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The Eva 2 game draws you into the world of Eva once again. During production, the developers did their best to understand everything about Eva, and tried to incorporate what they learned into the game. Without their efforts, it would've been impossible to re-create the world of Eva. Hiroshi Shibamura of Alfa System prepared a thick questionnaire and conducted an interview with Hideaki Anno, the director of both the TV series and the films, that lasted more than ten hours. The interview included questions such as, "What do you think about each of the Gundam series?" (to help program the "Anno AI" in the game) and "What was the first Angel?" (to further understand the story behind Eva). Director Anno and his staff answered the questions frankly, and the game reflects that. | The Eva 2 game draws you into the world of Eva once again. During production, the developers did their best to understand everything about Eva, and tried to incorporate what they learned into the game. Without their efforts, it would've been impossible to re-create the world of Eva. Hiroshi Shibamura of Alfa System prepared a thick questionnaire and conducted an interview with Hideaki Anno, the director of both the TV series and the films, that lasted more than ten hours. The interview included questions such as, "What do you think about each of the Gundam series?" (to help program the "Anno AI" in the game) and "What was the first Angel?" (to further understand the story behind Eva). Director Anno and his staff answered the questions frankly, and the game reflects that. | ||
However, it won't be easy to find answers. The quickest way to gather clues is to play the game repeatedly in as many different roles as possible. There are some deceptive characters, such as Gendou (you can never tell whether he's telling the truth). And after all of the hard work, much of the information obtained may turn out to be contradictory or just plain false. That is because a correct answer from the standpoint of one particular character isn't necessarily correct from the standpoint of another. On the other hand, mystery-solving is only a part of it. Instead of trying so hard to find the right answers, just keep playing around in the puzzling world of Eva to discover clues about the "Official Answer," which GAINAX is said to have presented in the game." - [https://forum.evageeks.org/post/237672/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#237672 Newtype USA Jan 2004]</ref> The developers also state in a production log that they wanted to create their own "world of Evangelion"<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040805092501fw_/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/fr_01.html</ref>. This is also expressed in their effort to create an "autonomous" simulation and characters.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060509225658/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/life.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20071011062217/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/product_introduction.html</ref> This allows the player to create numerous scenarios for characters, battles, and relationships.<ref> | However, it won't be easy to find answers. The quickest way to gather clues is to play the game repeatedly in as many different roles as possible. There are some deceptive characters, such as Gendou (you can never tell whether he's telling the truth). And after all of the hard work, much of the information obtained may turn out to be contradictory or just plain false. That is because a correct answer from the standpoint of one particular character isn't necessarily correct from the standpoint of another. On the other hand, mystery-solving is only a part of it. Instead of trying so hard to find the right answers, just keep playing around in the puzzling world of Eva to discover clues about the "Official Answer," which GAINAX is said to have presented in the game." - [https://forum.evageeks.org/post/237672/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#237672 Newtype USA Jan 2004]</ref> The developers also state in a production log that they wanted to create their own "world of Evangelion"<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040805092501fw_/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/fr_01.html</ref>. This is also expressed in their effort to create an "autonomous" simulation and characters.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060509225658/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/life.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20071011062217/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/product_introduction.html</ref> This allows the player to create numerous scenarios for characters, battles, and relationships.<ref>"There are times when Asuka and Shinji fight, but there are also times when they are very much in love. If you can freely create such a situation, the game will become much more interesting. Simply having a lovey-dovey relationship isn't interesting at all."<br>Example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but they suddenly have an argument and Shinji runs away from home. Asuka is devastated and makes a lot of mistakes in battle. Later, they become friends and end the story with a kiss.<br>For example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but when Shinji has a friendly moment with Hikari, they argue, and Shinji's true feelings are only for Asuka, <br>https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035324/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/text_conquest/mel015x.cgi</ref> | ||
:''See also: [[Classified Information (Translation)]]'' | :''See also: [[Classified Information (Translation)]]'' | ||
==Overview== | |||
The 24 topics were named in total "[[Classified Information]]" (''Kimitsu Jouhou''). The topics considerably expand upon the back-story: [[Adam]] and [[Lilith]] are settlers sent to Earth in what would become Earth's moon by a "First Ancestral Race", with "Seeds" and [[Spear of Longinus|Spears of Longinus]]. The various [[Angel]]s seek out the Black Moon of Lilith because they are seeking Lilith, or Adam; and so on. While the information seems to have been based on extensive interviews with [[Hideaki Anno]], creator of the franchise, the involvement of the original Gainax staff was limited to the Classified Information material, whereas the scenarios contained within the game are "established for the game"<ref>Alpha Systems (the developers of the game) claim the information in the Classified Information files is reliable, while Gainax themselves states all the information fans need to know is already available in the show and films: "Enough information has been provided in the TV series and film. These are just the settings established for the game". So while the CI themselves might be considered reliable, the many alternative scenarios should probably be disconsidered much like the many alternative scenarios present in other licenced video games and visual novels. - http://forum.evageeks.org/post/368618/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#368618</ref> according to the developers. Gainax continuously states that all necessary information has been provided in the series and film.<ref>http://www.cjas.org/~echen/articles/spring97/05_03b.html</ref><ref>'''To solve the mysteries you must understand the world of Eva itself''' | |||
The Eva 2 game draws you into the world of Eva once again. During production, the developers did their best to understand everything about Eva, and tried to incorporate what they learned into the game. Without their efforts, it would've been impossible to re-create the world of Eva. Hiroshi Shibamura of Alfa System prepared a thick questionnaire and conducted an interview with Hideaki Anno, the director of both the TV series and the films, that lasted more than ten hours. The interview included questions such as, "What do you think about each of the Gundam series?" (to help program the "Anno AI" in the game) and "What was the first Angel?" (to further understand the story behind Eva). Director Anno and his staff answered the questions frankly, and the game reflects that.However, it won't be easy to find answers. The quickest way to gather clues is to play the game repeatedly in as many different roles as possible. There are some deceptive characters, such as Gendou (you can never tell whether he's telling the truth). And after all of the hard work, much of the information obtained may turn out to be contradictory or just plain false. That is because a correct answer from the standpoint of one particular character isn't necessarily correct from the standpoint of another. On the other hand, mystery-solving is only a part of it. Instead of trying so hard to find the right answers, just keep playing around in the puzzling world of Eva to discover clues about the "Official Answer," which GAINAX is said to have presented in the game. - [https://forum.evageeks.org/post/237672/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#237672 Newtype USA, Jan 2004] | |||
</ref> The developers also state in a production log that they wanted to create their own "world of Evangelion".<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040805092501fw_/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/fr_01.html</ref> This is also expressed in their effort to create an "autonomous" simulation and characters.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20060509225658/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/life.html</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20071011062217/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/product_introduction.html</ref> This allows the player to create numerous scenarios for characters, battles, and relationships.<ref>"There are times when Asuka and Shinji fight, but there are also times when they are very much in love. If you can freely create such a situation, the game will become much more interesting. Simply having a lovey-dovey relationship isn't interesting at all."<br>Example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but they suddenly have an argument and Shinji runs away from home. Asuka is devastated and makes a lot of mistakes in battle. Later, they become friends and end the story with a kiss.<br>For example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but when Shinji has a friendly moment with Hikari, they argue, and Shinji's true feelings are only for Asuka, <br>https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035324/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/text_conquest/mel015x.cgi</ref> Anno has not written scenarios for the game, either.<ref>The game's credits only cite "GAINAX" and "Hideaki Anno" as "general supervisor". This is the same generic attribution given to several derivative material like artbooks, and sometimes even merchandise - it's essentially just an acknowledgement of who's the intelectual property owner and management. Because Gainax still owned the rights, they were still being credited in projects such as these, even after the original Eva staff, including Anno, had already left Gainax and moved to Khara, for almost a decade during this interim. In recent years, this has shifted to Khara ''after'' it has fully acquired IP rights from the now semi-defunct Gainax. Taking into account the other sources from the game's website, it seems safe to assume his involvement was limited to consulting for the interviews. See [https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/4534/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/ this thread] for more details.</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20070219222645/http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/backnum2003.html</ref><ref>'''For the latter half of his research. Yamashita took a controller and played the game himself. What did he think of it "I thought it was the kind of game that every player could use to supplement their personal concept of ''Eva'' if they're able to do all the things they can do [in the game], then even if the ending doesn't quite turn out like they expected, they'll still be able to accept it for what it is. - [https://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#The_Truth_After_Ten_Years,_Newtype_USA_(01/2004) The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]'''</ref> Refer to [[What Is Canon?]]. | |||
Evangelion 2 started production around 1998 and was conceived as part of the ''Renewal of Evangelion'' project in 2002-2003, which saw the DVD remastered released of Eva and several other works at the time. Most, though not all of the game was voice acted by the original cast, and their acting script comprised of a then unprecedented 35 thousand words, making it larger than all other Evangelion games combined.<ref>From planning to completion, Eva 2 was more than five years in the making. If you were to make a printout of the entire game script, it would fill several dozen cardboard boxes. The whole thing has been checked through several times to make sure the characters all sound natural. The care and effort expended on the voice quality is incredible. The acting script-which approaches 35,000 words !- was created so that the sound came through in full voice. That way, players would be able to completely immerse themselves in the game. The new voice actors were called in separately for a series of recording sessions that took well over half a month of gruelling 12 hour days, seven days a week! - [https://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#The_Truth_After_Ten_Years,_Newtype_USA_(01/2004) The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]</ref> The later PSP version was also part of a campaign celebrating Evangelion's 10th birthday. According to game designer Hiroshi Shibamura, the "2" in the title is represented as an "S" to encapsulate the game both as a self-contained sequel to the series and to contemplate the plural "Evangelions", letting players make their own episodes.<ref>[https://dengekionline.com/data/news/2003/10/30/da06e64083185f76d1da5f5417d7a811.html 『エヴァンゲリオン2』完成記念!庵野監督と芝村氏が明かす『エヴァ2』の世界]</ref> | |||
Alongside the Classified Information, it also had voiced guides on general Evangelion questions.<ref>'''Simple questions that any ordinary viewer would have about Evangelion are narrated. Five young voice actors were entrusted with the task of giving voice to these questions.''' '''This is the acting script for Pen-Pen! The same types of phrases are repeated over and over, but depending on Pen-Pen's mood, the intonation will vary in subtle ways.''' '''The acting script alone towers more than a foot high. All kinds of scenarios are included, from game events to character-specific scripts. In total, there are 26 folders-so many that they ran out of colors to code them with!'''' '''When the voice of Yuko Miyamura is added, the commercial is complete. She screams out in Asuka's voice: "So, what the hell WAS '''''Eva''''', anyway?!" It's really weird how naturally the whole commercial came together. "It felt both strange and new at the same time. I feel I was very lucky to have run into this role at the start of my career as a voice actress," says Miyamura.''' - [https://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#The_Truth_After_Ten_Years,_Newtype_USA_(01/2004) The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]</ref> Besides the additional information, ''Evangelions'' also introduced a number of additions, like F-type Equipment, new weapons, and the final products of the [[Jet Alone]] project (as in some storylines, the ''[[Episode 07|A HUMAN WORK]]'' episode does not end in the cancellation of the Jet Alone project), all courtesy of series mechanical designer [[Ikuto Yamashita]],<ref>The Eva designed to be recognizable as an Eva even in silhouette, but if you were to stick on some armor it wouldn't look like an Eva anymore. We heve to keep the same distinctive pinched-in waist and slender shape of the Eva. 5o I thought it might be best if I just made it look like parts were added on here and there after the fact." The new armor that emerged was [...] comparison to the more organic appearance of the Eva Unit 01. "I drew the F-type according to the usual principles of robot design, as it does look powerful. But it probably doesn't have the same shock value that the Unit O1 had -how you felt (your image of robots been) almost betrayed when you first saw it" - [https://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#The_Truth_After_Ten_Years,_Newtype_USA_(01/2004) The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]]</ref> and includes several "Scenarios", including of comedic value, that disregard canon. Only Scenario 01, one of Shinji's scenarios, follows the series' own storyline relatively closely. | |||
==Gameplay== | |||
The player controls the Eva walking around a large 2D map, until they run into an enemy. The player is then given a list of action commands which they can choose to attack the enemy. Once one of the action commands is chosen, a sequence will be shown, created by an in-game cutscene depicting the attack. This was one of the most praised elements of the game. | |||
[[Image:NGE2 TL2.jpg|thumb|right|Area selection menu. Early translation by deeRez on the Evageeks forums.]] | |||
When not in combat, the player is able to explore some environments from the series, fully rendered in 3D, like most of NERV, Misato's apartment and more, and is able to choose fully voiced conversation options as in a visual novel manner, collect items, and interact with the environment. All characters active during a given scenario have a two-axis relationship stat towards every other character, which affects their behavior and responses. Characters have their own autonomous routines in the game world, which include needs like food, drink and sleep, as well as skills that can be improved. Most scenarios however include a limited selection of characters, many do not include Kaworu or [[Maya|the]] [[Makoto|bridge]] [[Hyuga|bunnies]], for instance. The game also has story arcs in which the player has a list of playable characters to choose from, to play as in the story mode. In the PSP version, the three main characters [[Shinji Ikari]], [[Rei Ayanami]], and [[Asuka Langley Soryu]], are available from the start, with only Shinji available on the PS2 version. More are unlocked as various game events are triggered. | |||
The PSP version, released later, includes additional content like more areas and characters compared to the earlier PS2 version. However, due to to the hardware limitations on Sony's portable console, it suffered the same fate as many other games of that generation, and the graphical and audio quality is diminished and there are less animations, as well as some cutscenes being removed and others added. Environments are also significantly less detailed. Some gameplay systems are more developed, others more streamlined. There is now a "Impulse" system for actions, which is essentially an action point system, as well as several quick time events. | |||
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==PS2 Version Scenarios== | ==PS2 Version Scenarios== | ||
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| [[Kensuke Aida]] | | [[Kensuke Aida]] | ||
| "Waking up from the dream" | | "Waking up from the dream" | ||
| Uncover the secrets behind "EVAs' Development" and the "Marduk Institute", and become an EVA Pilot. But at what cost? | | Uncover the secrets behind "EVAs' Development" and the "Marduk Institute", and become an EVA Pilot. But at what cost? <br>*''Toji dies near the end in this scenario, although it's from the battle with [[Zeruel]].'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
| SCENARIO 15 | | SCENARIO 15 | ||
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| [[Kaworu Nagisa]] | | [[Kaworu Nagisa]] | ||
| "Broken Wings" | | "Broken Wings" | ||
| Kaworu must discover who he really is and avoid causing the [[Third Impact]]. | | Kaworu must discover who he really is and avoid causing the [[Third Impact]].<br>*''Interestingly, this scenario takes place in a somewhat alternate universe: Kaworu is one of the first [[Angels]] to attack, classified as the third Angel, and is stopped by Toji and Shinji from reaching [[Terminal Dogma]].'' | ||
|- | |- | ||
| SCENARIO 17 | | SCENARIO 17 | ||
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==PS2 and PSP version differences== | ==PS2 and PSP version differences== | ||
[[File:Shinseiki Evangelion 2 Evangelions cover.jpg|thumb|200px|PS2 cover]] | |||
===PS2 version=== | ===PS2 version=== | ||
*This version includes the opening to the series with somewhat improved graphics and [[Evangelion Unit-01]] being rendered in 3D. | *This version includes the opening to the series with somewhat improved graphics and [[Evangelion Unit-01]] being rendered in 3D. | ||
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More to come | More to come | ||
==F Type Equipment== | ==F Type Equipment== | ||
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[[Image:Fequipment.jpg|thumb|left|F Type Equipment from the NGE2 game]] | [[Image:Fequipment.jpg|thumb|left|F Type Equipment from the NGE2 game]] | ||
We hear about B and D Type Equipment in the series. A and C are never mentioned, and, when it came time to fabricate a merchandising gimmick for the NGE2 game, they skipped straight to F. The F Type Equipment is magenta-and-orange-colored armor that is placed on on top of EVA-01's normal purple armor. Yamashita — who designed this — was well aware of the problematic nature of the F Type Equipment's concept considering his statements in the January 2004 issue of Newtype USA | We hear about B and D Type Equipment in the series. A and C are never mentioned, and, when it came time to fabricate a merchandising gimmick for the NGE2 game, they skipped straight to F. The F Type Equipment is magenta-and-orange-colored armor that is placed on on top of EVA-01's normal purple armor. Yamashita — who designed this — was well aware of the problematic nature of the F Type Equipment's concept considering his statements in the January 2004 issue of Newtype USA.<ref>[https://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#The_Truth_After_Ten_Years,_Newtype_USA_(01/2004) The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]'''</ref> | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
[[Image:NGE2_TL.jpg|thumb|right|Asuka opens the fridge. Early translation by deeRez on the Evageeks forums.]] | |||
*A PSP version of the game, given the title '''''Neon Genesis Evangelions: Tsukurareshi Sekai (Artificial World) - Another Cases''''' was released in 2006 in Japan. It includes extras as well as game enhancements, such as a total of 18 game Scenarios (some modified or new ones), from the original 11 in the PS2 version. | *A PSP version of the game, given the title '''''Neon Genesis Evangelions: Tsukurareshi Sekai (Artificial World) - Another Cases''''' was released in 2006 in Japan. It includes extras as well as game enhancements, such as a total of 18 game Scenarios (some modified or new ones), from the original 11 in the PS2 version. | ||
*The game borrows a few things from the [[Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_%28manga%29|Evangelion manga]] and tweaks them slightly to fit better with the anime: | *The game borrows a few things from the [[Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_%28manga%29|Evangelion manga]] and tweaks them slightly to fit better with the anime: | ||
**For instance, when the power goes out at [[Nerv]], if Kaworu has already arrived, he tells Rei "You are the same as me." Rei replies "I am me. I'm different from you." (During a chapter in volume the manga, Rei replies to Kaworu's statement with: "We may be similar, but are not the same.") Also in the same sequence, Shinji and Asuka are wandering around HQ together. This is borrowed from the manga chapter where Shinji and Asuka almost kiss. | **For instance, when the power goes out at [[Nerv]], if Kaworu has already arrived, he tells Rei "You are the same as me." Rei replies "I am me. I'm different from you." (During a chapter in volume the manga, Rei replies to Kaworu's statement with: "We may be similar, but are not the same.") Also in the same sequence, Shinji and Asuka are wandering around HQ together. This is borrowed from the manga chapter where Shinji and Asuka almost kiss. | ||
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*Although Toji and Kaworu never meet in the series, the Eva2 game portrays them as not getting along--mainly on Toji's end. | *Although Toji and Kaworu never meet in the series, the Eva2 game portrays them as not getting along--mainly on Toji's end. | ||
* Before the PS2 release, Kikkawa Kabao illustrated two spoof manga in ''Shonen Ace-A'': | * Before the PS2 release, Kikkawa Kabao illustrated two spoof manga in ''Shonen Ace-A'': | ||
* | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160517042234/http://eva.onegeek.org/pipermail/evangelion/2003-October/000631.html "Part I - Shinji's Case"] | ||
* | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160516233955/http://eva.onegeek.org/pipermail/evangelion/2003-October/000636.html "Part II - Asuka's Case"] | ||
* This game is currently being translated by Evageeks. | * This game is currently being translated by Evageeks. Progress is slow due to the need to reverse engineer the game and the large amounts of text and image-based text. <ref>[https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/1393/Game-Neon-Genesis-Evangelion-2-Another-Cases/700/ Forum Thread]</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== |
Latest revision as of 05:25, 3 August 2024
"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process." |
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shinseiki Evangelion 2 Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン2) is an Evangelion-based RPG video game, released in 2003 for PlayStation 2, and later a PSP version was released in 2006. It allows the player to follow several characters through several different versions of the plot of the series. The game itself is a combination of an RPG, a raising game, and a dating sim rolled into one. Hideaki Anno was heavily interviewed for the Classified Information files, however he is not credited as a writer for the scenarios.[1]
The game's biggest attraction was its "Classified Information" (Kimitsu Jouhou) files: the game was hyped to contain the answers to some of Neon Genesis Evangelion's most perplexing mysteries, and these "answers" came in the form of unlockable data files, isolated from the actual gameplay depending on the Scenario. Series creator Hideaki Anno was extensively interviewed by the video game developers, so the information contained within the "Classified Information" files should probably be considered "second-tier" or "third-tier" canon.[2][3] The developers also state in a production log that they wanted to create their own "world of Evangelion"[4]. This is also expressed in their effort to create an "autonomous" simulation and characters.[5][6] This allows the player to create numerous scenarios for characters, battles, and relationships.[7]
- See also: Classified Information (Translation)
Overview
The 24 topics were named in total "Classified Information" (Kimitsu Jouhou). The topics considerably expand upon the back-story: Adam and Lilith are settlers sent to Earth in what would become Earth's moon by a "First Ancestral Race", with "Seeds" and Spears of Longinus. The various Angels seek out the Black Moon of Lilith because they are seeking Lilith, or Adam; and so on. While the information seems to have been based on extensive interviews with Hideaki Anno, creator of the franchise, the involvement of the original Gainax staff was limited to the Classified Information material, whereas the scenarios contained within the game are "established for the game"[8] according to the developers. Gainax continuously states that all necessary information has been provided in the series and film.[9][10] The developers also state in a production log that they wanted to create their own "world of Evangelion".[11] This is also expressed in their effort to create an "autonomous" simulation and characters.[12][13] This allows the player to create numerous scenarios for characters, battles, and relationships.[14] Anno has not written scenarios for the game, either.[15][16][17] Refer to What Is Canon?.
Evangelion 2 started production around 1998 and was conceived as part of the Renewal of Evangelion project in 2002-2003, which saw the DVD remastered released of Eva and several other works at the time. Most, though not all of the game was voice acted by the original cast, and their acting script comprised of a then unprecedented 35 thousand words, making it larger than all other Evangelion games combined.[18] The later PSP version was also part of a campaign celebrating Evangelion's 10th birthday. According to game designer Hiroshi Shibamura, the "2" in the title is represented as an "S" to encapsulate the game both as a self-contained sequel to the series and to contemplate the plural "Evangelions", letting players make their own episodes.[19]
Alongside the Classified Information, it also had voiced guides on general Evangelion questions.[20] Besides the additional information, Evangelions also introduced a number of additions, like F-type Equipment, new weapons, and the final products of the Jet Alone project (as in some storylines, the A HUMAN WORK episode does not end in the cancellation of the Jet Alone project), all courtesy of series mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita,[21] and includes several "Scenarios", including of comedic value, that disregard canon. Only Scenario 01, one of Shinji's scenarios, follows the series' own storyline relatively closely.
Gameplay
The player controls the Eva walking around a large 2D map, until they run into an enemy. The player is then given a list of action commands which they can choose to attack the enemy. Once one of the action commands is chosen, a sequence will be shown, created by an in-game cutscene depicting the attack. This was one of the most praised elements of the game.
When not in combat, the player is able to explore some environments from the series, fully rendered in 3D, like most of NERV, Misato's apartment and more, and is able to choose fully voiced conversation options as in a visual novel manner, collect items, and interact with the environment. All characters active during a given scenario have a two-axis relationship stat towards every other character, which affects their behavior and responses. Characters have their own autonomous routines in the game world, which include needs like food, drink and sleep, as well as skills that can be improved. Most scenarios however include a limited selection of characters, many do not include Kaworu or the bridge bunnies, for instance. The game also has story arcs in which the player has a list of playable characters to choose from, to play as in the story mode. In the PSP version, the three main characters Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Soryu, are available from the start, with only Shinji available on the PS2 version. More are unlocked as various game events are triggered.
The PSP version, released later, includes additional content like more areas and characters compared to the earlier PS2 version. However, due to to the hardware limitations on Sony's portable console, it suffered the same fate as many other games of that generation, and the graphical and audio quality is diminished and there are less animations, as well as some cutscenes being removed and others added. Environments are also significantly less detailed. Some gameplay systems are more developed, others more streamlined. There is now a "Impulse" system for actions, which is essentially an action point system, as well as several quick time events.
PS2 Version Scenarios
- Translations of the Scenario Titles and descriptions by Sailor Star Dust
Scenario | Character | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Scenario 01 | Shinji Ikari | "Angel Attack" | Based on the events of the series, Shinji arrives in New Tokyo-3. (Battles happen out of order in this version of the Scenario). |
Scenario 02 | Asuka Langley Soryu | "Asuka arrives in Japan" | Living with Shinji and Misato, Asuka adjusts to Japanese life while being an Eva pilot. |
Scenario 03 | Rei Ayanami | "Rei, Beyond her Heart" | Rei questions her identity and discovers who she really is. |
Scenario 04 | Misato Katsuragi | "A Woman's Battle" | Misato has the feeling something strange is going on at Nerv and begins investigating. |
Scenario 05 | Shinji Ikari | "The Final Messenger" | This Scenario takes place during Episode 24 of the television series. |
Scenario 06 | Shinji Ikari | "Another World" | An endless Scenario that's unique to the PS2 version, Shinji is not an Eva pilot. He's just a regular junior high school student that lives with transfer student Asuka and their guardian Misato (Misato is the only adult in this scenario). This light-hearted touch is similar to the Girlfriend of Steel 2 universe, but the Scenario itself is still based on the personalities of the TV series characters. |
Scenario 07 | Toji Suzuhara | "Toji again" | Toji is an Eva Pilot and fights against the Mass Production Evangelions. |
Scenario 08 | Ryoji Kaji | "VS Seele" | Kaji investigates the mysteries of Seele and Nerv. (Kaji needs to obtain ALL the Classified Information files to complete this Scenario.) |
Scenario 09 | Kaworu Nagisa | "Angel Buster" | Kaworu becomes an Eva Pilot and discovers his true identity. |
Scenario 10 | Shinji Ikari | "Silver Muriatic Balance" | Will give more information once this Scenario is completed. |
Scenario 11 | Gendo Ikari | "Human Instrumentality Project" | Gendo attempts to reunite with his dead wife, Yui Ikari by causing Third Impact. |
PSP Version Scenarios
- Credit for PSP game information goes to Llenoard Pler's Another Cases FAQ
Scenario | Character | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
SCENARIO 01 | Shinji Ikari | "Angel, Attack" | This is the first Scenario you should play. It covers the whole series & movies story-line, and features plenty of tutorials. |
SCENARIO 02 | Shinji Ikari | "I like this world, though" | In this Scenario, Shinji must try to get along with every other character (except Pen Pen), so he can feel more comfortable with his life in New Tokyo-3. |
SCENARIO 03 | Rei Ayanami | "Rei, beyond the heart" | In this Scenario, you will control the Pilot of the EVA-00, Rei Ayanami. In order to clear her Scenario, she must have a good relationship with a character other than Gendo. |
SCENARIO 04 | Asuka Langley Soryu | "A kiss in a taboo place" | In this Scenario, you will control the Pilot of the EVA-02, Asuka. To clear Asuka's Scenario, you must battle specific Angels (as well as the Mass Production Evas). |
SCENARIO 05 | Misato Katsuragi | "A woman's fight" | Misato suspects that something fishy is going on at Nerv. She must discover Gendo's true goals to save the all of humanity from the Human Instrumentality Project. |
SCENARIO 06 | Gendo Ikari | "Human Instrumentality Project" | Gendo's dream is to reunite with his wife, Yui. But she is dead, so the only chance for Gendo is to go use Seele's Human Instrumentality Project for his own profit. |
SCENARIO 07 | Kozo Fuyutsuki | "The dream of a brightful day in the end" | Although Fuyutsuki is a rather secondary character in the series, he shared with Gendo the acknowledgment about most of Evangelion's deepest secrets. In this Scenario, he will undertake an investigation, trying to understand what happened to his love interest: Yui Ikari. Or is it an obsession? |
SCENARIO 08 | Ritsuko Akagi | "Ardent woman" | Ritsuko is jealous of Rei because Gendo spends a lot of time with her. So she plans a strategy: seducing other men (including Kaworu and Fuyutsuki), so Gendo starts feeling jealous too. |
SCENARIO 09 | Maya Ibuki | "The peak of the young grass" | Maya is very nervous and has problems eating. Maybe it has something to do with her Operator colleague, Shigeru Aoba. Or maybe it is because of the tasks that Ritsuko has just asked her to do, related to Nerv's deepest secrets... |
SCENARIO 10 | Makoto Hyuga | "Marvelous Sky" | Hyuga is in love with Misato. Despite considering Hyuga a good friend, she is more interested in Kaji, with whom she is investigating Nerv's deepest secrets. Because of this, Hyuga is worried abour his love interest. |
SCENARIO 11 | Shigeru Aoba | "Cobalt Sky" | When he was younger, at his college days, Aoba was the guitarist of a band called Cobalt Sky. Although he liked playing guitar, he felt like it was impossible to make a living. So he studied hard and started working as Operator at Nerv, forgetting about his old friends. |
SCENARIO 12 | Ryoji Kaji | "VS. Seele" | Kaji is a triple spy: he works for Seele (spying on Nerv), he works for Gendo (spying on Seele) but he also works on his own to uncover all the secrets. In his Scenario, you must get ALL the "Classified Information" files. That's right: all 4 levels of information for all 24 subjects. |
SCENARIO 13 | Toji Suzuhara | "Prudence of the heart" | Toji takes care of her little sister, who remains in the hospital, recovering from the wounds suffered after Sachiel's battle. Toji blames Shinji for his clumsy controls of the EVA-01, but he ignores what destiny has planned for him. Toji's scenario objective is to become an Eva pilot and defeat the Mass Production Eva Series. |
SCENARIO 14 | Kensuke Aida | "Waking up from the dream" | Uncover the secrets behind "EVAs' Development" and the "Marduk Institute", and become an EVA Pilot. But at what cost? *Toji dies near the end in this scenario, although it's from the battle with Zeruel. |
SCENARIO 15 | Hikari Horaki | "The person who watched the spring" | This Scenario is not very difficult, although there are lots of scenes to activate. It is a rather light-hearted Scenario, like a high school comedy. Hikari is in love with Toji, but he seems more concerned about an upcoming Evangelion activation experiment... |
SCENARIO 16 | Kaworu Nagisa | "Broken Wings" | Kaworu must discover who he really is and avoid causing the Third Impact. *Interestingly, this scenario takes place in a somewhat alternate universe: Kaworu is one of the first Angels to attack, classified as the third Angel, and is stopped by Toji and Shinji from reaching Terminal Dogma. |
SCENARIO 17 | Pen Pen | "Yet untouched by the hand of Humankind" | You can't leave Misato's home in this Scenario. PenPen was watching TV and saw the advert of a Pet Shop. PenPen asked Misato to buy a dog-like robot plush toy called Nuigurumi, because he wants to take care of this virtual pet. Therefore, Misato goes to the shop but Nuigurumi is too expensive. However, she is given a coupon sheet to take part on a raffle for various products from the Pet Shop. |
SCENARIO 18 | Shinji Ikari | "Silver Muriatic Balance" | You start living at Misato's apartment, and every character is already living at Tokyo-3, even Asuka, Kaji and Kaworu. But even if there's 5 Pilots at Nerv, it seems like Shinji aboard the EVA-01 will be the only one deployed in battle, so be prepared for some tough battles. The Angels appear at random order, and it looks like EVA-01 may turn Berserk more often. This scenario is something of an inverse of Shinji's Scenario 2 (characters are in poor relationship standings, low AT, the ending itself is negative). |
PS2 and PSP version differences
PS2 version
- This version includes the opening to the series with somewhat improved graphics and Evangelion Unit-01 being rendered in 3D.
- The ending credits theme is some lines from the CD version of Fly Me to the Moon.
- You can unlock all Scenarios using a code.
- The "Another World" and "The Final Messenger" Scenarios are only found in this version of the game.
- Action buttons are used to make choices when talking to another character.
More to come
PSP version
- The opening introduction is removed.
- The ending theme is the background piece A Void in the Dream from The End of Evangelion.
- To get newer Scenarios, you have to beat each one instead of using a code to unlock them
- Two new features, Impulse and the Success/Failure Pulse are introduced and incorporated into game play (they make you pay for actions in the game).
- The DefCon which keeps track of when the next battle will occur, is also introduced.
- Instead of using the actions buttons to choose commands, commands are in a drop down menu instead.
- The game play for the Scenarios is extended and improved.
- The overall layout for Free Turns, battles and other things (for instance, character images don't take up the whole screen anymore) are improved upon.
- Several new voice-overs are preformed by the seiyuu.
More to come
F Type Equipment
We hear about B and D Type Equipment in the series. A and C are never mentioned, and, when it came time to fabricate a merchandising gimmick for the NGE2 game, they skipped straight to F. The F Type Equipment is magenta-and-orange-colored armor that is placed on on top of EVA-01's normal purple armor. Yamashita — who designed this — was well aware of the problematic nature of the F Type Equipment's concept considering his statements in the January 2004 issue of Newtype USA.[22]
Notes
- A PSP version of the game, given the title Neon Genesis Evangelions: Tsukurareshi Sekai (Artificial World) - Another Cases was released in 2006 in Japan. It includes extras as well as game enhancements, such as a total of 18 game Scenarios (some modified or new ones), from the original 11 in the PS2 version.
- The game borrows a few things from the Evangelion manga and tweaks them slightly to fit better with the anime:
- For instance, when the power goes out at Nerv, if Kaworu has already arrived, he tells Rei "You are the same as me." Rei replies "I am me. I'm different from you." (During a chapter in volume the manga, Rei replies to Kaworu's statement with: "We may be similar, but are not the same.") Also in the same sequence, Shinji and Asuka are wandering around HQ together. This is borrowed from the manga chapter where Shinji and Asuka almost kiss.
- In the scene of the power going out at Nerv, it's implied that Kaji was responsible for this.
- Similar to the manga, in the Eva2 game Shinji (in his first Scenario, Angel Attack) lived with his Uncle and Aunt (instead of his teacher like in the anime).
- For instance, when the power goes out at Nerv, if Kaworu has already arrived, he tells Rei "You are the same as me." Rei replies "I am me. I'm different from you." (During a chapter in volume the manga, Rei replies to Kaworu's statement with: "We may be similar, but are not the same.") Also in the same sequence, Shinji and Asuka are wandering around HQ together. This is borrowed from the manga chapter where Shinji and Asuka almost kiss.
- Although Toji and Kaworu never meet in the series, the Eva2 game portrays them as not getting along--mainly on Toji's end.
- Before the PS2 release, Kikkawa Kabao illustrated two spoof manga in Shonen Ace-A:
- "Part I - Shinji's Case"
- "Part II - Asuka's Case"
- This game is currently being translated by Evageeks. Progress is slow due to the need to reverse engineer the game and the large amounts of text and image-based text. [23]
References
- ↑ The game's credits only cite "GAINAX" and "Hideaki Anno" as "general supervisor". This is the same generic attribution given to several derivative material like artbooks, and sometimes even merchandise - it's essentially just an acknowledgement of who's the intelectual property owner and management. Because Gainax still owned the rights, they were still being credited in projects such as these, even after the original Eva staff, including Anno, had already left Gainax and moved to Khara, for almost a decade during this interim. In recent years, this has shifted to Khara after it has fully acquired IP rights from the now semi-defunct Gainax. Taking into account the other sources from the game's website, it seems safe to assume his involvement was limited to consulting for the interviews. See this thread for more details.
- ↑ Alpha Systems (the developers of the game) claim the information in the Classified Information files is reliable, while Gainax themselves states all the information fans need to know is already available in the show and films: "Enough information has been provided in the TV series and film. These are just the settings established for the game". So while the CI themselves might be considered reliable, the many alternative scenarios should probably be disconsidered much like the many alternative scenarios present in other licenced video games and visual novels. - http://forum.evageeks.org/post/368618/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#368618
- ↑ "To solve the mysteries you must understand the world of Eva itself The Eva 2 game draws you into the world of Eva once again. During production, the developers did their best to understand everything about Eva, and tried to incorporate what they learned into the game. Without their efforts, it would've been impossible to re-create the world of Eva. Hiroshi Shibamura of Alfa System prepared a thick questionnaire and conducted an interview with Hideaki Anno, the director of both the TV series and the films, that lasted more than ten hours. The interview included questions such as, "What do you think about each of the Gundam series?" (to help program the "Anno AI" in the game) and "What was the first Angel?" (to further understand the story behind Eva). Director Anno and his staff answered the questions frankly, and the game reflects that. However, it won't be easy to find answers. The quickest way to gather clues is to play the game repeatedly in as many different roles as possible. There are some deceptive characters, such as Gendou (you can never tell whether he's telling the truth). And after all of the hard work, much of the information obtained may turn out to be contradictory or just plain false. That is because a correct answer from the standpoint of one particular character isn't necessarily correct from the standpoint of another. On the other hand, mystery-solving is only a part of it. Instead of trying so hard to find the right answers, just keep playing around in the puzzling world of Eva to discover clues about the "Official Answer," which GAINAX is said to have presented in the game." - Newtype USA Jan 2004
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040805092501fw_/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/fr_01.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060509225658/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/life.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20071011062217/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/product_introduction.html
- ↑ "There are times when Asuka and Shinji fight, but there are also times when they are very much in love. If you can freely create such a situation, the game will become much more interesting. Simply having a lovey-dovey relationship isn't interesting at all."
Example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but they suddenly have an argument and Shinji runs away from home. Asuka is devastated and makes a lot of mistakes in battle. Later, they become friends and end the story with a kiss.
For example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but when Shinji has a friendly moment with Hikari, they argue, and Shinji's true feelings are only for Asuka,
https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035324/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/text_conquest/mel015x.cgi - ↑ Alpha Systems (the developers of the game) claim the information in the Classified Information files is reliable, while Gainax themselves states all the information fans need to know is already available in the show and films: "Enough information has been provided in the TV series and film. These are just the settings established for the game". So while the CI themselves might be considered reliable, the many alternative scenarios should probably be disconsidered much like the many alternative scenarios present in other licenced video games and visual novels. - http://forum.evageeks.org/post/368618/Reconsidering-the-NGE2-PS2-P-Games-Canonicity/#368618
- ↑ http://www.cjas.org/~echen/articles/spring97/05_03b.html
- ↑ To solve the mysteries you must understand the world of Eva itself The Eva 2 game draws you into the world of Eva once again. During production, the developers did their best to understand everything about Eva, and tried to incorporate what they learned into the game. Without their efforts, it would've been impossible to re-create the world of Eva. Hiroshi Shibamura of Alfa System prepared a thick questionnaire and conducted an interview with Hideaki Anno, the director of both the TV series and the films, that lasted more than ten hours. The interview included questions such as, "What do you think about each of the Gundam series?" (to help program the "Anno AI" in the game) and "What was the first Angel?" (to further understand the story behind Eva). Director Anno and his staff answered the questions frankly, and the game reflects that.However, it won't be easy to find answers. The quickest way to gather clues is to play the game repeatedly in as many different roles as possible. There are some deceptive characters, such as Gendou (you can never tell whether he's telling the truth). And after all of the hard work, much of the information obtained may turn out to be contradictory or just plain false. That is because a correct answer from the standpoint of one particular character isn't necessarily correct from the standpoint of another. On the other hand, mystery-solving is only a part of it. Instead of trying so hard to find the right answers, just keep playing around in the puzzling world of Eva to discover clues about the "Official Answer," which GAINAX is said to have presented in the game. - Newtype USA, Jan 2004
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20040805092501fw_/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/fr_01.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060509225658/http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/eva2/life.html
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20071011062217/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/product_introduction.html
- ↑ "There are times when Asuka and Shinji fight, but there are also times when they are very much in love. If you can freely create such a situation, the game will become much more interesting. Simply having a lovey-dovey relationship isn't interesting at all."
Example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but they suddenly have an argument and Shinji runs away from home. Asuka is devastated and makes a lot of mistakes in battle. Later, they become friends and end the story with a kiss.
For example: Shinji and Asuka have a kissing relationship, but when Shinji has a friendly moment with Hikari, they argue, and Shinji's true feelings are only for Asuka,
https://web.archive.org/web/20071018035324/http://www.alfasystem.net/game/eva2/text_conquest/mel015x.cgi - ↑ The game's credits only cite "GAINAX" and "Hideaki Anno" as "general supervisor". This is the same generic attribution given to several derivative material like artbooks, and sometimes even merchandise - it's essentially just an acknowledgement of who's the intelectual property owner and management. Because Gainax still owned the rights, they were still being credited in projects such as these, even after the original Eva staff, including Anno, had already left Gainax and moved to Khara, for almost a decade during this interim. In recent years, this has shifted to Khara after it has fully acquired IP rights from the now semi-defunct Gainax. Taking into account the other sources from the game's website, it seems safe to assume his involvement was limited to consulting for the interviews. See this thread for more details.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070219222645/http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/backnum2003.html
- ↑ For the latter half of his research. Yamashita took a controller and played the game himself. What did he think of it "I thought it was the kind of game that every player could use to supplement their personal concept of Eva if they're able to do all the things they can do [in the game], then even if the ending doesn't quite turn out like they expected, they'll still be able to accept it for what it is. - The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)
- ↑ From planning to completion, Eva 2 was more than five years in the making. If you were to make a printout of the entire game script, it would fill several dozen cardboard boxes. The whole thing has been checked through several times to make sure the characters all sound natural. The care and effort expended on the voice quality is incredible. The acting script-which approaches 35,000 words !- was created so that the sound came through in full voice. That way, players would be able to completely immerse themselves in the game. The new voice actors were called in separately for a series of recording sessions that took well over half a month of gruelling 12 hour days, seven days a week! - The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)
- ↑ 『エヴァンゲリオン2』完成記念!庵野監督と芝村氏が明かす『エヴァ2』の世界
- ↑ Simple questions that any ordinary viewer would have about Evangelion are narrated. Five young voice actors were entrusted with the task of giving voice to these questions. This is the acting script for Pen-Pen! The same types of phrases are repeated over and over, but depending on Pen-Pen's mood, the intonation will vary in subtle ways. The acting script alone towers more than a foot high. All kinds of scenarios are included, from game events to character-specific scripts. In total, there are 26 folders-so many that they ran out of colors to code them with!' When the voice of Yuko Miyamura is added, the commercial is complete. She screams out in Asuka's voice: "So, what the hell WAS Eva, anyway?!" It's really weird how naturally the whole commercial came together. "It felt both strange and new at the same time. I feel I was very lucky to have run into this role at the start of my career as a voice actress," says Miyamura. - The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)
- ↑ The Eva designed to be recognizable as an Eva even in silhouette, but if you were to stick on some armor it wouldn't look like an Eva anymore. We heve to keep the same distinctive pinched-in waist and slender shape of the Eva. 5o I thought it might be best if I just made it look like parts were added on here and there after the fact." The new armor that emerged was [...] comparison to the more organic appearance of the Eva Unit 01. "I drew the F-type according to the usual principles of robot design, as it does look powerful. But it probably doesn't have the same shock value that the Unit O1 had -how you felt (your image of robots been) almost betrayed when you first saw it" - The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)]
- ↑ The Truth After Ten Years, Newtype USA (01/2004)
- ↑ Forum Thread