From 1979 til now, one Japanese mecha franchise has stood tall above the rest. Mobile Suit Gundam went from low-budget beginnings to becoming a huge sensation worldwide. Over the years there have been anime, movies, model kits, videogames, actual 1:1 scale robots…there’s even a stone statue in the Netherlands. Joining the long list of entries in the Gundam universe is the curiously titled Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, now airing weekly exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. So, for existing fans who want to get in the mood, or newcomers who want a glimpse of the titanic action, here are 10 of the best Gundam games to sink your teeth into.
There’s been no shortage of Gundam games over the years, but its popularity in the West has came and gone a few times over the years. As such, not all of these titles are readily available, and some aren’t in English. Still, the language barrier often doesn’t impede gameplay for too many of these games. I also want to quickly shout out what would be the number one pick, Gundam Evolution. An Overwatch-styled hero shooter, it showed great promise amid awkward monetisation and balancing problems. Unfortunately, rather than patch it, Bandai Namco saw fit to close it just a year after it launched in 2022. If you still own the game on Steam, fan-servers are out there, so look them up by all means! But for the rest of us, you’ll have to check these out instead…
Gundam Breaker 4
Where better to start than with the most recent Gundam game? Released in August 2024, Gundam Breaker 4 marks the, erm, fifth entry in the Gundam Breaker series. These games put a major focus on customisation, directly inspired by the plastic model kits that Gundam is best known for. More than 250 mobile suits can be unlocked in-game; from there, you can craft the most badass killing machine you can dream of. Or, perhaps, Frankenstein-up a deeply unserious abomination.
Gundam Breaker 4 (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
The customisation is only half the fun – the rest of the game is about battling your creations against waves of enemies. Admittedly, it’s far from the most inspired beat-em-up, but the loot elements will help feed a steady stream of new parts. There’s no PVP either, but you can co-op with up to two friends and admire their handiwork while you mow down Zakus together. Story-wise, it’s fairly irrelevant and ties into to the previous entries, which are only available in Japan. As a neat addendum, the Gundam QuuuuuuX itself was added as free DLC, so you can get to admiring the latest Gundam alongside its debut in the anime. Go grab it and let your imagination rampage on Steam, PS4/5, or Switch!
Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2/Code Fairy
If you’re more about PVP, I advise you to shift your focus to Gundam Battle Operation 2. GBO2 is a 6v6 team shooter, allowing you to do battle on the ground as well as in space. It’s pure multiplayer action, with the ability to eject from your mobile suit and continue doing battle as a pilot, not unlike Titanfall. The roster of mobile suits sticks almost entirely to Universal Century, the original and main Gundam timeline. GQuuuuuuX is an alternate-universe offshoot of Universal Century, so there’ll be some familiarity here (despite the radical redesigns present in the GQuuuuuuX anime).
Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
There is a bit of a catch; the game is free-to-play, with – gulp – gacha elements. If you’re not familiar, think lootboxes. Obtaining new mobile suits is entirely down to the luck of the draw, and that also means grinding. While not impossible to get into as a newcomer, and without spending, it’ll be an uphill battle. If you’d rather not, there’s a very good singleplayer spinoff: Code Fairy. It gives you a pretty great campaign, and unlocks some fairly solid mobile suits in the multiplayer portion as a reward for completion. It’s only on PS4/5 though – PC players can only purchase the suits as DLC, with no means to play the story. In fact, the PC version in general is a mess – get this on PS4/5 if you can.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn
Once somewhat of a laughing stock, Dynasty Warriors has seen a big resurgence as of late thanks to Dynasty Warriors Origins. As such, it feels worthwhile mentioning that between the many retellings of the Three Kingdoms, Dynasty Warriors also covered the Gundam series no less than four times! The final of these games was Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn, which is considered the biggest and arguably best of the lot. It was a culmination of the other games, featuring over 120 playable characters, space battles, and a proper story mode. This covers most of the Universal Century story, as well as the Cosmic Era timeline (the Gundam SEED franchise). Several mini-scenarios covering other series are also present.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
Gameplay is about what you’d expect from any Warriors game; a pure power fantasy as you take down hordes of enemies. It’s accessible and easy to learn, but the relative simplicity means it’s not for everyone. The biggest hurdle of Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn – or any of the others – is actually getting it. It only released on PS3 outside of Japan, and was digital-only. Sadly, it was delisted in March of 2024, so there’s not really any legal avenue to play it short of getting a PS3 that has it installed. An alternative is Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2; between PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 physical releases, copies are expensive, but at least they exist! Hopefully, the resurgence of the Gundam series as of late could bring us a much-awaited fifth Warriors: Gundam game – but with the new Hyrule Warriors game, Omega Force have their hands full right now.
Mobile Suit Gundam EXTREME Vs. Maxi Boost On
GBO2 is the go-to multiplayer experience, but the free-to-play model is limiting. If that’s a deal-breaker, but you’re still clamouring a PVP Gundam experience, this might be what you need. Gundam Extreme Vs Maxiboost On is a chunky name for a chunky game; 183 mobile suits are available by default, with just one DLC. The game itself is an arena fighter – a tried and tested genre for a multitude of other anime IP. Uniquely, it’s 2v2, so you can rely on a friend to have your back – or carry you.
Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost On (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
Gundam MBON, being a fighting game, is probably the most competitive Gundam experience you can play right now. Being the latest in a long line of arcade releases, it’s been polished to a veritable mirror sheen (there’s a newer version, but it has yet to be ported to home consoles). Unfortunately, due to being a PS4 release and a few years old, the playerbase is mostly dead – but bot matches are still challenging, and there’s a surprisingly meaty mission mode. While it probably isn’t getting an update for GQuuuuuuX, it covers a ton of different eras already – from Universal Century to the Gundam EXA manga! So maybe take it as an opportunity to window shop for cool designs that might inspire you to watch another Gundam series…
SD Gundam Generation Cross Rays
While Gundam was originally conceived as a means to highlight the horrors of war, later offshoots would stray a little far from this ideology. None perhaps quite more dramatically as the SD Gundam sub-franchise, taking the multi-storey war machines and shrinking them down to tiny gremlins with oversized heads. This cutesy spin on Gundam has been a big hit for almost as long as Gundam itself, and led to a mountain of strategy games. SD Gundam Generation Cross Rays is the latest, and one of the few to get an English release.
SD Gundam Generation Cross Rays (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
If you’ve ever played Fire Emblem, this will feel very familiar. Turn-based strategy, grid-based movement and even unit permadeath, it’s all here! Content is in no short supply either, as How Long To Beat clocks it in at 105 hours for the main story alone. One potential detriment is the lack of Universal Century representation, only covering series from alternate universes. Another would be the chibified artstyle, which definitely shatters any remaining levels of immersion. But if you can clear these hurdles, you’ll have a lot of fun with this one. You can get it on Steam, PS4, and Switch. However, the English releases on PS4 and Switch are only available in certain Asian territories, so watch out.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam Vs. Zeta Gundam
Of the retro Gundam games, it’s Gundam Vs Zeta Gundam that frequently comes up as the most beloved. An early entry in the Gundam Vs series (of which Gundam Vs Extreme Maxiboost On is also part of), this one is more focused on a solo experience. Story mode is a summarised retelling of the iconic One Year War story that forms the original Gundam series, as well as its sequel Zeta Gundam. There are multiple different stories to play through, from the perspective of multiple factions; a neat touch.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam Vs Zeta Gundam
Despite being a PS2 game, the graphics are perfectly serviceable and the various mobile suits look great. Content is no concern either, with story, arcade, survival modes and more. However, it’s still an older action game with stiff controls, sadly still bereft of a remaster. As such, you definitely shouldn’t expect it to play as smoothly as the modern games. But for a Gundam fan, or someone who wants to get an easy summary of the Universal Century story ahead of GQuuuuuuX, it’s worth taking a look.
Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes
Going even further back in time, here’s a hidden gem from the ill-fated Dreamcast. Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes tells one of the more grounded stories in the Gundam universe. Set across the continent of Australia (a VERY bad place to be in Gundam), you’ll engage in warfare against the Zeons across nine different stages. Events take place within the Universal Century timeline, and are considered canonical. The style of storytelling is reminiscent of the beloved OVA series, The 8th MS Team.
Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise From the Ashes
The game plays from a first-person perspective of the cockpit of your mobile suit. As such, players looking more a more realistic, MechWarrior-esque gameplay experience should feel right at home. That being said, it’s also pretty hardcore. Controls are complicated, requiring you to steer both your GM and head-mounted camera independently of each other. Strategy is also an essential element, as you have to issue commands to your fellow squadmates. Despite its age, it’s unlike any other Gundam game. While it’s locked to the Dreamcast, it was fortunate enough to see a USA release, so if you can dig up a copy you should give it a go. A significantly altered remake was also released for the PS3, but only in Japan.
Gundam Battle Assault 2
Positively prehistoric, this PS1 title is not to be overlooked. Produced within the golden age of 2D fighters, Gundam Battle Assault 2 is the most nostalgic by far. Released in 2002, it was developed specifically for American audiences to ride the popularity of Gundam Wing and G Gundam on Toonami. Over 30 playable mobile suits of all shapes and sizes are featured, brought to life by sublime spritework. Even beyond the gameplay, the menu presentation is visually captivating. Just leave it to 90s fighting games to make something as simple as character selection feel like an event.
Gundam Battle Assault 2
A wide variety of eras are covered, from the Universal Century’s One Year War to the Endless Waltz OVA from Gundam Wing. The “Street Mode” covers heavily abridged versions of five different Gundam stories, but it’s all about the fights. Street Fighter fans will find this very familiar, although it admittedly doesn’t make for the most lore-accurate combat. It’s a solid fighting game, though you’re playing it mainly for the Gundam IP. Mechanically, it’s nowhere close to surpassing its contemporaries such as Marvel Vs Capcom 2.
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
One of the most memorable series – and most marketable Gundam design – Gundam Unicorn is a short, snazzy OVA from the far end of the Universal Century timeline. To help cash-in on its popularity, a short PS3 game was released – developed by none other than FromSoftware, of Armored Core and Elden Ring fame. With their unsurpassed experience in the mecha genre, it’s a wonder why this was the first – and remains the only – Gundam game they’ve been contracted for.
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment inc.)
Action is fittingly fast and frantic, and it’s fun (if sometimes repetitive) playing the story from multiple perspectives. There are drawbacks, though. For one, it’s a very short game, as it only covers the first three episodes of the anime. As well as this, the game has not been released outside of Japan. As such, you’d be best off watching Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn before playing the game, which should clear most of the language barrier. But if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll get a pretty unique PS3 action game, much in the vein of Armored Core: For Answer.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
What’s that? Not a Gundam game? Not with that attitude it’s not! Armored Core VI is widely considered to be the best mecha game on the market right now – no surprise, coming from two-time Game of the Year winners FromSoftware. Customisation is both visually extensive, as well as mechanically deep. Every minor alteration can be the difference between glorious victory or humiliating defeat. But the modification I’m suggesting is a little more meta than the in-game options…
A Gundam mod for Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (image credit: nmsl2018 on Nexus Mods)
On PC, various users have provided mods that let you play as a handful of iconic Gundam designs, transplanting them into the game. As such, you can essentially transform AC6 into what could be considered the most enjoyable Gundam videogame out there. There’s a multitude of user-submitted mods on sites such as Nexus Mods, so give it a look. Just be careful when modding your game, and avoid online services so as not to risk an account ban. Even without these Gundam elements, you’re sure to have a great time with this game. Just buckle up for a challenge – this IS FromSoftware we’re talking about. You can get it on Steam, PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Conclusion
While the majority of Gundam games are older and inaccessible, it’s not all bad news. Armored Core VI brought about a sort of renaissance of interest in the genre, and big things are on the horizon. The in-development Mecha Break will for sure scratch an itch for PvP enjoyers. Elsewhere, Daemon X Machina is set to receive a sequel, Titanic Scion. As for the Gundam IP itself, former Japan-exclusive Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Battle Destiny is receiving a remaster and translation. But even with what’s out now, there’s plenty to play while you watch Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX over the next twelve weeks.
