Gundam 0079: The War for Earth (1996)

Gundam 0079: The War for Earth is a video game developed for PC, Macintosh and the Bandai Pippin in 1996 and on Sony PlayStation in 1997. The game has the unique distinction of being the only official and commercially released Gundam video game developed by a United States game developer. The War for Earth was developed by the 1990s game developer Presto Studios, a company whose most famous work was the Journeyman Project series of adventure games as well as co-developing Myst III: Exile. During the period in which this game was released, the interactive movie genre which had begun in 1982 was beginning to subside as PC and console games with realtime rendered 3D were overtaking the genre. While it was the only game produced by Presto Studios in this format, the use of live-action footage featuring real actors combined with computer generated backgrounds and effects, as well as the use of entirely pre-rendered computer graphics was common among the majority of the studio's games. For the Japanese release, the game's voiceovers were dubbed in Japanese featuring the original cast reprising the voices of their characters, with minimal attempts at lip syncing.

Storyline

The player assumes the first-person view of the Gundam Pilot, the game's protagonist for most of the dialogue while the other viewpoints are that of a cinematic camera. The protagonist is unnamed, but fulfills the same major role as Amuro Ray and like Amuro, is postulated to be a Newtype. The player finds the Gundam during a Zeon attack on Side 7, its original pilot having been killed by falling debris prior to boarding it. He enters the Gundam and destroys a Zaku before being forced out the colony and into space. After being recruited by Commander Bright, the Gundam Pilot is given a rank insignia and asked to continue in the role. He is then introduced to Ryu Jose (renamed Duke Jose) and Kai Shiden. The player must then defend the White Base against Char Aznable in its descent. Char fails to destroy the Gundam, but uses a ground-based cannon weapon known as the "Thor Cannon" to damage the White Base, causing it to crash in North America. Char then contacts Garma Zabi and informs him of the situation. The White Base lands in a gutted pyramid structure inside a desert city (presumably the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas) near the Thor Cannon. The player sorties in the Gundam's upper torso fitted onto the Guntank's lower body, as the Gundam's legs were too damaged. After patrolling the city, the Gundam receives a new pair of legs, delivered to the White Base by a Gunperry. The player then breaches the Zeon compound's defenses, destroys a MS-07B Gouf, and along with it, the Thor Cannon. Garma's forces attack and the Gundam rides a Gaw back to the White Base. The White Base's missiles damage Garma's Gaw when they attack his rear. Char declares his betrayal to Garma who attempts to ram his Gaw into the White Base, but is thwarted by the Gundam. The Gundam Pilot returns to the White Base and is congratulated by Hayato and Bright when Char suddenly attacks the White Base, damaging the Guntank and destroying the Guncannon. The Gundam rams Char out of the ship using the launch catapult. Char grabs the Gundam's beam saber, but realizes that it only runs on the Gundam's power supply before the protagonist damages his Zaku II and forces him to retreat. Gihren Zabi gives a speech at Garma's funeral. The White Base proceeds towards Jaburo, but Char laughs as he is in pursuit and believes victory is soon at hand.