View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCS site.

The introduction to TR1 kicks off with a rock song and Sumner runs to school in a military uniform. A montage of the other characters in the game follow such as Ruli-1 and Ruli-2 (aka Ruri) along with a glimpse of an LFO. After starting the game, the following options pop up:

New Game / Start a new adventure
Continue / Resume an adventure in progress
File Load / Load a data file from memory card
Option / Set Sound, Vibration, BGM and SE volumes, and contrast

Upon starting the game, the camera takes in a view of tiered grassy fields. Sumner steps in front of a black/white colored mech with a cannon mounted on its left shoulder. The camera soon zooms in on a concrete arena where two LBO mechs are grappling. After a while, control is handed over to the player and a short introductory battle ensues between Sumner and a girl named Ruli 2.

FIGHTING CONTROLS
L-ANALOG / Movement of mech
X-BUTTON / Thrust
O-BUTTON / Melee attack
R1-TRIGGER / Transform from robot to low-lying vehicle
SQUARE / Guard
TRIANGLE / Fire laser blast

After the battle, Ruli 2 emerges from the mech and the protagonist goes to class where he is introduced to his new classmates. After some banter, the player is given the freedom to explore the commissary area of the installation. A local area map is located on the lower left portion of the screen which keeps track of the player's location and highlights objects of interest. In the lounge, there's an area to buy power-ups and also a refreshments area with a refrigerator, a beverage dispenser, and a vending machine that sells White Apple Juice.

To exit from the area, talk to the male classmate who stands in the middle of the room. When he asks if you want to save your progress, highlight the top option and you'll be given a chance to save a data file to memory card.

After saving, the scene changes back to the concrete arena where a number of training sessions ensue. The first training session seats the gamers in a mech that's already in vehicle mode. Follow the Japanese instructions on screen to perform simple tasks such as braking the car after reaching a certain amount of speed, accelerate to 150km/h with the booster, and change to robot.

In car mode, the commands are:
L-Analog / Push up for thrust, pull back for brakes, and move side to side to maneuver
X-BUTTON / Booster
O-BUTTON / Spin and flail move
R1-TRIGGER / Change to robot mode
SQUARE / Hard brake
TRIANGLE / Cannon fire

Once the training mission is done, a bout against a fellow student ensues where the two mechs use all the lessons taught to do battle. Still later in the game, players are introduced to the curious sport of "reffing" where one rides "transparence light particles" on a snowboard-like plank. Press R1 to leap on the board and then "X" to zoom into grassy steppes and platforms of green.

After bumping into an object such as a gate or a pole, the player will tumble off the board and fall in an awkward looking sprawl. Its a simple task however to get back on the board and zoom again. The goal in the first surfing practice run is to surf into poster-board targets marked with concentric circles and then quickly swerve and brake to destroy them. By pressing and holding the "SQUARE" button and then wagging the L-Analogue, various tricks may be performed such as Left Spins for 360° and 720°, Right Spins, Overhead Flips, and other gnarly tricks.

Conclusion
Eureka Seven is something we'd term a fusion game. There's interaction scenarios, adventure elements, mech fighting, surfboarding, and hardware upgrades which is set inside an interesting universe of characters and circumstances.

Bonus
Every copy of the game is bundled with a 60-min DVD which contains a specially made episode of the animation for the PS2.

This document is ©NCSX 2005. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.