GunGriffon 2 is Game Arts’ 1998 follow-up to their well-received 1996 GunGriffon: The Eurasian Conflict. Set in the same “future year 2015” as the first game, GunGriffon 2 offers a second tranche of missions to complement those of the original, thus augmenting the series’ overall scope and narrative.
Players take control of giant mechs known as GunGriffons and execute varying missions across China, Egypt, Libya, and Russia as part of the Japanese Foreign Legion’s 501st Company. The versatile GunGriffons can dash, jump, and fire a variety of ordinances at targets.
While the game continues to employ excellent visuals and sparse but effective audio, there have been several enhancements over the original. The Twin Sticks are now supported for smooth operation in 1-player mode, and a 2-player mode is possible where one player controls their GunGriffon’s movement whilst the second player mans the weaponry. Furthermore, the game is compatible with the Taisen (Link) Cable either for one-on-one or two-on-two competitive action, or to broadcast a live gameplay ‘attract mode’ of the game onto a second monitor.
Whereas SEGA wisely localized the first GunGriffon title, it wasn’t until early 2022 (long after the in-game storyline!) that the Southern Sega Gentleman and team translated the vast majority of the sequel’s text for Western gamers to enjoy.
Special Note: The first GunGriffon’s localization saw many storyline aspects changed — the year of the conflict was pushed out to 2075 (the Japanese original was set in 2015) and the player is now part of the American 45th Armored Division (the Japanese original had the Japanese Foreign Legion 501st Company). It is believed that SoA made the changes so that American players were not controlling foreign forces engaging American targets.
Be the first to comment