, abbreviated as ''A.C.E. 2'', is a
third-person mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
produced by
Banpresto
(formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Banpresto was a partly-own ...
and developed by
From Software
FromSoftware, Inc. is a Japanese video game development and publishing company based in Tokyo. Founded by Naotoshi Zin in November 1986, the company developed business software before releasing their first video game, ''King's Field'', for the P ...
. It is the
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
to the popular 2005 game ''
Another Century's Episode
is a 2005 third-person shooter video game published by Banpresto in Japan for the PlayStation 2. The player controls a mecha, mech from one of nine different real robot, anime robot franchises to destroy opposing forces before they steal a prized ...
''. It was released for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
on March 30, 2006.
On November 29, 2007, Banpresto released ''A.C.E. 2 Special Vocal Edition'' as a follow-up to the heels of ''A.C.E. 2s sequel, ''
Another Century's Episode 3: The Final''. This version includes vocal theme songs for each of the featured animated series in the game.
Plot
A.C.E.2 is not a direct sequel to its
predecessor, as it involves its own original plot, as well as covering events that already happened in ''A.C.E.'', albeit differently. This is not an unusual occurrence, as Banpresto has done this with most entries in the ''
Super Robot Wars
''Super Robot Wars'', known in Japan as is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the ''Compati Hero'' series, the main feature of the franchise is ...
'' franchise; most of the games in that series are not connected by an established continuity (exceptions include the ''
Super Robot Wars Alpha'' games and the titles in the ''Super Robot Wars'' classic timeline), with remakes or updates abounding.
However, there are some links back to ''A.C.E.'' in the sequel. The ''Ark'' series, including the main character's Gunark, use as their power source the super-volatile substance E2, which was introduced in the first game. Additionally, most of the ''A.C.E.'' original enemies return, this time with a backstory, while in A.C.E. they were simply there to add to the challenge.
System changes
*Faster Combat: ''A.C.E. 2'' delivers and portrays high-speed mecha combat better than its predecessor.
*Pilot Cut-Ins: The game will feature the pilots in both
2D and
cel-shaded
Cel shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3-D computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient or tints and shades. A cel shader is often used to mimic th ...
3D forms, while in ''A.C.E.'' their only presence was in sound bites played while launching and during certain battles.
*More Weapons: Each unit can also have up to seven weapons, which can be set by the player; this allows the player to separate the units primary ranged weapon and melee weapon, unlike the previous game.
*Improved Support: While ''A.C.E.'' allowed the player to have other units support him/her during a stage, their presence was limited to occasional voice clips. ''A.C.E. 2'' will have the other units actually appear during the stage as computer-controlled allies.
*Combination Attacks: The player will be able to perform special combination attacks where their team members combine their skills with incredibly devastating (and cinematic) results. Certain combinations of characters will result in team-ups from the anime involved, such as
Brain Powerd's Chakra Extension and
Nadesico's Double Gekigan Flare. Some combinations of characters (such as the major characters from ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and th ...
'' and ''
Endless Waltz'') get new combinations. If the player uses three unrelated characters for a combination attack, they simply perform a generic all-out attack.
*Favorites System: Much like recent entries into the ''Super Robot Wars'' series (specifically ''MX'' and ''J''), ''A.C.E. 2'' features a system by which the player can designate one of the featured series as their favorite. The units from the favored series may be upgraded more than they would normally, potentially making them the strongest units in that player's game.
Control types
Like the previous game in the series, ''A.C.E. 2'' features two different set-ups for the controller: shift and select type. However, unlike ''A.C.E.'', neither of these set-ups will be a "simple mode" for first-time players. Instead, the two different set-ups will simply represent different ways of using the many weapons available to the player.
Flight controls
The player can also choose to modify the controls for plane-type units, such as the Re-GZ, the
Valkyrie's Fighter Mode and the transformations of machines like Layzner MK II and L-Gaim MK II. Flight Mode is the standard control system, where the player controls roll and pitch with the Left Analogue Stick, and can bank with the L1 and R1 buttons. Easy Mode has the analogue stick control both roll and pitch. Flight Reverse Mode reverses the natural set-up for altitude, so that tilting the analogue Stick down causes the machine to dive, while holding it up makes the machine climb.
Featured series
Six of the series from ''A.C.E.'' return in ''A.C.E. 2'', joined by five new ones (although one of the new series, ''Endless Waltz'', is the sequel to one of the series that did not return from ''
A.C.E.'' and ''
Gundam Wing''). Additionally, three EX Series are included, although their involvement in the game's story is not as significant as the other series (excluding ''Wings of Rean'', which is announced to join the series in later promotion video, and have its ONA released after the game). A grand total of 106 playable mecha from the fourteen
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
represented, as well as the originals, are playable.
In addition to the fourteen series, ''A.C.E. 2'' includes new original characters and
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
, designed by Takuya Saito and Junya Ishigaki, respectively. The heroes of the game are Tak Kepford (voiced by
Daisuke Kishio
is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator from Matsusaka, Mie. He changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same. He joined Aoni Production on April 1, 2014. He ...
) and Marina Carson (voiced by
Naomi Shindou), and they pilot transforming mecha called ''Gun Arks''.
*''
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack''
**Playable Mecha
***RX-93 Nu Gundam (pilot: Amuro Ray)
***RGZ-91 RE-GZ (pilot: Amuro Ray)
*''
Aura Battler Dunbine
is an anime television series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sotsu and Sunrise (company), Sunrise.
''Dunbine'' is set in Byston Well, a parallel world that resembles the countryside of medieval Europe with kingdoms ruled by mo ...
''
**Playable Mechas
***Billbine (pilot: Sho Zama)
***Dunbine (pilot: Marvel Frozen)
**Non-Playable Mechas
***Leprechaun (pilot: Jerryl Coochibi)
***Wryneck (pilot: Todd Guinness)
***Zwarth (pilot: Black Knight a.k.a. Bern Burnings)
***Galava (pilot: Black Knight)
*''
Blue Comet SPT Layzner
, sometimes translated as ''Blue Meteor SPT Layzner'' is a science fiction anime series produced by Sunrise between 1985 and 1986. It was originally created by Tsunehisa Itō and Ryōsuke Takahashi; the latter serving as the director.
The ser ...
''
**Layzner (pilot: Eiji Asuka)
**New Layzner (pilot Eiji Asuka)
**Layzner Mk-II (pilot Eiji Asuka)
*''
Brain Powerd
is a Japanese anime television series created by Sunrise. The series is set on a future, decimated Earth after the discovery of a mysterious, alien spacecraft dubbed "Orphan". A group of researchers scour the planet for Orphan's disc plate ...
''
**Nelly Brain (pilot: Yuu Isami)
**Hime Brain (pilot: Hime Utsumiya)
**Yuu Brain (pilot: Yuu Isami)
**Quincy Baronz (pilot: Quincy Issa)
*''
Metal Armor Dragonar
is a 48-episode mecha anime series, created by Nippon Sunrise (later renamed Sunrise during production) and aired from 1987 to 1988. Devised shortly after the release of ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'', ''Dragonar'' was intended to be both a "sta ...
''
**XDFU Dragonar-1 Lifter (pilot: Kaine Wakaba)
**XD-01SR Dragonar-1 Lifter (pilot: Kaine Wakaba)
**XD-01SR Dragonar-1 Custom (pilot: Kaine Wakaba)
**XDFU-02 Dragonar-2 Lifter (pilot: Tapp Oceano)
**XD-02SR Dragonar-2 Custom (pilot: Tapp Oceano)
**XDFU-03 Dragonar-3 Lifter (pilot: Light Newman)
**XDFU-03 Enhanced Dragonar Lifter-3 (pilot: Light Newman)
**MAFFU-09 Falguen MAFFU (pilot: Meio Plato)
*''
Heavy Metal L-Gaim
is a mecha anime television series, begun in 1984, which was directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Its characters and mecha were designed by Mamoru Nagano, who would later go on to create ''The Five Star Stories''. ''Heavy Metal L-Gaim'' takes place ...
''
**L-Gaim (pilot: Daba Mylord)
**Novel D.Sserd (pilot: Gaw Ha Leccee)
**Batshuu
*''
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series from 1982. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war. It is the first part of two franchises: The ''Super D ...
''
**VF-1 Valkyrie (pilot: Hikaru Ichijyo)
**VF-1J Armored Valkyrie (pilot: Hikaru Ichijyo)
**SDF-1 Macross
*''
Macross: Do You Remember Love?''
**VF-1S Strike Valkyrie (pilot: Roy Focker)
**VF-1A Valkyrie (pilot: Maximillion Jenius)
**Queadluun-Rau (pilot: Millian Jenius)
*''
Martian Successor Nadesico
, sometimes referred to as simply , is a Japanese anime television series produced by TV Tokyo, Yomiko Advertising and Xebec and directed by Tatsuo Satō, with manga artist Kia Asamiya providing original character designs, Keiji Gotoh servi ...
''
**Aestivalis (pilot: Akito Tenkawa)
**Aestivalis Custom (pilots: Ryoko Subaru, Izumi Maki, Hikaru Amano, Nagare Akatsuki)
**Nadesico
*''
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory''
**RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes" (pilot: Kou Uraki)
**RX-78GP01Fb Gundam Full Vernian "Zephyranthes" (pilot: Kou Uraki)
**RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" (pilot: Anavel Gato)
**RX-78GP03 Gundam "Dendrobium Orchis" (pilot: Kou Uraki)
**AMA-002 Neue Ziel (pilot: Anavel Gato)
*''
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
''Mobile Fighter G Gundam'', also known in Japan as (and commonly referred to as simply ''G Gundam''), is a 1994 Japanese anime, animated television series produced by Sunrise (company), Sunrise and the fifth installment in the long-ru ...
''
**GF13-017NJII God Gundam (pilot: Domon Kasshu)
*''
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz''
**XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero (pilot: Heero Yui)
**XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell (pilot: Duo Maxwell)
**XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms (pilot: Trowa Barton)
**XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock (pilot: Quatre Rabera Winner)
**XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam (pilot: Chang Wufei)
**OZ-00MS2B Tallgeese III (pilot: Milliardo Peacecraft)
*''
Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness''
**Black Selena (pilot: Akito Tenkawa)
**Aestivalis Custom (pilot: Ryoko Subaru)
**Alstroemeria (pilot: Genichiro Tsukiomi)
**Yatenkou (pilot: Hokushin)
*''
The Wings of Rean
is a light novel series by Yoshiyuki Tomino published from 1983 to 1986, and a six-episode ONA, broadcast by Bandai Channel online beginning on December 12, 2005, with the final episode starting on August 18, 2006. It is an alternate story t ...
''
**Nanajin (pilot: Asap Suzuki)
**Aka-Nanajin (pilot: Asap Suzuki)
**Oukaou (pilot: Shinjiro Sakomizu)
Music
The game's opening theme is "Glorious" by
Rina Aiuchi
, professionally known by her stage name, and formerly known as R, is a Japanese singer, songwriter, businesswoman, fashion model, and YouTuber. Born in Higashiōsaka, Japan, she won the first season of the audition ''Super Starlight Contest'' ...
; its ending theme, also performed by Aiuchi, is "Precious Place".
''A.C.E. 2'' follows the musical style of its predecessor, using remixes of themes from the featured anime along with several new songs composed for the game. However, ''A.C.E. 2'' uses much more faithful remixes of the songs borrowed from anime, while ''A.C.E.'' used more
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
-styled remixes.
The theme songs for each series are:
*''
Aura Battler Dunbine
is an anime television series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and produced by Sotsu and Sunrise (company), Sunrise.
''Dunbine'' is set in Byston Well, a parallel world that resembles the countryside of medieval Europe with kingdoms ruled by mo ...
'' - "Dunbine Tobu, Senka no Tsume Ato"
*''
Blue Comet SPT Layzner
, sometimes translated as ''Blue Meteor SPT Layzner'' is a science fiction anime series produced by Sunrise between 1985 and 1986. It was originally created by Tsunehisa Itō and Ryōsuke Takahashi; the latter serving as the director.
The ser ...
'' - "Melos no Youni ~Lonely Way~"
*''
Brain Powerd
is a Japanese anime television series created by Sunrise. The series is set on a future, decimated Earth after the discovery of a mysterious, alien spacecraft dubbed "Orphan". A group of researchers scour the planet for Orphan's disc plate ...
'' - "In My Dream"
*''
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz'' - "White Reflection"
*''
Heavy Metal L-Gaim
is a mecha anime television series, begun in 1984, which was directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Its characters and mecha were designed by Mamoru Nagano, who would later go on to create ''The Five Star Stories''. ''Heavy Metal L-Gaim'' takes place ...
'' - "Kaze no No Reply"
*''
Macross: Do You Remember Love?'' - "Do You Remember Love?"
**Note: Through Macross's "Do You Remember Love?" appears in the vocal version as a plot of story, it is not selectable by player.
*''
Martian Successor Nadesico
, sometimes referred to as simply , is a Japanese anime television series produced by TV Tokyo, Yomiko Advertising and Xebec and directed by Tatsuo Satō, with manga artist Kia Asamiya providing original character designs, Keiji Gotoh servi ...
'' - "You Get to Burning, Go! Aestivalis!"
*''
Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness'' - "Main Motif Nadesico"
*''
Metal Armor Dragonar
is a 48-episode mecha anime series, created by Nippon Sunrise (later renamed Sunrise during production) and aired from 1987 to 1988. Devised shortly after the release of ''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'', ''Dragonar'' was intended to be both a "sta ...
'' - "Yume Iro Chaser"
*''
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory'' - "The Winner, Assault Waves, Rising Operation Stardust"
*''
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack'' - "Sally"
*''
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
''Mobile Fighter G Gundam'', also known in Japan as (and commonly referred to as simply ''G Gundam''), is a 1994 Japanese anime, animated television series produced by Sunrise (company), Sunrise and the fifth installment in the long-ru ...
'' - "Flying in the Sky, Moeagare Toushi, Waga Kokoro Meikyo Shisui"
*''
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series from 1982. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war. It is the first part of two franchises: The ''Super D ...
'' - "Dog Fighter, Destined Battle"
*''
The Wings of Rean
is a light novel series by Yoshiyuki Tomino published from 1983 to 1986, and a six-episode ONA, broadcast by Bandai Channel online beginning on December 12, 2005, with the final episode starting on August 18, 2006. It is an alternate story t ...
'' - "Wings of Rean BGM"
The August 2007 issue of
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
announced a special vocal version of ''A.C.E. 2'', which will be released on November 29, 2007. Like its sequel, ''A.C.E. 3'', the theme songs of each respective series will be replaced by their original vocal themes.
*''Aura Battler Dunbine'' - "Dunbine Tobu"
*''Blue Comet SPT Layzner'' - "Melos no Youni ~Lonely Way~"
*''Brain Powerd'' - "In My Dream"
*''Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz'' - "White Reflection"
*''Heavy Metal L-Gaim'' - "Time for L-Gaim"
*''Macross: Do You Remember Love?'' - "Do You Remember Love?"
*''Metal Armor Dragonar'' - "Yume Iro Chaser"
*''Mobile Fighter G Gundam'' - "Flying in the Sky"
*''Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory'' - "Men of Destiny"
Prequels and sequels
*''
Another Century's Episode
is a 2005 third-person shooter video game published by Banpresto in Japan for the PlayStation 2. The player controls a mecha, mech from one of nine different real robot, anime robot franchises to destroy opposing forces before they steal a prized ...
'', released in Japan on January 27, 2005
*''
Another Century's Episode 3: The Final'', released in Japan on September 6, 2007
*''
Another Century's Episode: R'', released in Japan on August 19, 2010
*''
Another Century's Episode Portable'', released in Japan on January 13, 2011
External links
*
{{FromSoftware games
2006 video games
Action games
Banpresto games
Crossover video games
FromSoftware games
Japan-exclusive video games
Video games about mecha
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 2-only games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Video games developed in Japan