Hey I have a copy of the long DVD that includes the full presentation of Zone of the Enders HD Night if you want it. I know its kind of hard to come by, but I'd be happy to pass it along to you.
Oh, how I miss ZOE... Specificaly held onto a backwards compatible PS3 to keep playing these titles, but it eventually died. Can't believe they've decided not to continue with the series based on poor sales of "remakes". Who in their right mind would buy a subpar version of a product they already own? Love the fact you've included a video of decapitating a battleship's bridge, by shooting the vector cannon at vessels in the rear (56:20). Haven't seen it anywhere else on YT. Squealed like a girl, when it worked for me for the first time.
If someone asked me what the story of the original Zone of the Enders game is, my answer would probably be “imagine if the first couple of episodes of almost every Gundam show was the entire show”. Thats what its like.
I remember playing ZOE: The 2nd Runner as a kid. Man, the fighting sequence, graphics as a whole, OST, voice acting, storyline and weapons (vector cannon) just blew me away. Even now, almost 20 years on, I look back and think, how can they make something so incredible with the available tools at that time?
Right? The PS2 was amazing, but these games were unexpectedly spectacular with the gameplay, graphics, and music. So glad I had a friend introduce me to them back in the day.
And yes, this is definite one of the greatest mecha games ever conceived (well next to Armored Core and Xenogears of course). The mecha alone are such a sight to behold as they are very much Eiichi Shimizu (Yoji Shinkawa may be the creators of the Orbital Frames, but Eiichi Shimizu was very much influenced by Shinkawa's mecha work).
Macross blows up all those other Mecha with swarm of missiles. It's literally Top Gun in a space Opera that's also a musical. Nothing ignites the imagination like an f-14 transforming into a battle mech and back like a ballerina with such grace. Besides other Mecha series have over the top weapon's. That's what I liked about Macross everything was grounded in reality to some extent. And there's no mech toy more sophisticated than a Vera tech fighter model in real life. And the fact they were actually able to make them transform into all three different configurations is astonishing. I remember when I bought my metal YF-19. Crazy the amount of detail that goes into them.
Zone of the Enders has stuck with me through the years for one simple reason, the gameplay. I have played other mecha games but Zone of the Enders has the most satisfying gameplay. I would love to see a modern game build on this foundation.
Thank you for making this video. Zone of the Enders feels like that one series you only know one other person that played it but can gush about it endlessly.
Simply incredible video. Zone of the enders was my first experience into not only the Mecha genre but also video games as a whole. Before zone of the enders all I knew were sports games and final fantasy. One day my dad comes home and pops in the original zone of the enders and I was transported to a world my six year old brain couldn't process but I was amazed. Seeing the graphics and the fast moving game play of the game it legit made me a gamer for life, and also a Mecha enthusiast later on in my life. Nowadays I'm a writer for a webtoons comic that's just starting out that blends fantasy and sci fi and it can all be traced back to zone of the enders for my love of Mecha. These games were incredible and I can't thank you enough for reigniting my passion for this series. Here's hoping kojima buys the rights from konami seeing as how they only care about pachinko and Yu-Gi-Oh nowadays Lol Thanks again for the spectacular video. Subbed.
While I’ve not finished the video yet, THANK YOU for including the GBA game and anime! So many people forget about those fun and shockingly deep expansions of the story. It really is a shame we didn’t get more.
I knew there was an anime, but I never saw or heard any signs of it. Makes sense now that I know they were Japan exclusives. Idola sounds like it would have been an amazing addition to include with the first game.
@@DragoonWarrior790 Naah! ADV covered them. However, they weren’t fantastic print runs at the time. The creator just prefers the sub, which I don’t blame him for. I preferred the dub myself.
From Idolo's all star production staff and the games' near perfect emulation of high octane mecha action, Zone of the Enders stands as one of my favorite series of all time. It wonderfully celebrates all the themes that the mecha genre is known for in all the hot-blooded and cheesy glory it's lauded for. I've been waiting for this video for a while now, you did great.
I think the VR version of the game gives a good idea of just how physically intense it would be to be a mech pilot, I could only imagine how it would feel if they could add the haptic feedback of the inertial forces felt inside the cockpit
Man, Dolores I was such a banger. Hamstrung by a limited budget and a bit rough around the edges, but the cast is just so damn lovable and one of the few anime that isn't driven by characters been cripplingly stupid. And zero Loli shit!
It makes me happy to see folks talking about the entire franchise and not just Second Runner or the first game only. Cause this series is still my favorite IP of all time. Both PS2 games, Testament/Fist of Mars, Idolo, and Dolores I.
As always this was incredible work. However it completely misses the most important question of this franchise: Who was the madlad/genius that suggested to make it a literal COCKpit? SOCIETY MUST KNOW THESE ANSWERS!
So Yoji Shinkawa came up with the idea in highschool, where the original designs for the orbital frames started. And yeah its exactly how it sounds. Man just wanted to make a dick joke
Zone of the Enders is so influential it shaped Gundam mech design from 2007 all the way to 2014. I just want ZOE 1 and Fist of Mars on PC and a collection on modern console.
Thoroughly enjoyed the retrospective and it's really cool to see ZoE getting the love it deserves. ZoE 3's cancellation is a shame because MAN those new designs were really sick and the concept of ancient orbital frames is literally the coolest thing ever, but ey what can you do. Great stuff as always man!
Thanks for making this video. I always saw this as the future history of the METAL GEAR SOLID Universe. The IDOLO, Jehuty and Anubis are definitely descendants of the Metal Gear Ray when you look at the design of those Orbital Frames. And I can see the Metal Gear from THE PHANTOM PAIN also being an early precursor design wise to what these Orbital Frames would look like.
Bro... in the last 10 minutes i have gone from listening to a piano solo thay reminded me of an old game i played, to getting a nostalgia hit of a life-time hearing that theme song, to this modern review... what a Rollercoaster, thank you. Amazing to see people still talking about this, for me, forgotten classic.
I remember my 1st playthrough of Zone of Enders 2, the final fight against Anubis, I got so into the fight that I realized I was pressing buttons faster than the games was able to pick up my input. It was the only game ever that had gotten me in that zone.
A buddy had heard the name in passing but knew I'm "the mecha guy" so when he was hanging out he asked for a recommendation to play. So I booted the ZotE HD collection up on XBOne. He said he had no idea what he was doing but had so much fun he felt bad he played for almost 2 hours straight. I told him don't feel bad, because the first time I played it on PS2 I did the whole playthrough in one sitting because I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Here's to hoping I can spare the cash this year to finally getting my Jehuty and Anubis models
Zone of the Enders 2 is one of the most interesting games I've played. The design of the mecha are so fascinating since Shinkawa used Egyptian imagery to influence their designs. I wish we got a part 3 since that concept art looked amazing.
I have a model kit of Vic Viper that goes with me to work spaces or stays on my desk at home. The mecha design of this series is just some of the best ever. The colors, silhouettes, design is all so unique and slick. I'm sad the series never seemed to be able to get a third, or its rumored reboot originally planned with more beastial takes on Jehuty etc, but I'd love for Yoji Shinakawa to dip back into mecha design for any other media: another game, or even an animated series or movie, or even a manga. He's just got such a distinct "look" to his mechanical designs, and while the bikes and other cool gadgets in Death Stranding were cool I wanna see him tackle mecha again. Man, I'd love nothing more too for Kojima Productions to do its own spiritual successor to ZOE, though it's really unlikely...but one can hope!
honey wake up, a new mrcheese video just dropped fr tho man you're my favorite channel when it comes to talking about obscurer mecha topics. keep it up!!
Saw this randomly and checked the OVA out, no I'm binging the anime and getting ready to play the PS4 remaster of the second game. I can't believe I'd never really heard of this gem.
I absolutely adore Zone of the Enders. I watched a friend play a bit of the first game, but never actually played it myself. Got my hands on the second game not long after it came out when I was in 10th grade, and fell in love. Easily put a couple hundred hours in it because I was constantly go back and play through, or play the survival mode for hours on end. Any time a friend came over we always had to play the pvp mode. The designs always stood out to me as so unique considering at the time the mecha genre was dominated by Gundam. My senior year I got my hands on the anime, both the OVA and the series, and fell in love all over. I had been considering picking up the remaster of 2nd Runner for pc for a while, but this video convinced me to do so. Can't wait to play it.
I still remember my reaction when I play ZOE: the second runner on ps2, like how can a game on ps2 can look so gud and the orbital frame are so sick. I played it over and over and over again, even till now i'll still play the remastered version on steam. I've been waiting for ZOE 3 but sadly it never come out. People should know about this game tho. It's really really gud. Still gonna wait and hope that one day ZOE3 will come
Fantastic work on summing up one of the most underrated mecha franchises. The first game was the reason I bought a PS2 and each series entry only reaffirmed my love for it. It's criminal that the anime isn't available anywhere, it's really a great entry into the genre as a whole.
This title deserves to come back. It would also be a treat if they bring back Dolores (a.k.a. Isis), and the links family from the anime into the games.
I remember when I was little I had a demo disc of zone of the enders for the ps2 and I liked the game so much that I kept being obsessed with the demo that I played it so many times When I got the ps4 I hoped they would made a new version/remastered of the game When zone of the enders the 2nd runner Mars got announced i got really excited to play my favorite childhood game I never got to play. Zone of the enders is such a good game.
I will never understand how these games weren't IMMENSELY successful. 2nd Runner is near-perfect and is so badass. My friends get annoyed because I still rave about how good the controls are for the 2nd runner after all these years. These games deserve more fans for sure. Glad you made this video 👍
As someone who loves offbeat and weird kaiju beyond the norm, I'm honestly surprised that the titular mecha gal Dolores of the anime "Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I" escaped my attention for so long! Cannot wait for your next retrospective!
Fantastic Vid that was 100% worth the wait. Though it was kinda shorter than I expected, I think this is equal to your getter retrospective with how you were able to really portray the spirit of what makes ZOE special as it is. It's very refreshing to look at the series as a whole rather than just focus on the 2 ps2 games, since the anime and such do contribute to the bigger narrative that ZOE was doing. Especially in giving credit to the first one, which I feel is sorta underrated, even if the 2nd runner is obviously the better. My stance on ZOE3 is kinda conflicted because initially I wasn't that interested in it, but over time the concept behind it honestly sounded really cool and quite original for a mecha IP. Though at the same time I'd kinda glad it didn't happen given what would come for Kojima and Konami and what we already have is more than enough.
Thank you for making such an in-depth look into ZOE in this current day and age! I played ZOE2 on the PS2 back in the day and it's my favorite game of all time. I've bought the PS3 and PS4/PC remasters too. The game is really special with its world, music, characters and combat. I'm glad that there are many others around the world who appreciate this game as well. You did an incredible work with this video and i look forward to more. Cheers!
A friend showing me ZOE and the subsequent announcement of 2nd Runner got me really excited. I remember driving to blockbuster to rent it and telling my mom all the failings of the first game. 3 enemy types, few levels, and she asked me why I wanted to rent the game and I think I responded that it was awesome and they had fixed all those issues. She was no happy when she realized it was rated M. I played it non stop and beat it several times that week. Was really proud of getting SS with naked jehuty. I'll never forget the whole "Hideo Kojima doesn't have the make metal gear anymore" meme. I've bought ZOE more times that I'd care to admit with the remasters. I listed to Beyond the Bounds on repeat throughout high-school and that ost still triggers emotions. Maybe one day someone will pick up the torch.
God I remember playing the original ZoE and being blown away. This series needs more love and a come back, but its unfortunate that Konami has become a cesspool of pachinko machines and trash utilization of IPs after the Kojima break up.
It's rare to find others who also feel how sometimes it's better for the things they enjoy to come to an end rather then continuing until it becomes a hollow husk of itself.
I love ZOE and Omega boost so much that i started prototyping my mecha games based on those two, but never went out of that... prototypes. I should keep trying
I really love the improvements of the 2nd Runner, especially the gameplay, because you realize and experience how much more skilled and experienced Dingo is vs Leo even during their fight. The gameplay of each almost feels like they represent the MC pilots themselves. You see this to be especially true when you get the shift ability and it's insinuated the skill of the Runner is what determines how much power Jehuty can output.
A shame that we'll probably never see a return of the Enders Project, the idea of an origin prequel would of been dope. Now if only the Xenosaga series got a similar Remaster treatment that Mars did on the PS4 🤔
A major help in selling this game, was the included tanker level of Metal Gear Solid 2. I didn't see or hear it mentioned in the video. That was the reason I bought this game, quite a few years ago :)
Fist of Mars was my first intro to the series. I love Gundam and I loved how ZOE Fist of Mars had that Gundam look to it. WHen I played ZOE by Kojima I fell in love with Jehutiy but the 2nd Runner left me awestruck how there was never a third game after. Def one of the best underrated game series. Although Fist of Mars had too much talking...
Best mech game hands down. Combat mechanics is awesome. Love hearing the sequences when using vector canon. And boss fight are unique as well. Music is great as well.
2nd Runner is in my top 3 favorite games of all time, right along side Sonic Adventure 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3. I've probably played through it over 50 times. Even though this will never happen, I really wish Kojima Productions could purchase the rights to ZOE so we can finally get that third game.
Fantastic work! This is one of the best video essays I've ever seen, I'm a big fan of the 2 PS2 titles but I always ignored Dolores & Fist Of Mars (I also didn't even know 2167 existed!). Your vids convinced me to check all 3 out!
Amazing retrospective. Such an important series for me, as ZOE 1 was the first game I played on my cousin’s PS2, when I immigrated to the US. Its soundtrack and gameplay still mesmerizes me
This and Omega Boost I loved so much playing in the barracks back in 01-04. So many great memories. Robotech Battlecry deserves a retrospective too. So much fun there as well.
Fantastic work, the full ZOE series deserved a retrospective like this. The Second Runner continues to be one of my favorite mecha games. Guess I'm due for a rewatch of the movie and series. Luckily, I picked up the DVD set back in the day. I never really knew what its reception was since I've barely heard anyone talk about it.
I loved the first one. That second one was my favorite it was ridiculously fun and the animation and story were top notch. It was legit like playing in an anime I feel like this is how gundam games should be. Can't believe they did make a third. That would be crazy on ps5
ZoE 1 has a 2nd ending track you can get if you get a high enough rating from the rescue missions called "a light with a name of hope" . you can also get a bad ending with antillia on a course to fall into jupiter if you destroy every building and kill all civilians before the mission to protect the pillar, destroying all that nets you the bad ending.
This was beautifully well executed, there was something’s I didn’t even know about about this series when it started out. after all these years the second runner is still by far my favorite game of all time. 57:56 - 58:08 I felt that like, an amateur runner to a veteran badass runner.
This video convinced me to look into the series a bit. Watched the OVA (pausing between its segment and Dolores to do so) ending in me looking up the MVRS version of ZOE 2, which I ended up buying on sale for about six dollars. This was a really cool find, so thanks for making it. :]
I remember buying the first game mainly because of the MGS2 demo (like I'm sure 90% of people did.) I was actually incredibly impressed by it. I remember my first impressions were exactly what they were going for. It felt like a playable anime.
I remember reading in an article that Kojima was considering it, but when the team botched the HD remaster so bad, he canned the idea and went back to making more Metal Gear games. So disappointing.
From what I remember, the initial advertisement of MARS the second Runner, was entirely based upon its VR feature. I thought it was just going to be a VR game based on the second game. That’s probably why it didn’t sell as well as it should’ve.
The thing with most of kojimas games also is that his products have that solid well built and professional feeling. From the menus, sound effects, the background music, the pause screen and Cutscenes. A lot of games don't have that same feeling anymore when you buy a game.
Best game i ever played i liked the first one beter it was my first game on the PS2 this game made me cry so many times as the reality kicks in how fast we get older i played this when i was 10 im 28 now. so many memories with zone of the enders beutifull i was blown away as a kid playing this for the first time thats why the first game has a special place in my Heart
Thank you for throwing a nod to Omega Boost. Also there is a wider audience for Dolores, I than you may realize. I ran into it by accident on a streetside cart of bootleg dvds in China in 2007. I'm sure the markets that participate in mass media bootlegging (China, India, Russia, etc.) also saw some Dolores, I viewership.
Pretty good video. I only recall this game based on the soundtrack. The VR mode looks like it would have been better as a movie so people can see the action in a new perspective.
Probably my favourite universe. Watched and played everything to completion! My partner asked me what underrated game I rate highly and ZOE was definitely the response. My partner didn't even know it existed... Great retrospective!
Thank you so much for this video. I really enjoyed the 2nd Runner as a Kid and now that I have gotten the MARS edition I was interested in the rest of the story behind it. There are not many videos about it and you helped me a lot! Thank you for all the work you have put into this video 🙏
Another thing about ZOE2 Mars is that they completely replaced the original sound design of the cutscenes. So it sounds completely different. It also would accommodate modern discreet surround sound systems since the original only had Dolby Prologic II sound. I do have mixed feelings about it since Im quite fond of the way the original sounded and the new sound design kind of misses the mark for me at times. Great video btw! ZOE has given me great memories.
Never played this game. Had a demo of it that came on some disc and I’d play that demo so damn much. Back around when ps2 first came out. It’s still one of my favorite games ever though
The opening of ZoE really got to me as a kid. Watching the kids get crushed, and that incredibly eerie music. Such a heavy and unsettling opening. This all made it stick to me so much more and I had to go back and play them many years later.
One of the greatest mecha games ever made. I'd want that engine and team to make a Gundam 00 game. The speed is perfect for that universe. It's been so many years that at the same time I want a ZOE 3 it's probably best to leave the series be. *Sad Jehuty noises*
Hearing that opening was such a damn good way to open this video. I have tears in my eyes. I'm still waiting for ZOE 3. Trust me. It's going to happen.
The only thing I would be pleased to see for ZOE is a PC REMASTER of the first game with anime like treatment for the cut scenes and refined subweapon system. This way it would make episode 1 and 2 a more cohesive package to revisit the lore as a playable anime of the 2000's. I purchased The 2nd runner to finally enjoy it on up to date PC and quested the OVA to complete the story.
Great video about a franchise I only had heard of before, but not interacted much with. I actually paused it right after you finished talking about the first OVA and checked it out. It did not disappoint. The remaster of 2nd Runner is on sale right now on Steam, 80% off until July 7th as well, so this is some really good timing!
I almost bought the HD collection for these games so many times because the box looked cool but I didn’t know what it was so I didn’t know if I would like it. Looks like I should have lol great video! :)
Very good video! I enjoyed every minute and it gave me the insight of what the GBA game had because it's the one I never played because of the reasons you stated. I consumed everyting else. I discovered ZoE 1 on a flea market because another friend once told me that "this seems like a great game". I played the game in one night with another friend who just watched me play. Then I got 2nd runner when it released on PS2 and geez what a game! I still loved the HD release on PS3 and was disappointed about the (unfortunetly not mentioned) PS Vita version cancellation (due to the issues in the PS3 version which were even worse in the Vita version hence the cancellation). And when MarS was announced? BOY WAS I HYPED! And not disappointed. AND I did a run in VR mode and it was worth all the nausea it caused.
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [1/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vLGjxFL6U_I/mqdefault.jpg)
At 25:31 Nobuyoshi Nishimura not Noriaki Okamura
thank you but all chinese people are the same ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey I have a copy of the long DVD that includes the full presentation of Zone of the Enders HD Night if you want it. I know its kind of hard to come by, but I'd be happy to pass it along to you.
@@MaxSaid Hell yeah! You should throw that up on Archive or a drive link so everyone can have access to it! Fantastic idea!
@Mrcheese
Armored Core 2 & 3, if you ain't played them play them cause they are awesome!
Oh, how I miss ZOE... Specificaly held onto a backwards compatible PS3 to keep playing these titles, but it eventually died. Can't believe they've decided not to continue with the series based on poor sales of "remakes". Who in their right mind would buy a subpar version of a product they already own?
Love the fact you've included a video of decapitating a battleship's bridge, by shooting the vector cannon at vessels in the rear (56:20). Haven't seen it anywhere else on YT. Squealed like a girl, when it worked for me for the first time.
If someone asked me what the story of the original Zone of the Enders game is, my answer would probably be “imagine if the first couple of episodes of almost every Gundam show was the entire show”. Thats what its like.
My exact thoughts on the first playthrough 😄
Its literally just IBO
@@neonsamurai5637 well yes and no
@@neonsamurai5637 because IBO is a Gundam series doing the same Gundamlike things
I mean, yeah. I felt like the tutorial ended when the credits rolled
It wasn't a commercial success but its a amazing game.
I remember playing ZOE: The 2nd Runner as a kid. Man, the fighting sequence, graphics as a whole, OST, voice acting, storyline and weapons (vector cannon) just blew me away. Even now, almost 20 years on, I look back and think, how can they make something so incredible with the available tools at that time?
Right? The PS2 was amazing, but these games were unexpectedly spectacular with the gameplay, graphics, and music. So glad I had a friend introduce me to them back in the day.
And yes, this is definite one of the greatest mecha games ever conceived (well next to Armored Core and Xenogears of course). The mecha alone are such a sight to behold as they are very much Eiichi Shimizu (Yoji Shinkawa may be the creators of the Orbital Frames, but Eiichi Shimizu was very much influenced by Shinkawa's mecha work).
Ohai Matt!
@@Kenshiro3rd Ohai Kenny!
@@mattmaddogwheaton4724 fancy seeing you here?
Gundam breaker 3 id say is an honorable mention for the sheer amount of customization
Macross blows up all those other Mecha with swarm of missiles.
It's literally Top Gun in a space Opera that's also a musical.
Nothing ignites the imagination like an f-14 transforming into a battle mech and back like a ballerina with such grace.
Besides other Mecha series have over the top weapon's. That's what I liked about Macross everything was grounded in reality to some extent.
And there's no mech toy more sophisticated than a Vera tech fighter model in real life.
And the fact they were actually able to make them transform into all three different configurations is astonishing.
I remember when I bought my metal YF-19. Crazy the amount of detail that goes into them.
The VR mode was fun to play around with in Mars. There's just something so satisfying about seeing the vector cannon from a first person view
Zone of the Enders has stuck with me through the years for one simple reason, the gameplay. I have played other mecha games but Zone of the Enders has the most satisfying gameplay. I would love to see a modern game build on this foundation.
Thank you for making this video. Zone of the Enders feels like that one series you only know one other person that played it but can gush about it endlessly.
Simply incredible video.
Zone of the enders was my first experience into not only the Mecha genre but also video games as a whole. Before zone of the enders all I knew were sports games and final fantasy. One day my dad comes home and pops in the original zone of the enders and I was transported to a world my six year old brain couldn't process but I was amazed. Seeing the graphics and the fast moving game play of the game it legit made me a gamer for life, and also a Mecha enthusiast later on in my life.
Nowadays I'm a writer for a webtoons comic that's just starting out that blends fantasy and sci fi and it can all be traced back to zone of the enders for my love of Mecha. These games were incredible and I can't thank you enough for reigniting my passion for this series. Here's hoping kojima buys the rights from konami seeing as how they only care about pachinko and Yu-Gi-Oh nowadays Lol
Thanks again for the spectacular video. Subbed.
What's the name of your webcomic?
While I’ve not finished the video yet, THANK YOU for including the GBA game and anime! So many people forget about those fun and shockingly deep expansions of the story.
It really is a shame we didn’t get more.
I knew there was an anime, but I never saw or heard any signs of it. Makes sense now that I know they were Japan exclusives. Idola sounds like it would have been an amazing addition to include with the first game.
@@DragoonWarrior790 Naah! ADV covered them. However, they weren’t fantastic print runs at the time. The creator just prefers the sub, which I don’t blame him for. I preferred the dub myself.
From Idolo's all star production staff and the games' near perfect emulation of high octane mecha action, Zone of the Enders stands as one of my favorite series of all time. It wonderfully celebrates all the themes that the mecha genre is known for in all the hot-blooded and cheesy glory it's lauded for. I've been waiting for this video for a while now, you did great.
I think the VR version of the game gives a good idea of just how physically intense it would be to be a mech pilot, I could only imagine how it would feel if they could add the haptic feedback of the inertial forces felt inside the cockpit
Zero-shift alone could easily kill pilots.
@@ariathyf144zero shift would kill anyone while causing massive amounts of damage to anything within close proximity
Man, Dolores I was such a banger. Hamstrung by a limited budget and a bit rough around the edges, but the cast is just so damn lovable and one of the few anime that isn't driven by characters been cripplingly stupid. And zero Loli shit!
I am so with you man
It makes me happy to see folks talking about the entire franchise and not just Second Runner or the first game only.
Cause this series is still my favorite IP of all time. Both PS2 games, Testament/Fist of Mars, Idolo, and Dolores I.
As always this was incredible work. However it completely misses the most important question of this franchise:
Who was the madlad/genius that suggested to make it a literal COCKpit?
SOCIETY MUST KNOW THESE ANSWERS!
Yoji Shinkawa came up with the idea as a subtle joke.
@@NebLleb heh, subtle :)
@@astrea555
"Subtlety is good, especially when you beat them over the head with it."
- Billy Wilder
Likely a reference to Brain Powerd
So Yoji Shinkawa came up with the idea in highschool, where the original designs for the orbital frames started. And yeah its exactly how it sounds. Man just wanted to make a dick joke
Zone of the Enders is so influential it shaped Gundam mech design from 2007 all the way to 2014. I just want ZOE 1 and Fist of Mars on PC and a collection on modern console.
Thoroughly enjoyed the retrospective and it's really cool to see ZoE getting the love it deserves. ZoE 3's cancellation is a shame because MAN those new designs were really sick and the concept of ancient orbital frames is literally the coolest thing ever, but ey what can you do. Great stuff as always man!
yeah my thoughts exactly
Konamis really deep into the pachinko grift.
I never knew a 3rd was in the works before reading this comment, but this is Konami we’re talking about. Just picked up the sequel on a steam sale.
@@Hibernial the cheesy boi talks about it here: 1:12:12
Thanks for making this video.
I always saw this as the future history of the METAL GEAR SOLID Universe. The IDOLO, Jehuty and Anubis are definitely descendants of the Metal Gear Ray when you look at the design of those Orbital Frames. And I can see the Metal Gear from THE PHANTOM PAIN also being an early precursor design wise to what these Orbital Frames would look like.
Metal Gear Ra
Bro... in the last 10 minutes i have gone from listening to a piano solo thay reminded me of an old game i played, to getting a nostalgia hit of a life-time hearing that theme song, to this modern review... what a Rollercoaster, thank you. Amazing to see people still talking about this, for me, forgotten classic.
Finally, someone is recapping the series for people who don't/barely knows about this titles
I remember my 1st playthrough of Zone of Enders 2, the final fight against Anubis, I got so into the fight that I realized I was pressing buttons faster than the games was able to pick up my input. It was the only game ever that had gotten me in that zone.
A buddy had heard the name in passing but knew I'm "the mecha guy" so when he was hanging out he asked for a recommendation to play. So I booted the ZotE HD collection up on XBOne. He said he had no idea what he was doing but had so much fun he felt bad he played for almost 2 hours straight. I told him don't feel bad, because the first time I played it on PS2 I did the whole playthrough in one sitting because I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Here's to hoping I can spare the cash this year to finally getting my Jehuty and Anubis models
"The show loves its western movie references"
That's how you know Kojima was involved
Well, he wasn't involved with the anime. So you don't know.
Zone of the Enders 2 is one of the most interesting games I've played. The design of the mecha are so fascinating since Shinkawa used Egyptian imagery to influence their designs. I wish we got a part 3 since that concept art looked amazing.
I have a model kit of Vic Viper that goes with me to work spaces or stays on my desk at home. The mecha design of this series is just some of the best ever. The colors, silhouettes, design is all so unique and slick. I'm sad the series never seemed to be able to get a third, or its rumored reboot originally planned with more beastial takes on Jehuty etc, but I'd love for Yoji Shinakawa to dip back into mecha design for any other media: another game, or even an animated series or movie, or even a manga. He's just got such a distinct "look" to his mechanical designs, and while the bikes and other cool gadgets in Death Stranding were cool I wanna see him tackle mecha again.
Man, I'd love nothing more too for Kojima Productions to do its own spiritual successor to ZOE, though it's really unlikely...but one can hope!
We can hope.
honey wake up, a new mrcheese video just dropped
fr tho man you're my favorite channel when it comes to talking about obscurer mecha topics. keep it up!!
Saw this randomly and checked the OVA out, no I'm binging the anime and getting ready to play the PS4 remaster of the second game. I can't believe I'd never really heard of this gem.
I absolutely adore Zone of the Enders. I watched a friend play a bit of the first game, but never actually played it myself. Got my hands on the second game not long after it came out when I was in 10th grade, and fell in love. Easily put a couple hundred hours in it because I was constantly go back and play through, or play the survival mode for hours on end. Any time a friend came over we always had to play the pvp mode. The designs always stood out to me as so unique considering at the time the mecha genre was dominated by Gundam. My senior year I got my hands on the anime, both the OVA and the series, and fell in love all over. I had been considering picking up the remaster of 2nd Runner for pc for a while, but this video convinced me to do so. Can't wait to play it.
I still remember my reaction when I play ZOE: the second runner on ps2, like how can a game on ps2 can look so gud and the orbital frame are so sick. I played it over and over and over again, even till now i'll still play the remastered version on steam. I've been waiting for ZOE 3 but sadly it never come out. People should know about this game tho. It's really really gud. Still gonna wait and hope that one day ZOE3 will come
Yo, what the heck! I never even knew the Z.O.E franchise went beyond the ps2 games. Thank you for bringing light to obscure titles from my childhood!
Fantastic work on summing up one of the most underrated mecha franchises. The first game was the reason I bought a PS2 and each series entry only reaffirmed my love for it. It's criminal that the anime isn't available anywhere, it's really a great entry into the genre as a whole.
This title deserves to come back. It would also be a treat if they bring back Dolores (a.k.a. Isis), and the links family from the anime into the games.
lol, the easter egg at 11:32 made my day. Great video btw, good to see people covering this amazing mecha game series
50:36 That music still makes my skin tingle. Such an amazing soundtrack. 🎶
I remember when I was little I had a demo disc of zone of the enders for the ps2 and I liked the game so much that I kept being obsessed with the demo that I played it so many times
When I got the ps4 I hoped they would made a new version/remastered of the game
When zone of the enders the 2nd runner Mars got announced i got really excited to play my favorite childhood game I never got to play.
Zone of the enders is such a good game.
I will never understand how these games weren't IMMENSELY successful. 2nd Runner is near-perfect and is so badass. My friends get annoyed because I still rave about how good the controls are for the 2nd runner after all these years. These games deserve more fans for sure. Glad you made this video 👍
As someone who loves offbeat and weird kaiju beyond the norm, I'm honestly surprised that the titular mecha gal Dolores of the anime "Zone of the Enders: Dolores, I" escaped my attention for so long! Cannot wait for your next retrospective!
Fantastic Vid that was 100% worth the wait. Though it was kinda shorter than I expected, I think this is equal to your getter retrospective with how you were able to really portray the spirit of what makes ZOE special as it is.
It's very refreshing to look at the series as a whole rather than just focus on the 2 ps2 games, since the anime and such do contribute to the bigger narrative that ZOE was doing. Especially in giving credit to the first one, which I feel is sorta underrated, even if the 2nd runner is obviously the better.
My stance on ZOE3 is kinda conflicted because initially I wasn't that interested in it, but over time the concept behind it honestly sounded really cool and quite original for a mecha IP. Though at the same time I'd kinda glad it didn't happen given what would come for Kojima and Konami and what we already have is more than enough.
Thank you for making such an in-depth look into ZOE in this current day and age! I played ZOE2 on the PS2 back in the day and it's my favorite game of all time. I've bought the PS3 and PS4/PC remasters too. The game is really special with its world, music, characters and combat.
I'm glad that there are many others around the world who appreciate this game as well. You did an incredible work with this video and i look forward to more. Cheers!
Man I love zone of the enders. The feeling of clashing against an enemy orbital frame in 2nd runner really made it feel like you're in a mecha anime.
A friend showing me ZOE and the subsequent announcement of 2nd Runner got me really excited. I remember driving to blockbuster to rent it and telling my mom all the failings of the first game. 3 enemy types, few levels, and she asked me why I wanted to rent the game and I think I responded that it was awesome and they had fixed all those issues. She was no happy when she realized it was rated M. I played it non stop and beat it several times that week. Was really proud of getting SS with naked jehuty. I'll never forget the whole "Hideo Kojima doesn't have the make metal gear anymore" meme. I've bought ZOE more times that I'd care to admit with the remasters. I listed to Beyond the Bounds on repeat throughout high-school and that ost still triggers emotions. Maybe one day someone will pick up the torch.
God I remember playing the original ZoE and being blown away. This series needs more love and a come back, but its unfortunate that Konami has become a cesspool of pachinko machines and trash utilization of IPs after the Kojima break up.
It's rare to find others who also feel how sometimes it's better for the things they enjoy to come to an end rather then continuing until it becomes a hollow husk of itself.
I love ZOE and Omega boost so much that i started prototyping my mecha games based on those two, but never went out of that... prototypes. I should keep trying
This One Of My Top 10 games Of all times, and Always have been
I really love the improvements of the 2nd Runner, especially the gameplay, because you realize and experience how much more skilled and experienced Dingo is vs Leo even during their fight.
The gameplay of each almost feels like they represent the MC pilots themselves. You see this to be especially true when you get the shift ability and it's insinuated the skill of the Runner is what determines how much power Jehuty can output.
FINALLY!!! ZOE getting the love and RESPECT that it sorely deserves...funny enough, the anime series is what got me into the ZOE universe!
A shame that we'll probably never see a return of the Enders Project, the idea of an origin prequel would of been dope.
Now if only the Xenosaga series got a similar Remaster treatment that Mars did on the PS4 🤔
A major help in selling this game, was the included tanker level of Metal Gear Solid 2. I didn't see or hear it mentioned in the video. That was the reason I bought this game, quite a few years ago :)
Zone of the Enders was one of my favorite games and thank you for this shot of nostalgia
Fist of Mars was my first intro to the series. I love Gundam and I loved how ZOE Fist of Mars had that Gundam look to it. WHen I played ZOE by Kojima I fell in love with Jehutiy but the 2nd Runner left me awestruck how there was never a third game after. Def one of the best underrated game series. Although Fist of Mars had too much talking...
Best mech game hands down. Combat mechanics is awesome. Love hearing the sequences when using vector canon. And boss fight are unique as well. Music is great as well.
2nd Runner is in my top 3 favorite games of all time, right along side Sonic Adventure 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3. I've probably played through it over 50 times.
Even though this will never happen, I really wish Kojima Productions could purchase the rights to ZOE so we can finally get that third game.
Fantastic work! This is one of the best video essays I've ever seen, I'm a big fan of the 2 PS2 titles but I always ignored Dolores & Fist Of Mars (I also didn't even know 2167 existed!). Your vids convinced me to check all 3 out!
Amazing retrospective. Such an important series for me, as ZOE 1 was the first game I played on my cousin’s PS2, when I immigrated to the US. Its soundtrack and gameplay still mesmerizes me
This and Omega Boost I loved so much playing in the barracks back in 01-04. So many great memories. Robotech Battlecry deserves a retrospective too. So much fun there as well.
Fantastic work, the full ZOE series deserved a retrospective like this. The Second Runner continues to be one of my favorite mecha games.
Guess I'm due for a rewatch of the movie and series. Luckily, I picked up the DVD set back in the day. I never really knew what its reception was since I've barely heard anyone talk about it.
I loved the first one. That second one was my favorite it was ridiculously fun and the animation and story were top notch. It was legit like playing in an anime I feel like this is how gundam games should be. Can't believe they did make a third. That would be crazy on ps5
I got those dvds, just awesome! The Dolores dvds came with trading cards of the characters that formed a huge image of Dolores and Idolo.
Nice to see more people covering the series.
ZoE 1 has a 2nd ending track you can get if you get a high enough rating from the rescue missions called "a light with a name of hope" . you can also get a bad ending with antillia on a course to fall into jupiter if you destroy every building and kill all civilians before the mission to protect the pillar, destroying all that nets you the bad ending.
Damn... I went from only being vaguely interested in ZoE to now REALLY wanting to play ZoE 2. Great video.
That title game still give me chills to this day zone of the Enders 2nd runner is available on psn btw
Thank you for such and in depth on the series.
This was beautifully well executed, there was something’s I didn’t even know about about this series when it started out. after all these years the second runner is still by far my favorite game of all time.
57:56 - 58:08 I felt that like, an amateur runner to a veteran badass runner.
This video convinced me to look into the series a bit. Watched the OVA (pausing between its segment and Dolores to do so) ending in me looking up the MVRS version of ZOE 2, which I ended up buying on sale for about six dollars. This was a really cool find, so thanks for making it. :]
I remember buying the first game mainly because of the MGS2 demo (like I'm sure 90% of people did.) I was actually incredibly impressed by it. I remember my first impressions were exactly what they were going for. It felt like a playable anime.
Why this series never got a third main entry is beyond me.
I remember reading in an article that Kojima was considering it, but when the team botched the HD remaster so bad, he canned the idea and went back to making more Metal Gear games. So disappointing.
So glad you talked about this series. :D Good job!
Wow what a great video! I’ve been a fan of this series and I never thought I’d see a retrospective that gives the attention it deserves. Love it man
From what I remember, the initial advertisement of MARS the second Runner, was entirely based upon its VR feature. I thought it was just going to be a VR game based on the second game. That’s probably why it didn’t sell as well as it should’ve.
Great vid about a great series, keep it up pimpin. Lots of new info learned here about a game i played for hundreds of hours!
Nice. Thank you for this. Hideos a legend.
The thing with most of kojimas games also is that his products have that solid well built and professional feeling. From the menus, sound effects, the background music, the pause screen and Cutscenes. A lot of games don't have that same feeling anymore when you buy a game.
The amount of beautiful franchises that were left behind...ZOE, project siren, time splitters...
Did I just watch a video about a game series I never played?
Yes, yes I did
Fantastic video on a fantastic series. Thanks for the retrospective!
Best game i ever played i liked the first one beter it was my first game on the PS2 this game made me cry so many times as the reality kicks in how fast we get older i played this when i was 10 im 28 now. so many memories with zone of the enders beutifull i was blown away as a kid playing this for the first time thats why the first game has a special place in my Heart
Thank you for throwing a nod to Omega Boost. Also there is a wider audience for Dolores, I than you may realize. I ran into it by accident on a streetside cart of bootleg dvds in China in 2007. I'm sure the markets that participate in mass media bootlegging (China, India, Russia, etc.) also saw some Dolores, I viewership.
Watching this amazing video while looking proudly as a "robust father" of my ZOE Revoltech collection, Vector Cannon included
Pretty good video. I only recall this game based on the soundtrack. The VR mode looks like it would have been better as a movie so people can see the action in a new perspective.
Probably my favourite universe. Watched and played everything to completion!
My partner asked me what underrated game I rate highly and ZOE was definitely the response. My partner didn't even know it existed...
Great retrospective!
Thank you so much for this video. I really enjoyed the 2nd Runner as a Kid and now that I have gotten the MARS edition I was interested in the rest of the story behind it. There are not many videos about it and you helped me a lot!
Thank you for all the work you have put into this video 🙏
probably one of the best games ive ever played
Another thing about ZOE2 Mars is that they completely replaced the original sound design of the cutscenes. So it sounds completely different. It also would accommodate modern discreet surround sound systems since the original only had Dolby Prologic II sound. I do have mixed feelings about it since Im quite fond of the way the original sounded and the new sound design kind of misses the mark for me at times. Great video btw! ZOE has given me great memories.
Great video. I agree I don't need a third entry to Z.O.E. I would like a Gundam game made by the same team.
Welcome back man It's good to see you still active.
Never played this game. Had a demo of it that came on some disc and I’d play that demo so damn much. Back around when ps2 first came out. It’s still one of my favorite games ever though
The opening of ZoE really got to me as a kid. Watching the kids get crushed, and that incredibly eerie music. Such a heavy and unsettling opening. This all made it stick to me so much more and I had to go back and play them many years later.
One of the greatest mecha games ever made. I'd want that engine and team to make a Gundam 00 game. The speed is perfect for that universe. It's been so many years that at the same time I want a ZOE 3 it's probably best to leave the series be. *Sad Jehuty noises*
Exceptionally well done! Immediately felt transported back to my twenties playing this game hours over hours
Hearing that opening was such a damn good way to open this video.
I have tears in my eyes.
I'm still waiting for ZOE 3.
Trust me. It's going to happen.
Even if a new Z.O.E. doesn't come out anytime soon I really hope I can make my mech look like Jehuty in the upcoming armored core
Wow, the series sound pretty fire. Great idea and story. I hate anime, but will watch it.
The only thing I would be pleased to see for ZOE is a PC REMASTER of the first game with anime like treatment for the cut scenes and refined subweapon system.
This way it would make episode 1 and 2 a more cohesive package to revisit the lore as a playable anime of the 2000's.
I purchased The 2nd runner to finally enjoy it on up to date PC and quested the OVA to complete the story.
First time hearing about the series and I'm interested in the show and possibly the game.
ZOE 2 is by far my favorite mecha game of all time.
I wish I could change my Google assistant voice to the voice of ADA.
Great video about a franchise I only had heard of before, but not interacted much with. I actually paused it right after you finished talking about the first OVA and checked it out. It did not disappoint. The remaster of 2nd Runner is on sale right now on Steam, 80% off until July 7th as well, so this is some really good timing!
Oh, and you can also emulate part one, as well.
Absolutely fantastic video! Many thanks for your hard work here.
I almost bought the HD collection for these games so many times because the box looked cool but I didn’t know what it was so I didn’t know if I would like it. Looks like I should have lol great video! :)
Very good video! I enjoyed every minute and it gave me the insight of what the GBA game had because it's the one I never played because of the reasons you stated. I consumed everyting else. I discovered ZoE 1 on a flea market because another friend once told me that "this seems like a great game". I played the game in one night with another friend who just watched me play.
Then I got 2nd runner when it released on PS2 and geez what a game! I still loved the HD release on PS3 and was disappointed about the (unfortunetly not mentioned) PS Vita version cancellation (due to the issues in the PS3 version which were even worse in the Vita version hence the cancellation).
And when MarS was announced? BOY WAS I HYPED! And not disappointed. AND I did a run in VR mode and it was worth all the nausea it caused.