Get Ready!A fast-paced Mecha Game by Sega. Most of the Humongous Mecha designs are by Hajime Katoki, one of the more famous mecha designers for many Mobile Suit Gundam series'.Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Operation Moongate, known as VOOM or OMG for short, was first released in the arcades in a large double sit-down cabinet with a distinctive twin-stick control set. The story is that a series of malfunctions has caused a computer on the Moon armed with a planet-killingWave Motion Gun to go rogue. In an attempt to raise the forces to fight this menace, the government sends a number of remote operational terminals into the past, in the hopes that someone in the past (such as you, the reader) would have the skills to pilot a mecha into the moonbase and stop the Rogue AI. It was given a Sega Saturn release, which stripped down the framerate but added a versus mode, a PC release which instead of framerate stripped down the graphics, and an Updated Rerelease for the PS2 as part of the Sega Ages Collection. The PS2 version is considered the best release yet, as it contains several new features not present in the original versions, as well as better graphics, crisper sound quality, new extra modes (including one where you can play as the final boss), and a new Bonus Boss in the form of the Original Fei-Yen, which is permanently in Hyper Mode without the health loss and can only be accessed if you beat the first 8 (9 if you fought Jaguarandi) mechs in under 9 minutes. It can still be found in many arcades, so they might still need our help. What are you waiting for? Get cracking! Your great-great(etc...) grandchildren are depending on you!Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, the sequel, reveals that the whole mess on the moon was just a distraction from a splinter group within a powerful Mega-Corporation to allow them to break away from their parent company. Now the two are fighting over several mecha plants in the hope of finding the missing Tangram, a supercomputer that is said to have the power to alter reality. Strangely, VOOT is very rare in many places. For example, some reports that only two arcade machines were ever shipped to the United States. It had a much wider release for the Sega Dreamcast, and even without the twin sticks it is still a very fun game. It is the fastest of the series, and by far the most popular. Oratorio Tangram comes in four flavors: v.5.2, the first release, v.5.4, which updated the interface and fixed many bugs, v.5.45 for the Dreamcast, a port of 5.4 which adds several arenas from Operation Moongate, and finally v.5.66 for the arcade, which featured three new variant mechs, all the extra stages from the DC version, and switched the software to the NAOMI board used in many Sega games today which updated the sound and graphic quality. An Xbox Live Arcade version of Oratorio Tangram was released on April 29 for 1200 Microsoft Points/$15. It's based on the 5.66 revision and features online multiplayer, a color edit mode, and enhanced HD graphics, as well as a tutorial and custom button configuration.Cyber Troopers Virtual On: FORCE, codenamed VO4, was the 3rd installment. The action was slower than in Oratorio Tangram (This was justified in the story that a reaction on the planet Mars made the non-native-built mecha move slower), but featured four-player simultaneous play in 2-on-2 battles. The game is considered a step back from Oratan, and was not well received. Not to mention there is a much lesser number of mechs to choose. To make up for this, they gave the mechs several different variants, but all this did was make the game even more confusing and annoying. On December 21, 2010, the game was re-released on the Xbox360 much like Oratan, but this time as a region-free retail game. It includes a brand-new mission mode which is essentially MARZ' (read below) campaign stripped of a storyline.Cyber Troopers Virtual On: MARZ for the PS2 is essentially a single-player version of FORCE. While including a story mode which fleshes out the nature of the VO universe, MARZ unfortunately stripped down the gameplay even further in several aspects (especially thanks to limitations on the PS2), causing fans of the earlier three entries in the series to completely disown this game. Your Mileage May Vary, however.The series made a notable appearance in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, with the Jack-of-All-Stats Temjin (Strangely piloted by the Mission Control character from MARZ), Robot Girl Fei-Yen the Knight (piloted by the second Mission Control character from MARZ and the Fei-Yen series' supposed creator) and Ace Custom mecha Apharmd the Hatter (piloted by the Hot Blooded Sergeant Hatter) are playable characters. They also appear in Super Robot Wars K for the Nintendo DS, which actually incorporates MARZ's story.This series includes examples of:
Attack Drone - The Bal series. Deconstructed in a way; the series require a lot of manipulation and, because of this, are really hard for most people to use and demonstrates exactly how complicated Attack Drones can be (for a human. The computer, on the other hand...).
Bal-Bas-Bow's funnels/arms cannot be controlled by the player, making him really vulnerable to enemy attacks once they're deployed and shooting the wrong side of the arena.
Beam-O-War - To prevent the enemies weapons from hitting you.
Beam Spam - Raiden series, one of Grys-Vok's variants in VOOT 5.56.
BFG - Temjin's beam rifle/sword in most games, Raiden has shoulder-mounted beam cannons that were originally the main guns of battleships, Grys-Vok can launch nukes, etc...
In Operation Moongate, Z-Gradt has one. It has a barrel diameter that is about the size of Raiden.
Bonus Boss - Several, but the most omnipresent is Jaguarandi, a giant, mutated Raiden that is actually a fatal error in the MSBS system that punishes players who win by Time Over. There's also the original Fei-Yen (exclusive to the PS2 version), A-Jim (a crystalline mecha), and its mate Guerlain.
Jaguarandi actually takes the 1P color scheme of the mech the player is using, and uses a variety of weapons that are also used by other Virtua-Roids, especially those of Raiden and Bal Bas Bow.
It is actually more appropriate to call Jaguarandi and A-Jim penalty bosses; the original Fei-Yen is a true Bonus Boss, though.
Child Prodigy - Lilin Plajina, developer of LLN series was just little girl when she built Original Fei Yen.
The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard - It's been noted that while the Bal series mechs are generally very difficult to play with for players, the computer always seems to know how to abuse them just right.
Computer Voice - The loading screens in Operation Moongate.
Cosplay - Fei-yen, which has had several different outfits over the games and even more outside of them. Some people go a step further, such as this. The Nanoha one is particularly fitting since it can be called "Fei-Yen with Raging Heart."
Da Chief - MARZ Chief, who relays mission instructions to the player in MARZ. In Super Robot Wars, he's retconned into piloting Temjin himself (and when asked for his name, he simply that "Chief" is good enough).
In some way, the White Knight resembles a Hi-Nu Gundam in its look.
Who are we kidding? Temjin is R-1, Raiden is R-2, and Fei-Yen is R-3. Too bad virtuaroids can't combine.
Raiden resembles Doms, and has very likely inspired Tieria's Virtue and Seravee in Gundam 00.
The Viper series are compared to the Variable Fighters in Macross, and their Limit Break is a direct homage to Kamille's wave rider charge in Zeta Gundam.
Kagekiyo is strikingly similar to the Musha Gundam concept.
Face Heel Turn - Sgt. Hatter, who runs off half-cocked when he gets sick of the Chief keeping secrets from him, only to turn up later to challenge the player, having not learned of the Conspiracy Redemption and still thinking that MARZ is in the wrong. If the player runs low on health during the second to last stage, Hatter reappears in a Big Damn Heroes moment, having pulled a Heel Face Turn.
Fem Bot - Fei-Yen and Angelan series, Guarayakha, the Rose Sisters.
Game-Breaking Bug - In the PC version of Operation Moon Gate, running head on into Belgdor can cause your mech to get stuck in Belgdor. This changes your screen to entirely light blue, and the round never ends because you can't hit Belgdor and Belgdor cannot hit you and the timer breaks.
Glass Cannon - Bal-Bas-Bow. Z-Gradt with his cannon deployed. Raiden in VOOT has a move that blows off all his armor, making it faster but naturally more fragile. Angelan is one, too.
Also the Belgdor, which, while possessed of reliable, long range homing missiles as a primary weapon, is quite sluggish, not exactly great in middle to close combat, and is one stiff breeze away from being blown off its feet and knocked down, leaving it vulnerable to even more damage.
Gratuitous English - The infamous "GET READY!" message. There's also the endings of Oratorio Tangram and Force, which give a little eulogy for your mech.
Those are actually the mangled lyrics to the songs "Everyone Everywhere" and "Just For A Moment", respectively.
The mangled lyrics at the end of Force (ending with the phrase 'What more can be said?') originally came from the King Crimson song "Model Man"
Sgt. Hatter loves using such phrases as "YES!" "COME ON!" and "CONGRATULATION!"
Joke Character - The completely useless Vox variants Lee and Loo. Lee has nothing but a weak gun. Loo only has a set of missles that have been described as "About as damaging as throwing a toilet paper roll at somebody".
From Oratorio Tangram 5.66 we have the 10/80 Special. It's basically a modified Temjin that plays like the original Operation Moongate version. The pros? It has much better control, and is faster than the original. The cons? It cannot airdash, lacks special moves except the Gliding Ram, and has much weaker attacks.
Kikuko Inoue - Believe it or not, Tangram is actually female, and as the famed Yamato Nadeshiko portrayer as her voice.
Lag Cancel - Players can cancel jumps and attacks. If timed rightly, this can go from saving a token to feed the arcade machine, to completely running riot over enemy Virtuaroids.
Mad Scientist - Dr. Yzerman created Kagekiyo by trapping human souls in a VR.
He is also responsible for the creation of the Viper series, infamous for their SLC (She's Lost Control) charge. And Specineff series which has device feed on the pilot's negative emotions.
Magical Girl - The Fei-Yen and Angelan series, as well as Guarayakha are rather blatantly patterned after them, right down to the cutesy, magic-style attacks.
Mecha Expansion Pack - Grys-Vok, Stein-Vok, and the Vox series are all basically one mech (Pretty much the Vox Lee mentioned above) with various weapon combinations mounted on its back and sides.
Mega Corp - The DN Group and its descendants DNA and RNA.
Mighty Glacier - Dorkas and its descendants, Dordray and Vox. Also the Raiden with its armor.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero - Lilin Plajina try to get rid of Jaguarandi, consider as an annoying "bug" in M.S.B.S network at time, by using Guarayakha to contain it. While it seem to work, now Jaguarandi can manifest itself in physical world using Guarayakha and its replica.
No Export for You - FORCE and, until the Xbox Live release, Oratorio Tangram ver. 5.66
No Fourth Wall / I Know Mortal Kombat - Apparently, the original arcade game itself is actually a control module sent from the future. You playing it is actually participating in the battles.
Unfortunately, MARZ broke this essential part that made the series fun.
Non-Standard Game Over: Have more health than Z-Gradt or Tangram when time's up? Congratulations, you've just let the planet-killing superweapon/reality-destroying supercomputer win.
One-Hit Kill - Most Virtua-Roids can do this in close-combat mode if timed right. Jaguarandi can all the time.
Paint It Black - After pulling his Face Heel Turn, Sgt. Hatter has his Apharmd repainted from the MARZ standard blue/white coloring to a new dark blue/red one.
Shadow Temjin.
Panty Shot - Later models of Fei-Yen. These also feature various breast plate sizes in a rare mecha version of Form-Fitting Wardrobe, shared with Angelan. This is explicitly pointed out in one of the CG artbooks included with one of Hasegawa's 1:100 Fei-Yen model kits.
As of May 31st, 2011, immortalized in the flesh in Hasegawa's newest limited release model kit: the TF-12 B/C+ "Fei Yen with Blue Heart/Panic Heart+ [Fetish]". Yes, the 'fetish' is actually part of the kit's name...includes decals for the Flesh Refoe color scheme, parts for the various chest variants, the bigger ass of the G65-model, and Commander Model headwear, as shown in this image◊.
Player and Protagonist Integration - You Are You in the single-player campaign in every series, but in MARZ, an Advisor protagonist is added as your superior.
Razor Wind - Several Energy Weapons used by the Virtuaroids are capable of launching energy variations of this.
Rocket Punch - Several members of the Vox series can launch their melee weapon-equipped arms at enemies.
Super Prototype - Original Fei Yen is much more powerful than her production model. Justified since she's sentient and eventually runaway from Lilin's lab.
Super Robot - Truthfully, the game kind of blurs the line between Super and Real Robot. Some mecha, like Temjin and the Viper series, are very much like Real Robots, but then you have the Sailor Moon-like Fei-Yen, and Angelan, which can summon giant Ice dragons and send them to attack you.
It almost one-shotsViper II. Of course, that's assuming you're firing the regular standing laser. The dashing and air varieties are significantly weaker.
Z-Gradt's main cannon in the original game can take off at least half of your health.
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