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When I first saw Gundam Wing as a child, I completely fell in love. The invincible nature of the mobile suits was something that I wanted to experience. For better or for worse, Gundams don't exist in real life, so I had to turn to gaming to try to live out the amazing fights I saw in the anime.
Unfortunately, titles such as Gundam: Battle Assault and Dynasty Warriors Gundam didn't capture the excitement of controlling your own badass robot. I always thought a big-budget game would be the one to do this, but a Korean-developed, free-to-play MMO accomplished this feat first.
SD Gundam Capsule Fighter contains over 350 super-deformed versions of mobile suits (from popular series such as G-Gundam, Wing, and Seed) that you can collect and play with. You use points you gather from missions and multiplayer matches to purchase capsules which contain one random model. Of course, the best finds are also the rarest, so this adds a certain thrill to getting the one you want.
You can also paint and place stickers on your mobile suit. This extra level of customization sets this title apart from other entries in the franchise in which you simply take control of a suit (Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3). Although the graphics are look great in previous games, nothing can compare to the feeling of personalizing your own robot.
That's good because Capsule Fighter doesn't focus too much on visual fidelity. As a free-to-play, downloadable PC title that originally came out in Korea back in 2007, it has low system requirements, so more fans can enjoy it. Fortunately, the mobile suits are polygonal, textureless robots to begin with, so they don't suffer too much from the lack of graphics. The trade-off is worth it, though, because the more popular this game becomes, the more you can show off your personal creations.
Since all this fun is free, you shouldn't have too much trouble convincing your friends to play. Even if you don't have a pal interested in the series, you won't have a problem finding players to do co-op missions with or finding someone to fight with you in a free-for-all online battle.
The multiplayer matches can include up to 12 people and form the core of the fun in this game. Out of the 30 available maps, I had a chance to play in the tournament arena from the classic anime, G-Gundam. I took my personalized mobile suit into the fray and slashed down everyone in my path. The controls aren't simply "press x to win" as you have to adapt your weapon choice according to the situation. Knowing when to switch between your rifles and sabers as well as when to execute your robot's special move will prove helpful if you're trying to be the greatest on the battlefield.
This is the type of game I wish I had a decade ago. I can customize my own mobile suit and take it out for a spin in single-player missions or in multiplayer battles with a in-depth fighting system. I know most people will spend their holidays playing more popular titles (The Old Republic, Skyrim), but I'm going to use that time perfecting my Gundam's ability to tear down space colonies. Let's see your dragonborn or Sith Lord beat that.