Medarot 2 Core
| Medarot 2 Core / Medabots メダロット弐CORE | |
| Genre | RPG |
|---|---|
| Platform | Gameboy Advance |
| Developer | Natsume |
| Publisher | Imagineer |
| Release Date | EU: November 22 2002 JP: December 25, 2002 (BomBom) NA: March 31 2003 JP: April 18 2003 (Retail) |
Medarot 2 Core, released in English as Medabots: Metabee Version and Medabots: Rokusho Version, is probably the most well-known Medarot game. It was developed by Natsume and published by Imagineer for the Gameboy Advance, and was the first and only Medarot RPG to be released in English. As the name implies, it is a remake of Medarot 2, featuring updated graphics and gameplay.
The graphics style closely matches that of the anime series, and several Medarots from Medarot 1 that had appeared in the anime were made obtainable in the game. Otherwise, the story remains untouched from Medarot 2.
Like the other RPGs, the game was released in two versions where the main difference is the player's starting Medarot: Kabuto (Rhinoceros beetle, Metabee) and Kuwagata (Stag beetle, Rokusho). In the English release, they were simply referred to as the Metabee and Rokusho versions. Along with the starting Medarots, there are some Medarots and Medals that can only be obtained in a specific version.
In an interesting turn of events, the English versions were actually released first, and Japan got it almost 5 months later.
Selection of Medarots
- Main article: Medarots in Medarot 2 CORE
For the most part, Medarot 2 Core features the same set of Medarots as Medarot 2. However, some Medarot 2-exclusive models were left out in favor of their Medarot 1 counterparts, which in many cases had appeared in the anime series and were therefore more recognizable. (For example, HellPhoenix takes the place of DeathPhoenix)
In Medarot 2, every Medarot from Medarot 1 was technically obtainable, but it required trading them over from the first game. In Medarot 2 Core, 21 of the Medarots from the first game were completely removed, but the remaining 39 were made possible to obtain normally without trading (unless version exclusive). There were also 10 Medarots added in Medarot 2 that could only be obtained using passwords, which were also made normally obtainable in 2 Core. As a result, the remake may have fewer total Medarots, but it has many more obtainable Medarots than the original Game Boy game.
Changes
Medarot 2 Core incorporates many of the gameplay changes that happened in Medarot 3-5, while keeping the content similar to what it was in the original game.
From Medarot 2
- The battle system has been updated, making it somewhat closer to the later Game Boy games.
- The "Other" skill has been replaced with Disrupt.
- Players name their Medals instead of their Tinpets.
- Medals' actions during an Auto-battle can be set using the Rotation menu.
Japanese version differences
A special version of the Japanese game was sold through Comic Bom Bom prior to the game's release. This special edition came with the manual signed by Horuma Rin and featured the names of everyone who ordered the special edition in the game credits. The normal edition was released in stores some months later.
An extra post-game event exists in the Japanese games that isn't present in the English version. It involves talking to Milky who summons a mysterious masked Medarotter from the future (actually Koishimaru from Medarot 5, which was set several years after Medarot 2). Ikki then battles Koishimaru who uses an exact copy of the player's current team.
Pressing select on the parts screens also displays the part's model number. Presumably this was left out of the English version due to the model numbers being changed in the English version of the anime.
