SD Gundam Dimension War

1995 tactical role playing video game

SD Gundam Dimension War (SDガンダムディメンションウォー, Esu Dī Gandamu Dimenshon Wō) is a 1995 tactical role playing video game published for the Virtual Boy in Japan by Bandai. Being the system's only licensed game in Japan, it is part of the SD Gundam series, a spin off of the larger Gundam franchise by Sotsu and Sunrise. Players control a fleet of robots and vehicles as they set out to rid the galaxy of enemies, with gameplay involving moving robots towards opponents and engaging in combat sequences. Developed by Locomotive Corporation, Dimension War is the last Virtual Boy game released in Japan, produced following a final call from Nintendo before they ceased support for the system. It is one of few Gundam games not to have any involvement from Tose, who developed the majority of games in the series up to that point. Retrospectively, Dimension War received largely negative reviews for its structure, pacing, and combat scenarios, and is listed as being one of system's worst titles. It is one of the rarest and most sought after Virtual Boy games, with original copies selling for over US$1000 in the second hand market.

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. The objective is to complete each of the game's eight levels without losing their fleet. 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.

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. Dimension War was published on December 22, 1995, making it the last Virtual Boy game published in Japan. 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.