:SD Gundam Dimension War

File:VB SD Gundam Dimension War.png

SD Gundam Dimension War is a tactical role-playing game based on the Gundam franchise. The gameplay involves players maneuvering their fleet of robots and ships around a grid-based map and destroying each of the enemies scattered about.{{cite magazine |title=SDガンダムディメンションウォー |url=https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s020159009 |access-date=16 May 2020 |magazine=Famitsu |issue=363 |publisher=ASCII Corporation |date=1 December 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529233145/https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s020159009 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |page=112 |language=ja}} The objective is to complete each of the game's eight levels without losing their fleet. Enemies are placed towards the top of the map, while players start at the bottom. Players are not required to destroy each enemy to progress to the next level, but they must at least destroy the enemy battle cruisers that are placed in specific spots on the map. The third level adds a heavily-armored boss that must be defeated to move onto the next level.{{cite web |last1=Frear |first1=Dave |title=SD Gundam Dimension War Review (VB) |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/08/sd_gundam_dimension_war_retro |website=Nintendo Life |publisher=Gamer Network |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123052959/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/08/sd_gundam_dimension_war_retro |archive-date=23 November 2019 |date=14 August 2009 |url-status=dead }}

Players are able to attack enemies should one of their robots be near them. Two combat options can be chosen: indirect, which allows players to fire from a distance, and attack, which while more dangerous allows for stronger attacks. Choosing to attack enemies causes the game to shift to a combat scenario, where players are forced to attack the enemy either with a ranged laser cannon or through melee combat with a laser sword. Players and enemies are able to shift into the foreground and background, and must fight each other until one of them is destroyed. When fighting enemy cruisers, the game takes place within a third-person perspective, as players must fire enough shots at it to destroy the cruiser. An autopilot option is available where the AI performs the battle automatically, without any player input. There are three save slots available, allowing the player to save their progress and come back later.{{cite book |title=SD Gundam Dimension War instruction manual (translated) |date=22 December 1995 |publisher=Bandai |location=Japan |url=http://www.planetvb.com/content/manuals/pdf/sd_usa_trans_im.pdf |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529223027/https://www.planetvb.com/content/manuals/pdf/sd_usa_trans_im.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2019 |url-status=dead }}

SD Gundam Dimension War was developed by Locomotive Corporation and published by Bandai for the Virtual Boy, and the final game they developed for the system. The game is based on the SD Gundam series, a spin-off of the larger Gundam franchise by Sunrise and Sotsu. Most Gundam games have been developed by Tose, with Dimension War being one of few Gundam games not to have any involvement from them. The "SD" in the title is short for super-deformed, a Japanese art style that depicts characters with large heads on small bodies, similar to bobblehead figures. The title Dimension War is a nod to the game's usage of multiple perspectives during its combat sequences. Following a final call issued by Nintendo regarding Virtual Boy releases before they ceased support for the system, Bandai, alongside Athena, Taito, and J-Wing, rushed the game to market to hopefully recuperate costs.{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=Virtual Lab retrospective: Scientific progress goes "boing" - Virtual Boy Works #19 |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jywmyp7bi7w |access-date=1 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813170135/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jywmyp7bi7w |archive-date=13 August 2019 |date=19 June 2019}} Dimension War was published on December 22, 1995, making it the last Virtual Boy game published in Japan.{{cite magazine |title=SDガンダム DIMENSION WAR |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=21805&redirect=no |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Kadokawa Corporation |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515063847/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=21805&redirect=no |archive-date=15 May 2020 |language=ja}} It was produced in limited quantities, most of which were purchased by Virtual Boy collectors and enthusiasts due to its title of being the country's final game for the console. Dimension War is one of the rarest and most sought-after Virtual Boy titles released, with the game selling for over US$1000 in the second-hand market.{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Jason |title=Retroworld |url=https://archive.org/details/N64_Magazine_Issue_004_1997-07_Future_Publishing_GB/page/n15 |access-date=14 September 2019 |work=N64 Magazine |date=July 1997 |page=17}}{{cite magazine |last1=Kohler |first1=Chris |title=Virtual Boy, Nintendo's Big 3-D Flop, Turns 15 |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/08/virtual-boy/ |magazine=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast Publications |access-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014141332/https://www.wired.com/2010/08/virtual-boy/ |archive-date=14 October 2019 |date=13 August 2010}}{{cite news |title=Collector's Closet - Collecting Virtual Boy |url=https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s021116001 |access-date=15 May 2020 |work=Tips & Tricks |issue=98 |publisher=Larry Flynt Publications |date=February 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529201640/https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s021116001 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |page=94}}

{{Video game reviews

| Fam = 19/40

| NLife = {{rating|4|10}}

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The four reviewers at Famitsu found the game to be a mediocre tactical RPG that suffered from poor combat sequences and pacing, but liked its music for fitting in with the atmosphere. Jason Moore, a writer for the magazine Retrogames, was more positive in his review, writing that it was a nice diversion from the Virtual Boy's arcade-like format. He liked it for being much more "involving" of a title than other games for the system, but criticized its character animations for being poorly-made.{{cite news |title=Virtual Reality: Gundam - Bandai |url=https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s034141001 |access-date=15 May 2020 |work=Retrogames |issue=8 |date=1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529201639/https://www.planetvb.com/modules/articles/?s034141001 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |location=United Kingdom}}

Retrospectively, SD Gundam Dimension War received largely negative reviews, with critics ranking it among the worst Virtual Boy games. Dave Frear of Nintendo Life described the game as being largely disappointing, especially for hardcore fans of the Gundam franchise. He took issue with its presentation, while also criticizing the game's combat scenarios; while he said they were fun at times, they needed a lot of polish and were largely repetitive. However, Frear felt that the music was done well, and that the game made good use of the system's 3D capabilities. Jeremy Parish claimed that Dimension War may have the worst action scenes on Virtual Boy, disliking the game's pacing, confusing controls, and combat sequences. Parish argued the only reason to get Dimension War was for collectors interested in getting a complete Virtual Boy library, further adding that the game added almost nothing new to the concept established in previous Gundam games for consoles such as the Game Boy. He concluded by claiming that it is better than Virtual Lab, a poorly-received falling-block puzzle game, which he noted was not difficult to be.{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=SD Gundam Dimension War retrospective: Thin red lines - Virtual Boy Works #20 |website=YouTube |access-date=15 May 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NVr-wcbooY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515071325/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NVr-wcbooY |archive-date=15 May 2020 |date=26 June 2019}} The staff at Retro Gamer magazine similarly compared it to Virtual Lab in terms of quality, saying that its value was nowhere near the high price point it has online.{{cite news |title=Japan-Only Releases: SD Gundam Dimension War |url=https://archive.org/stream/RetroGamerIssue101-102/Retro_Gamer_Issue_102#page/n47/mode/2up |access-date=15 May 2020 |work=Retro Gamer |issue=102 |publisher=Imagine Publishing |date=May 2012 |location=United Kingdom |page=48}}

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{{Virtual Boy}}

{{Video Games of Gundam}}

{{Super Deformed Gundam}}

Category:1995 video games

Category:Bandai games

Category:Gundam video games

Category:Japan-exclusive video games

Category:Tactical role-playing video games

Category:Video games developed in Japan

Category:Virtual Boy games

Category:Single-player video games