito while G.rev's founders worked there. Unlike Psychic Force, however, it offers even more elaborate firing patterns that conjure a danmaku shooter aesthetic. This is further reinforced by "B.O.S.S. Mode," a super attack that allows players to transform into screen-filling boss ships that can fill the screen with bullets. It may also be likened to "a 2D version of Virtual On" mixed with shmup boss encounters and modern danmaku patterns. Due to its close ties with Virtual On's mechanics, several of its strategies can also be applied to this game as well.

Each character in Senko no Ronde boasts unique weapons, bullet patterns, and game play styles, each have two variations called Cartridge A and Cartridge B which have slightly modified stats and weapon properties. All characters have a main weapon and sub weapon, as well as 3-4 special attacks called "Barrages", which are activated via command inputs similar to 2D fighters. When matches start players are given two "B.O.S.S. Stock" which lets a player switch to a larger robot called "B.O.S.S. Mode", which is comparable to a boss ship in standard shmups. In Boss Mode a player has increased firepower and will regain a portion of health, but movement is more restricted, only one boss form can be activated at a time. Upon losing a match you will regain one Boss Stock. If your character's health bar is depleted they will enter a special state called "Vanish Mode" which reduces the size of the characters hitbox, but if one more shot connects you will lose the round. Using a Boss Stock well in Vanish Mode will result in using a more powerful Boss Mode, called "Final Boss" Mode, which has benefits such as additional firepower or more mobility. Final Boss mode also has access to an extra powerful super attack.

Reception
Reception of the game was generally mixed, with several sources complaining that its short length and relatively insubstantial content, coupled with its full price tag, made it not worth its full retail price. The title quickly dropped to a sixth of its original price after its release in the US. Hyper's Maurice Branscombe commends the game for being a "successful melding of shooter and fighter and its great weapon effects". However, he criticises it for its "limited single player, melee needed work and its price tag".

Xbox 360 reviews:

GameBrink - 88%

Eurogamer - 80%

1UP - 50%

Game Informer - 3.75/10

GameSpot - 52%

Official Xbox Magazine - 6.0/10

Senko no Ronde Rev. X has fared much better in Japan, where it has received a gold rating of 32/40 from Famitsu and is now part of the Microsoft Platinum Collection.