If Geppy-X looks familiar, that's because it originally launched exclusively in Japan for the original PlayStation on March 27, 1999. More than two decades later, this remastered release finally brings the game to audiences around the world. Along with quality-of-life improvements like rewind, save states, faster loading, achievements, CRT filters, and localized subtitles in multiple languages, the developers also went back to the original Betacam master tapes to restore over 8,000 hand-drawn animation frames, allowing the anime sequences to play in their original 24fps.
Check out the first 30 minutes of... Geppy-X:
The Episodic Format is a win!
One of the game's biggest strengths is its presentation. The animated robot assembly sequences are a lot of fun to watch, and the TV episode format—complete with opening themes, previews, commercials, and ending credits—gives Geppy-X a unique identity that stands out from many modern releases. It genuinely feels like you're watching a lost super robot anime from decades ago before grabbing the controller for the next battle.
Bringing classic games into the modern era is always a balancing act.
Developers have to preserve what longtime fans remember while making the experience appealing to today's players, and for the most part, Geppy-X succeeds. The ability to instantly switch between its three combat forms, the quality-of-life features, original Japanese voice cast, the nostalgic anime soundtrack, and bonus unlockable modes all make this release feel like more than a simple... re-release.
Worthwhile Updates
That said, there are a few areas where I think the experience could be improved. Scene transitions can feel abrupt, whereas smoother ones would help the overall experience. Considering the impressive effort that went into restoring the animations, I'd also love to see another pass on certain in-game visuals, particularly some boss characters and gameplay assets. I'm not criticizing the retro art style itself—that's part of the game's charm—but a little more visual refinement would help the gameplay better match the quality of the beautifully restored animation. Ideally, if they were to do a full remake or a sequel to make a series moving forward, I'd love to see the art style from cutscene to gameplay feel almost seamless. That's not a knock towards this release, but for the road ahead it would be a nice. (Cuphead pulls this off masterfully.)
+ Sophi
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