Gungrave
Encyclopedia
is a PlayStation 2
third-person shooter
video game developed by Red Entertainment
and published by Sega
. The game debuted on July 17, 2002 in Japan
, September 16, 2002 in North America
and November 29, 2002 in the United Kingdom
. Gungrave follows its main character through a variety of stages on a path of revenge.
While the game play received moderate reviews, Gungrave's acclaim comes from the character designs provided by series creator Yasuhiro Nightow
(Trigun
) and mechanical designs provided by Kōsuke Fujishima
(Oh My Goddess!
series, You're Under Arrest series, Sakura Wars
series). Both artist's respective styles helped give the game a distinct feel, which (along with fan support) helped Gungrave translate from a video game to an anime
series.
, Devil May Cry
, Tomb Raider
), but focuses entirely on combat and forgoes the puzzle solving aspects of some of its forebears. The player advances through hallway-like stages, but has a free range of motion in these areas. Gungrave sets the player in an environment reminiscent of games like Final Fight
or Double Dragon
, in that the player confronts wave after wave of fighters en route to an end-level boss. Combat varies between gunplay with enemies at a distance and simple melee combat at close range, and the game rates the amount of flair the player uses to destroy everyone and every thing in sight.
Beyond the Grave is equipped with a damage-absorbing energy shield that can absorb a large amount of damage in addition to his life bar. This shield appears as a blue bar alongside Beyond the Grave's life bar in the game's heads-up display. When the shield is fully depleted, the player is highly vulnerable and further damage reduces the character's health level rapidly. However, the shield will recharge fully if no damage is sustained for a brief period of time.
By performing well during stages, the player can unlock special attacks such as machine guns or rockets launched from the coffin
on Beyond the Grave's back. These can be used by charging the beat meter which is represented by a skull on the top left corner of the game's heads-up display. To build the beat meter, Beyond the Grave must perform combos sometimes numbering in hundreds of hits (destroying enemies or practically anything in the game environment). Strategy is required in setting up combos that are as long and devastating as possible, which helps to carry on the over-the-top action of the game.
Stages and some important events within stages are separated by anime cut-scenes featuring art by Nightow. This is where the game's story takes place. Characters are expanded on and the player is given back story that is not obvious through gameplay alone.
Cerberus — Beyond the Grave's twin handguns, named for the three-headed hound of Hades
. Grave has an unlimited amount of ammo with these, and never has to reload. If the player allows Grave to stand still during a fight, he will begin to target and shoot every available target on screen without looking.
Coffin —Beyond the Grave carries a tremendous (though technically small, as it is not the size to hold a body) metal coffin on his back which contains a variety of weapons that can be only used as special attacks. Grave can also use the coffin to strike nearby enemies, and if timed correctly deflect projectiles fired from a distance, destroying the enemy that fired them. The manner in which Grave carries and uses the coffin bears a strong resemblance to the cross carried by the wandering priest Wolfwood in Nightow's manga series, Trigun
. It is also directly inspired by the 1966 movie Django
in which the main character carries a coffin with a Gatling gun
inside.
The Coffin contains all of the same weapons as the trio of Mariachi in Desperado
, which Grave (at the beginning of each mission) retrieves his handguns from like El, has a missile launcher (in which he strikes the same pose when firing as the Quino) and the Gatling/machine gun that Campa held.
Demolition Shots — Special attacks performed using the coffin that consume levels from the Beat Meter. They can help the player get through sticky situations. These attacks exemplify the over-the-top style for which the creators are known. There are four offensive techniques in all, along with the option of regaining health using the beat meter. The first offensive technique is available at the start of the game, and the other three are unlockable through good performance during stages.
Graveyard Special — Starting with Bob Poundmax in stage three, when a boss is near death, the skull at the top of the screen begins to glow and the player is given the option to perform a special fatality demolition shot. These usually break away from the fight for a special animation of Grave launching an extravagant attack. This consumes a demolition shot and can be performed only against a boss's final form. Each successive use of these techniques performs a different attack which build off the previous one.
Stages in the game are presented as missions issued by Dr. T, and follow Grave as he hunts down the boss of that stage. Settings include a bar, a lab, the subway, and even a traditional Japanese dojo set atop a sky scraper. These environments are complemented or contrasted by the urban environment that surrounds them.
against Big Daddy, the leader of the Millennion organization, and his daughter Mika needs to find someone that can protect her and stop Harry's mad plans. The occupants of this warehouse include a kindly looking old doctor, and a man with a notable scar on his face. Mika arrives, and the man with the scar claims the contents of the case: two massive handguns. That man is revealed to be the game's title character Grave, and now that he is armed he can start his mission.
Gungrave first approaches its stages as a series of missions issued by Dr. T, first to gather information on the current makeup of Millennion from a low-level street gang, and next destroying a research facility that creates Harry's undead soldiers. In the third stage, while attempting to pump information from an informant, Grave comes into contact with the leadership of the Millenion organization—once friends and allies that he now faces as enemies. Each have used the research Harry supported to give themselves inhuman powers. From here on, Grave is hounded by each member as he makes his way to Harry's tower at the heart of the city.
As the player progresses, the game uses anime cutscenes to reflect on the history of young Brandon and Harry, gradually bringing the pair's back story into focus. Close friends, the two had both become lieutenants in the Millennion organization, working directly under Big Daddy, the group's leader. Brandon shared a bond with Big Daddy and some flashbacks show the two sharing more of a father-son relationship. Brandon even let Big Daddy marry the woman he loved so that she could find a better life, but the two remained close. Not content with the power he had been given, Harry asked Brandon to help him kill Big Daddy so that he could take over. When Brandon refused, Harry shot his friend in the left eye, killing him. Fifteen years later, Harry carried out his coup. His actions as leader inspired Dr. T to revive Brandon who was the only person capable of stopping Harry. Dr. T's connection to all of this is not made clear, but he often makes comments that indicate some connection to Brandon's former life.
Grave picks apart the leadership of Millennion to make his way to Harry. At the top of the tower that Harry uses as a headquarters, it is revealed that Big Daddy still lives in the form of a twisted monster. Harry forces Grave to fight his creation, and following the final battle, Harry accepts his defeat graciously and allows his friend to kill him.
With Harry defeated, Mika's protection becomes Grave's only concern, and the two ride off into the sunset together.
Gungrave opens shortly after his resurrection, fifteen years after his death. Throughout the game Grave's past is told through the use of flashbacks in the form of anime cutscenes as Grave recovers his memories. Grave is a silent protagonist, receiving his mission and carrying it out without a word. As a result of his transformation into an undead soldier, his body must be sustained by periodic blood tranfusions or else he becomes weak and his body will collapse.
Grave is also one of the very few Deadmen who possesses a sense of self and will of his own.
Brandon entered the organization with his friend Harry and both shared a strong bond from their childhood. While a member of Millennion, Brandon also shared a bond with Big Daddy, looking up to him as a father. Eventually, Brandon was forced to choose between supporting Harry in a coup or protecting the group's leader; he is killed for deciding not to side with his friend.
The kindly yet enigmatic Dr. T is Grave's main source of support throughout the game. He both provides Grave with information that he acquires through his own channels and provides Grave with treatments that sustains his body. The doctor has a connection to Brandon from his time in Millennion and has his own reasons for wanting to see the group see its end. The doctor's connection is that he was the lead researcher for Harry's undead soldier program. During the intermission sequences, the player can choose to let Dr. T talk and provide some information about the upcoming stage and reflect on the past until his death while Grave is in the middle of a blood transfusion.
Mika Asagi -
The thirteen year old daughter of Grave's former love, Maria and Big Daddy . Mika seeks out Grave for protection after her parents' deaths and provides Grave with his guns so that he can set out. During the intermission sequences of the game, the player can choose to let Mika talk about current events and things that her mother told her about Brandon and Millennion. After the death of Dr. T, Mika picks up where he left off and attempts to support Grave over a two way radio.
Over the course of the game it comes to light as to why this girl is someone precious and important to Grave—a promise between Maria and him (when he was still Brandon) to look after and protect her child, one of the few memories Grave retains of his past life.
Maria was Brandon's sweetheart when they were young. She is also Mika's mother. After his entrance into Millennion, Brandon rejected her so that she would go to Big Daddy and be provided for. The two still remained close, and she took care of the Cerberus after Brandon's murder. She told her daughter that if there was ever a grave situation where her life was in danger, she should seek out the man that can use them for protection. The game opens after her death.
Bob Poundmax -
This extremely heavy-set and boorish man is the first member of the Millennion leadership to challenge Grave. His first reaction to seeing Grave is to berate him for the ingratitude he now shows towards the group he once dedicated his life to (ignoring that this is also how he met his demise). In his second form, Bob resembles Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
from the original 1984 Dune film
.
Balladbird Lee
Grave's second opponent, Lee is responsible for killing Dr. T and kidnapping Mika in order to lure Grave into a trap. His primary concern seems to be avenging Bob Poundmax. Initially, Lee appears to be an Asian male wearing clothes that are Chinese in style. His overkill mode resembles the Violator
from Todd McFarlane
's Spawn
.
Bear Walken -
Grave's third opponent, Bear Walken, resides in a dojo built on the roof of an office building. Bear is an older man and solidly built. After Grave reaches the top, the serene atmosphere belies the fight that is to come. He transforms into his first attack form and levels everything on the rooftop immediately after greeting Grave.
Bunji Kugashira -
Once Grave's student and trusted friend, Bunji became Harry's second-in-command in Grave's absence. Bunji is extremely similar to Grave, right down to fighting style. He wants nothing more than to duel with his rival. Physically, he bears a passing resemblance to Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Bunji does not transform into Overkill Mode like the three bosses before him, but does not need to (it's said that he is always in overkill mode, just that his body doesn't change).
Big Daddy -
Once the leader of Millennion, Gungrave starts shortly after the coup that ended his reign. Big Daddy is shown scarcely through cut scenes, but it is apparent that he was close to Brandon. He helped to raise Maria, and the two were eventually wed. In a cutscene, he says that he has achieved all that he had ever wanted to, and now wants to enjoy his success with his wife and unborn daughter.
stylings of creators Yasuhiro Nightow
(of Trigun
fame) and Kōsuke Fujishima
(of Oh My Goddess!
and You're Under Arrest fame) gave the game a very distinct and unique look and feel that impressed many game critics and anime fans.
Music Information
Anime Information
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
video game developed by Red Entertainment
Red Entertainment
is a video game developer based in Japan. Formerly known as since is foundation in 1976 , it was reorganized under its current moniker on December 4, 2000...
and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. The game debuted on July 17, 2002 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, September 16, 2002 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and November 29, 2002 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Gungrave follows its main character through a variety of stages on a path of revenge.
While the game play received moderate reviews, Gungrave's acclaim comes from the character designs provided by series creator Yasuhiro Nightow
Yasuhiro Nightow
is a Japanese manga artist and game creator who created the anime and manga Trigun. Nightow was born on April 8, 1967 in Yokohama, Japan. He moved to Yokosuka when he was in elementary school, and spent the junior high and high school years in Shizuoka....
(Trigun
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
) and mechanical designs provided by Kōsuke Fujishima
Kosuke Fujishima
is a Japanese manga artist.Born in Chiba, Japan, he first came to public attention as an editor of Puff magazine, his first job after completing high school. Fujishima originally intended to be a draftsman, but took the editorial role after failing to get a drafting apprenticeship...
(Oh My Goddess!
Oh My Goddess!
, also known as Ah! My Goddess!, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Fujishima. It premiered in the November 1988 issue of Afternoon where it is still being serialized. Every few months, the most recent chapters are published in tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
series, You're Under Arrest series, Sakura Wars
Sakura Wars
is a Japanese media franchise created by Ouji Hiroi, and is developed and owned by Sega and licensed by Red Entertainment and Sega. The franchise centers on a series of dramatic fantasy and science-fantasy tactical role-playing adventure video games, which consist of tactical wargame and dating sim...
series). Both artist's respective styles helped give the game a distinct feel, which (along with fan support) helped Gungrave translate from a video game to an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series.
Gameplay
As a third-person shooter, Gungrave's look is fundamentally similar to that of its peers (i.e. Max PayneMax Payne
Max Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by...
, Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry
is an action game developed and published by Capcom, released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2. Although it is the first game in the series of the same name, the events in Devil May Cry are second in the series storyline's chronological order, taking place after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and...
, Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
), but focuses entirely on combat and forgoes the puzzle solving aspects of some of its forebears. The player advances through hallway-like stages, but has a free range of motion in these areas. Gungrave sets the player in an environment reminiscent of games like Final Fight
Final Fight
is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game originally released by Capcom as a coin-operated video game in . It was the seventh game released by Capcom for their CP System arcade game hardware...
or Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
, in that the player confronts wave after wave of fighters en route to an end-level boss. Combat varies between gunplay with enemies at a distance and simple melee combat at close range, and the game rates the amount of flair the player uses to destroy everyone and every thing in sight.
Beyond the Grave is equipped with a damage-absorbing energy shield that can absorb a large amount of damage in addition to his life bar. This shield appears as a blue bar alongside Beyond the Grave's life bar in the game's heads-up display. When the shield is fully depleted, the player is highly vulnerable and further damage reduces the character's health level rapidly. However, the shield will recharge fully if no damage is sustained for a brief period of time.
By performing well during stages, the player can unlock special attacks such as machine guns or rockets launched from the coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
on Beyond the Grave's back. These can be used by charging the beat meter which is represented by a skull on the top left corner of the game's heads-up display. To build the beat meter, Beyond the Grave must perform combos sometimes numbering in hundreds of hits (destroying enemies or practically anything in the game environment). Strategy is required in setting up combos that are as long and devastating as possible, which helps to carry on the over-the-top action of the game.
Stages and some important events within stages are separated by anime cut-scenes featuring art by Nightow. This is where the game's story takes place. Characters are expanded on and the player is given back story that is not obvious through gameplay alone.
Weapons
Cerberus
Cerberus , or Kerberos, in Greek and Roman mythology, is a multi-headed hound which guards the gates of the Underworld, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping...
. Grave has an unlimited amount of ammo with these, and never has to reload. If the player allows Grave to stand still during a fight, he will begin to target and shoot every available target on screen without looking.
Coffin —Beyond the Grave carries a tremendous (though technically small, as it is not the size to hold a body) metal coffin on his back which contains a variety of weapons that can be only used as special attacks. Grave can also use the coffin to strike nearby enemies, and if timed correctly deflect projectiles fired from a distance, destroying the enemy that fired them. The manner in which Grave carries and uses the coffin bears a strong resemblance to the cross carried by the wandering priest Wolfwood in Nightow's manga series, Trigun
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
. It is also directly inspired by the 1966 movie Django
Django (film)
Django is a 1966 Italian spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero in the eponymous role. The film earned a reputation as being one of the most violent films ever made up to that point and was subsequently refused a certificate in Britain until 1993, when it was...
in which the main character carries a coffin with a Gatling gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
inside.
The Coffin contains all of the same weapons as the trio of Mariachi in Desperado
Desperado (film)
Desperado is a 1995 action thriller film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film stars Antonio Banderas as the former mariachi who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover....
, which Grave (at the beginning of each mission) retrieves his handguns from like El, has a missile launcher (in which he strikes the same pose when firing as the Quino) and the Gatling/machine gun that Campa held.
Demolition Shots — Special attacks performed using the coffin that consume levels from the Beat Meter. They can help the player get through sticky situations. These attacks exemplify the over-the-top style for which the creators are known. There are four offensive techniques in all, along with the option of regaining health using the beat meter. The first offensive technique is available at the start of the game, and the other three are unlockable through good performance during stages.
- Death Blow — Beyond the Grave fires a single rocket that explodes and kills every enemy within the immediate vicinity of the point of impact.
- Bullet Dance — Beyond the Grave releases a machine gun from the coffin, and spins in a 360° circle, destroying everything around him.
- Hellhound Roar — Beyond the Grave launches three rockets ahead of him. The attack has a greater explosive range than Death Blow and causes greater damage.
- Raging Inferno — Beyond the Grave spins in a circle and fires his machine gun, and follows up by jumping into the air and doing it again.
Graveyard Special — Starting with Bob Poundmax in stage three, when a boss is near death, the skull at the top of the screen begins to glow and the player is given the option to perform a special fatality demolition shot. These usually break away from the fight for a special animation of Grave launching an extravagant attack. This consumes a demolition shot and can be performed only against a boss's final form. Each successive use of these techniques performs a different attack which build off the previous one.
Plot and setting
The game takes place in an unknown city that is controlled by the Millennion organization. The city is over run by crime and a mysterious drug known as seed. The story follows Grave as he sets out on a course for revenge against the man who killed him, his former best friend and colleague from Millenion, Harry Macdowell.Stages in the game are presented as missions issued by Dr. T, and follow Grave as he hunts down the boss of that stage. Settings include a bar, a lab, the subway, and even a traditional Japanese dojo set atop a sky scraper. These environments are complemented or contrasted by the urban environment that surrounds them.
Story
The game opens with the young girl dragging an oversized attaché case toward a warehouse with difficulty. "Bloody" Harry Macdowell has just carried out a coupCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against Big Daddy, the leader of the Millennion organization, and his daughter Mika needs to find someone that can protect her and stop Harry's mad plans. The occupants of this warehouse include a kindly looking old doctor, and a man with a notable scar on his face. Mika arrives, and the man with the scar claims the contents of the case: two massive handguns. That man is revealed to be the game's title character Grave, and now that he is armed he can start his mission.
Gungrave first approaches its stages as a series of missions issued by Dr. T, first to gather information on the current makeup of Millennion from a low-level street gang, and next destroying a research facility that creates Harry's undead soldiers. In the third stage, while attempting to pump information from an informant, Grave comes into contact with the leadership of the Millenion organization—once friends and allies that he now faces as enemies. Each have used the research Harry supported to give themselves inhuman powers. From here on, Grave is hounded by each member as he makes his way to Harry's tower at the heart of the city.
As the player progresses, the game uses anime cutscenes to reflect on the history of young Brandon and Harry, gradually bringing the pair's back story into focus. Close friends, the two had both become lieutenants in the Millennion organization, working directly under Big Daddy, the group's leader. Brandon shared a bond with Big Daddy and some flashbacks show the two sharing more of a father-son relationship. Brandon even let Big Daddy marry the woman he loved so that she could find a better life, but the two remained close. Not content with the power he had been given, Harry asked Brandon to help him kill Big Daddy so that he could take over. When Brandon refused, Harry shot his friend in the left eye, killing him. Fifteen years later, Harry carried out his coup. His actions as leader inspired Dr. T to revive Brandon who was the only person capable of stopping Harry. Dr. T's connection to all of this is not made clear, but he often makes comments that indicate some connection to Brandon's former life.
Grave picks apart the leadership of Millennion to make his way to Harry. At the top of the tower that Harry uses as a headquarters, it is revealed that Big Daddy still lives in the form of a twisted monster. Harry forces Grave to fight his creation, and following the final battle, Harry accepts his defeat graciously and allows his friend to kill him.
With Harry defeated, Mika's protection becomes Grave's only concern, and the two ride off into the sunset together.
Beyond The Grave
Formerly Brandon Heat, Grave was once a high ranking and trusted member of the Millennion leadership.Gungrave opens shortly after his resurrection, fifteen years after his death. Throughout the game Grave's past is told through the use of flashbacks in the form of anime cutscenes as Grave recovers his memories. Grave is a silent protagonist, receiving his mission and carrying it out without a word. As a result of his transformation into an undead soldier, his body must be sustained by periodic blood tranfusions or else he becomes weak and his body will collapse.
Grave is also one of the very few Deadmen who possesses a sense of self and will of his own.
Brandon entered the organization with his friend Harry and both shared a strong bond from their childhood. While a member of Millennion, Brandon also shared a bond with Big Daddy, looking up to him as a father. Eventually, Brandon was forced to choose between supporting Harry in a coup or protecting the group's leader; he is killed for deciding not to side with his friend.
Allies
Dr. T -The kindly yet enigmatic Dr. T is Grave's main source of support throughout the game. He both provides Grave with information that he acquires through his own channels and provides Grave with treatments that sustains his body. The doctor has a connection to Brandon from his time in Millennion and has his own reasons for wanting to see the group see its end. The doctor's connection is that he was the lead researcher for Harry's undead soldier program. During the intermission sequences, the player can choose to let Dr. T talk and provide some information about the upcoming stage and reflect on the past until his death while Grave is in the middle of a blood transfusion.
Mika Asagi -
The thirteen year old daughter of Grave's former love, Maria and Big Daddy . Mika seeks out Grave for protection after her parents' deaths and provides Grave with his guns so that he can set out. During the intermission sequences of the game, the player can choose to let Mika talk about current events and things that her mother told her about Brandon and Millennion. After the death of Dr. T, Mika picks up where he left off and attempts to support Grave over a two way radio.
Over the course of the game it comes to light as to why this girl is someone precious and important to Grave—a promise between Maria and him (when he was still Brandon) to look after and protect her child, one of the few memories Grave retains of his past life.
Millennion
Maria Asagi -Maria was Brandon's sweetheart when they were young. She is also Mika's mother. After his entrance into Millennion, Brandon rejected her so that she would go to Big Daddy and be provided for. The two still remained close, and she took care of the Cerberus after Brandon's murder. She told her daughter that if there was ever a grave situation where her life was in danger, she should seek out the man that can use them for protection. The game opens after her death.
Bob Poundmax -
This extremely heavy-set and boorish man is the first member of the Millennion leadership to challenge Grave. His first reaction to seeing Grave is to berate him for the ingratitude he now shows towards the group he once dedicated his life to (ignoring that this is also how he met his demise). In his second form, Bob resembles Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Vladimir Harkonnen
The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, in which he is the secondary antagonist, and is also a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
from the original 1984 Dune film
Dune (film)
Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
.
- Initially Bob attacks Grave with a sub-machine gun, and four dark-suited enemies attack alongside him. He proves more agile than one would assume, jumping and using his size as a weapon. 'Killing' him causes him to shift to overkill mode.
- After his first encounter with Bob, Grave runs outside to see a helicopter take off with Harry inside it. However, the transformed Bob Poundmax blocks his path, offended that Grave would forget about him. Bob now uses a special suit to help him float and again uses his girth to try to crush Grave. He is easily dispatched and finished off with a variation on the Hellhound Roar.
Balladbird Lee
Grave's second opponent, Lee is responsible for killing Dr. T and kidnapping Mika in order to lure Grave into a trap. His primary concern seems to be avenging Bob Poundmax. Initially, Lee appears to be an Asian male wearing clothes that are Chinese in style. His overkill mode resembles the Violator
Violator (comics)
Violator is a fictional character that appears in the Spawn comic books published by Image Comics. The character first appeared in Spawn #2 and was created by writer-artist Todd McFarlane. He is the main antagonist of the comic issues 1-100 and later became a secondary antagonist in the recent...
from Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
's Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
.
- While pursuing Mika's kidnappers, Grave finds and boards a train. The train immediately starts to move, and Grave fights from car to car, eventually fighting a helicopter that attacks from outside. After Grave destroys the helicopter, Lee opens the door and states that he does not believe that Grave could have killed Bob and that he will avenge his friend. He then throws Mika out the door, and the train crashes.
- In the wreckage of the train, the transformed Lee assaults Grave in the debris of the crash. During the fight, Bunji Kugashira watches from the sidelines, having saved Mika from her fall. Grave finishes Lee with a modified Bullet Dance. After this fight, Mika passes on the ominous message that his next opponent will meet Grave at "the tower".
Bear Walken -
Grave's third opponent, Bear Walken, resides in a dojo built on the roof of an office building. Bear is an older man and solidly built. After Grave reaches the top, the serene atmosphere belies the fight that is to come. He transforms into his first attack form and levels everything on the rooftop immediately after greeting Grave.
- In contrast to the noble kimono he wore moments before the battle, Walken now has several arms, each fitted with a different weapon (machine guns, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers). The dojo has been completely destroyed and the fight takes place on the now flat roof of the office building where the stage took place.
- When you disarm Walken, he transforms again. In this new form, Walken has one massive and one small arm. He throws debris, smashes the ground, and lunges at Grave. When he is close to death, Grave defeats him with a modified Deathblow. Immediately following Walken's defeat, the top portion of the tower is destroyed and Bunji Kugashira appears, telling Grave to recover his memory more quickly. Grave falls to the ground and finds himself standing before a long-forgotten cathedral.
Bunji Kugashira -
Once Grave's student and trusted friend, Bunji became Harry's second-in-command in Grave's absence. Bunji is extremely similar to Grave, right down to fighting style. He wants nothing more than to duel with his rival. Physically, he bears a passing resemblance to Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Bunji does not transform into Overkill Mode like the three bosses before him, but does not need to (it's said that he is always in overkill mode, just that his body doesn't change).
- Bunji has several attacks, including his own powerful handguns, a kick to avoid close-range combat, and his own Graveyard Special. He can also regenerate health if he is given a chance to rest. Grave finishes the fight with an improvised Raging Inferno. Bunji is left against a wall of the cathedral with a cigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
in his mouth. He thanks Grave for defeating him, wishes him luck, and comments that he wishes things could go back to the way they used to be. As his cigarette dies, his body begins to dissolve until there is no trace left.
Big Daddy -
Once the leader of Millennion, Gungrave starts shortly after the coup that ended his reign. Big Daddy is shown scarcely through cut scenes, but it is apparent that he was close to Brandon. He helped to raise Maria, and the two were eventually wed. In a cutscene, he says that he has achieved all that he had ever wanted to, and now wants to enjoy his success with his wife and unborn daughter.
- While the player is led to believe that Big Daddy had been killed before the start of the game, Harry had more sinister plans for him. Using the technology that created his undead soldiers, Harry turned Big Daddy into a mutant, who was held at the top of his tower. When Grave confronts Harry, he is captured by this creature, who pursues him through an endless tunnel. Grave shoots it while keeping out of its reach, and eventually performs a Hellhound Roar/Deathblow combo to finish him.
- After his defeat, a larger creature, known as Alien Head, devours Big Daddy's body and attempts to do the same to Grave. After the fight, Grave pulls out all the stops and uses each of his four special attack in his final Graveyard Special.
Reception
While Gungrave was given moderate ratings due in most part to its short gameplay and minimal replay value, the animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
stylings of creators Yasuhiro Nightow
Yasuhiro Nightow
is a Japanese manga artist and game creator who created the anime and manga Trigun. Nightow was born on April 8, 1967 in Yokohama, Japan. He moved to Yokosuka when he was in elementary school, and spent the junior high and high school years in Shizuoka....
(of Trigun
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
fame) and Kōsuke Fujishima
Kosuke Fujishima
is a Japanese manga artist.Born in Chiba, Japan, he first came to public attention as an editor of Puff magazine, his first job after completing high school. Fujishima originally intended to be a draftsman, but took the editorial role after failing to get a drafting apprenticeship...
(of Oh My Goddess!
Oh My Goddess!
, also known as Ah! My Goddess!, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Fujishima. It premiered in the November 1988 issue of Afternoon where it is still being serialized. Every few months, the most recent chapters are published in tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
and You're Under Arrest fame) gave the game a very distinct and unique look and feel that impressed many game critics and anime fans.
External links
Game Information- Gungrave.com, Official Japanese website
- Gungrave at IGN
- Gungrave at Gamestats
Music Information
Anime Information
- Gungrave at Anime Indepth