Neon Genesis Evangelion

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
Sega Saturn
Adventure
GS9051
Available Now
¥5800

Copyright © Gainax/Project Eva, TV Tokyo, NAS
Copyright © 1996 Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

— by Charles McCarter

Despite the massive merchandising machine for NEON GENESIS EVANGELION and the almost frenzied popularity of the show, I am surprised at how few people know about this game.

The game is structured like a television episode, so there is a plot focusing on the characters and a subplot focusing on the latest Angel. In this game, you play everyone's favorite reluctant adolescent whiner, Ikari Shinji. This is an original "side story." The premise is an interesting one: Shinji is wounded in a battle and develops amnesia. This is where you take control, guiding Shinji through his life and helping him put it back together. To begin with, Shinji is put in Unit One while Ritsuko explains that they are going to run a simulation to see if he remember anything about piloting it.

The game is heavily laden with interactive video, meaning of course that the player watches several minutes of video and makes a choice determining the direction of the story. Make the wrong choices and Shinji will get slapped, kicked, beaten up, and otherwise made miserable. But make the right choices and he will be much better off.

Interspersed throughout the video are several combat sequences, which are the most frustrating parts of the game. A roulette "slot" system determines the Eva's power versus the Angel's. If the Eva is stronger you perform offensive maneuvers, if the enemy is stronger you are on the defensive. I have never found this method to be particularly effective in a fighting simulation.

The combat sequences take place in full motion video.

Controlling the Eva is not an easy thing. There are two different button menus that do different things. For defense you can block, jump away, or turn on your AT Field. Offense provides you with several attacks--punch, kick, and the prog knife. But exactly how to make your Eva do these takes some getting used to. It's not difficult to master if you actually sit down and read the instructions, just unusual. But until you do, you will find yourself thoroughly trashed by your opponent.

Once the desired move is entered, the player is treated to a full-motion video of the Eva performing the action and its results. This continues until the enemy is defeated, retreats, or defeats you.

The idea of structuring the game like a television episode is interesting, and the addition of the opening and ending animations add to this feel. However, the fighting components and the character components do not mesh together particularly well, mostly because until the player gets the hang of handling the Eva, it will be a source of constant frustration.

GAINAX was closely involved in the production of this game and it shows.

Since the game was produced by Sega in cooperation with Gainax, the visuals in the game are high-quality. Most of the animation was done specifically for this game, but there is also some stock footage. And of course, the images are a little more grainy on the Saturn due to the limitations of the hardware. But, with the animation and voices intact, the cinemas really feel like a television episode.

By far the biggest problem with this game is the control of the Eva in the combat sequences, which is far from intuitive. And since a comprehensive knowledge of Japanese is required to make correct choices, non-Japanese speaking Eva fans may become bored or frustrated with the interactive video.

If you like Eva, have a good understanding of Japanese, and like adventure games, this might be for you. Perhaps the new EVANGELION game "Second Impression" (also in the works for Saturn and due out this spring) will improve upon the first one. Meanwhile, if you just want to blow stuff up without all that pesky relationship stuff, play GUNDAM GAIDEN instead.

Rating: **1/2 stars