Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON is the latest installment in a long lineage of Gundam arcade fighters. Originally only available to Japanese arcade cabinets, Maxi Boost ON is now available on home consoles. And quite frankly, it doesn’t disappoint.
The sheer variety of mobile suits available in Maxi Boost ON is staggering, almost to the point of being overwhelming. However, the variety that the game allows gives players an amazing amount of freedom in which mobile suits they can choose to specialize in. Fans of the franchise itself will be pleased with the roster, as it includes various suits and pilots from the animated series’ and movies–these include iconic suits like Wing Gundam Zero and its Endless Waltz variant, along with other memorable suits.
It should be mentioned, however, that there are varying degrees of difficulty with each suit. Some suits, like the Nobel Gundam and Gundam Epyon, specialize in melee attacks, so they might be at a disadvantage against suits that either come equipped with or specialized in ranged attacks. The learning curve can also be a bit steep for more complex suits like the Gundam Zabanya. I primarily used the Tallgeese II throughout my time playing, as it was a mostly uncomplicated suit that had decent range and good mobility. That, and because I have a fondness for the pilot of the suit, which brings me to my next point.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON is incredibly good with its fan service. Not only can you play from a roster of over 180 mobile suits, but each suit features their signature pilot. During battles you’ll hear plenty of voice lines from the respective pilots, and some suits even come with special Burst Attacks that call back to key moments from their respective series. For example, the Tallgeese II has a special Shooting Burst attack that calls back to a scene near the end of the series.
Music from all entries in the expansive Mobile Suit Gundam series are also available to listen to in Maxi Boost ON. Additionally, you can customize when you want these tracks to play to an incredible degree. You can select three songs that will shuffle during combat, you can select songs that will also play when you win or lose battles. The possibilities are fairly expansive. The same goes for general menu and HUD customization. However, the text on the screen is fairly small, so for anyone who may be visually impaired, this is something to consider before picking up the game.
For players not interested in online play, there is offline couch co-op and offline single player modes as well. Couch co-op is not available for online play, so if you’d like to play with a friend at your house then you’ll be limited to 2 vs 2 battles against AI. It is neat that the option is available nonetheless. Maxi Boost ON even has its own missions you can select from and participate in. These usually require you to meet certain prerequisites unlike the single player arcade mode. Both options are fun in their own right, but the game truly shines with its online multiplayer mode.
In regards to online play, the net code for Maxi Boost ON is fairly decent. Even playing with players from across the globe with a single red bar, I had very minimal lag–if there was any at all. That being said, that may depend based on your connection. However, there are settings when opening or searching for a room that allow you to narrow down your specification. Doing this can prevent players from running into any instances where they might encounter lag from connectivity issues across the globe, or even within their own region.
All-in-all, Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON is a great point of entry for those looking to hop into an extremely expansive 2 vs 2 fighter, and is definitely something longtime fans of the series will enjoy. However, as mentioned prior, the learning curve can be somewhat steep and due to that competitive play may be somewhat frustrating. Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON proves itself as a mechanically complex fighter and is worth checking out if you’re looking for a new fighting game to sink your teeth into.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ONÂ is now available on the PlayStation 4.
