Kidou Senshi Gundam – Classic Bandai Arcade Shooter for Emerson Arcadia 2001

Kidou Senshi Gundam – A Rare Gundam Title for the Emerson Arcadia 2001

Released by Bandai for the Emerson Arcadia 2001 home gaming console, Kidou Senshi Gundam stands out as an early and obscure entry in the Gundam video game catalog. Designed during the early 1980s era of home gaming, it features a straightforward yet notable gameplay experience that differentiates it from many other shooters of its time.

The game is controlled using the Arcadia’s unique Intellivision-style controller, which includes a full numeric keypad and a joystick located at the bottom. Players take control of the Gundam mobile suit, using the joystick for movement and either of the side buttons to fire the beam rifle. Unlike fixed-position shooters such as Space Invaders, Kidou Senshi Gundam allows free movement across the entire screen and directional shooting in all eight directions, a feature that was relatively advanced for its time.

Gameplay is divided into two looping screens:

First Screen: The player must dodge aerial attacks from Magella (also known as Mazella) units dropping bombs from above, while evading and destroying enemy DOPP and GAW aircraft approaching from the sides. The beam rifle serves as the primary weapon, and scoring points by eliminating these threats is the goal.

Second Screen: After reaching a certain score threshold, the game transitions to a space-themed level, visually indicated by a star-filled background. Here, the player faces Zaku mobile suits, Musai-class cruisers, and Char Aznable’s iconic red Zaku. This section maintains the same core mechanics while escalating the difficulty and intensity.

While Kidou Senshi Gundam features only these two screens, they continuously loop, providing an arcade-like endurance challenge typical of the era. The limited content is balanced by the freedom of movement and 8-directional firing, making it a unique product among early home console shooters.

Today, the game is of interest to collectors and retro gaming historians for its rarity, use of Gundam IP on a little-known platform, and early attempt at dynamic combat mechanics within hardware constraints.

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