I'm not a huge Gundam fan, nor am I big on the Dynasty Warrior franchise. It's not that I hate them; I've just never been blown away by either series. I can see the fun in both though, its hard not to love giant robots blasting away at each other, and likewise it can be a bit mind numbing and relaxing to key in multiple combos as you hack your way thru wave after wave of similar enemies.

Dynasty Warriors Gundam doesn't do much to break the mold, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The game features an Original Mode and an Official mode, both of which act as story modes. You start off with three Gundam pilots to choose from in both modes, and as you complete their tales, you'll unlock even more pilots, and the ability to switch out to new Gundam models. Sometimes you'll even unlock an official mode character in original mode, which is nice because you'll carry over all your stats and level upgrades. I know for a fact that I didn't come close to unlocking all that the game has to offer, and there's a lot to be had for the more dedicated player.

Each mode is pretty short, consisting of 4 or 5 missions. Each mission takes somewhere in the range of 10-20 minutes, and usually consists of gaining control of an enemy area, or more often than not, defeating enemy generals, referred to in this game as "aces". The game really rewards the casual player as well, in that the missions and character stories aren't particularly long, and also because when you die you'll retain any level ups you gained while playing. It's a nice thing to have for someone who can't sit down for more than two hours or so at a time to play.

On the visual side of things, the Gundam models are all well represented. All of the "aces" which you pretty much end up controlling at one point or another, are well detailed, and stick out very well among the endless hordes of other robots you'll encounter in the field. The environments, on the other hand, are all pretty bland and generic. You've got space, desert, jungle, snow, and buildings. That's pretty much it, and they all look very similar to one another. No details really stand out, and even the destructible environments are pretty sparse, and they don't react realistically to damage.

Rounding things out is a few smaller features, like a BGM selector and a small VS. mode, which when you're stuck performing from a short list of combo moves can get boring really quickly. There's also unlockable art and 3D Gundam models for the hardcore fans.

Music wise you'll come across some familiar tracks from the series, but nothing that will stand out to the average player. I thought the English voice over work was pretty grating, and you can thankfully switch that over to the Japanese track in the options setting.

All together, Dynasty Warriors Gundam is a pretty fun diversion for a few hours or so. It definitely has a long shelf life in your collection, as long as you don't mind the very repetitive style of gameplay that these types of games often represent. However, I definitely suggest renting before you buy, because if you find yourself bored after finishing a couple story missions, this won't be the title for you.