70s Style Robot Anime Geppy-X Review

After decades locked away in Japan, Geppy-X finally arrives in English, proving that sometimes the strangest forgotten games deserve a second chance.

For years, 70s Style Robot Anime Geppy-X felt like one of those games that only hardcore collectors ever talked about. It wasn't because it was one of the greatest shooters on the original PlayStation, but because it was unlike almost anything else on the console. Released only in Japan back in 1999, the game quietly disappeared into gaming history, becoming a rare import that few players ever had the chance to experience.

Geppy-X has officially received its first English release, giving players around the world the opportunity to play one of the PlayStation's strangest hidden gems. It's a game that mixes side-scrolling shooting with an entire fake 1970s robot anime, complete with opening themes, ending songs, dramatic cliffhangers, cheesy dialogue, and even fake television commercials.

Does that unusual formula still work today? Surprisingly, yes—although not always for the reasons you might expect. Long before cinematic narrative became the norm in games, Geppy-X was already playing with the notion of having players feel like they were watching a real TV series. Instead of simply borrowing ideas from classic mecha anime, the developers went all in.

Every chapter opens with its own anime introduction before handing control over to the player. Once the stage ends, there's an ending sequence, previews for the next episode, and plenty of over-the-top drama between the heroes and villains. It feels less like progressing through levels and more like binge-watching a long-lost robot cartoon from decades ago.

This commitment to authenticity was one of the reasons the original PlayStation release shipped across four discs. That's an incredible amount of storage for what is technically a fairly short shooter, but most of that space is dedicated to fully animated cutscenes, voice acting, and music rather than gameplay. That alone makes Geppy-X a fascinating piece of gaming history.

The story doesn't pretend to be deep, and honestly, that's part of its charm.

Earth is under attack from an evil cosmic empire that sends giant mechanical monsters to wipe out humanity. Luckily, there's a super tough robot named Geppy-X to save the day, along with a colorful cast of heroes who never miss a chance to deliver a dramatic one-liner. Everything here embraces the spirit of classic super robot anime. The villains are wonderfully ridiculous, the heroes are fearless, and every conversation somehow feels more dramatic than the last.

One of the funniest touches comes during the fake commercial breaks. Halfway through certain episodes, the game suddenly cuts away to advertisements promoting fictional toys and merchandise from the Geppy-X universe. It's such an unexpected detail that it instantly sells the illusion that you're watching an old TV broadcast instead of playing a video game.

Little moments like these are what make Geppy-X memorable. When the cutscenes end, players jump into traditional side-scrolling shooter gameplay. The basics are familiar. Fly across short stages, destroy waves of enemies, dodge incoming attacks, and eventually take down a giant boss before moving on to the next episode. What sets the game apart from other shooters is its three interchangeable robot forms.

Each one plays differently. The first robot is balanced, making it the easiest choice for newcomers. The second has much more speed but far less power, while the third has tremendous punch but is substantially slower. Switching between them in combat adds a nice strategic dimension. Some are more manageable in speed; others reward brute power.

There is also a powerful X Power strike that charges as you go through each level. Once activated, it unleashes a huge, screen-filling explosion that can clear out large groups of enemies in dramatic fashion. It looks fantastic, although bosses don't seem nearly as affected by it as regular enemies.

One modern improvement that makes a real difference is rapid-fire support.

Instead of repeatedly tapping the attack button like players had to on the original PlayStation version, the remaster lets you simply hold the trigger and keep shooting. It's a small change, but one that's very easy to appreciate. Not everything about the gameplay has aged gracefully, though. The biggest issue is movement.

Players have to manually rotate the robot when firing in the opposite direction, and while that may have sounded like an interesting idea on paper, it often feels awkward during fast-paced fights. Boss battles especially can become frustrating when you're trying to dodge attacks while also remembering to flip your mech.

The shooting itself is perfectly serviceable, but it rarely reaches the excitement of the genre's best games. Boss patterns are fairly simple, stages are quite short, and the overall challenge is much lower than most classic shooters thanks to the game's armor system. Instead of dying after a single hit, Geppy-X can absorb multiple attacks before going down. 

That's great for newcomers, but experienced shoot-'em-up fans will probably want to raise the difficulty from the very beginning. The remaster also adds several welcome quality-of-life improvements. Players can now use rewind, save states, multiple language subtitles, CRT filters, achievements, and even a Boss Rush mode.

Branching story paths also encourage repeat playthroughs.

Certain decisions and performance during missions unlock alternate episodes and different endings, giving players a reason to revisit the campaign once they've finished it. While these additions don't completely transform the experience, they make returning to such an old game much easier than it would have been on original hardware.

Visually, Geppy-X is a bit of a mixed bag. The restored anime cutscenes easily steal the spotlight. Characters look cleaner than before; the footage has been upgraded from the original master tapes; and players can keep the original presentation if they prefer a more authentic experience. The gameplay graphics, however, don't receive the same level of praise.

Sprites lack detail compared to some of the PlayStation's best-looking 2D games, while backgrounds often feel flat and repetitive. Some environments almost resemble early Super Nintendo titles instead of late-generation PlayStation releases. Luckily, the adversary designs make up for such flaws.

Each level features inventive monsters, crazy machines, and enjoyable bosses, all fitting the game's crazy anime persona wonderfully. Geppy-X also has the best sound design of anyone. The intro tracks are so catchy and quickly establish the tone for each episode.

 The voice acting is totally committed to the exaggerated manner, making every dramatic speech feel precisely as over-the-top as it should be. Add gritty retro sound effects, aggressive combat music, and a whole lot of eager shouting, and you've got a soundtrack that's hard to forget.

Even players who aren't huge fans of classic anime will probably find themselves smiling once the next opening theme begins. That's really what defines Geppy-X. It isn't trying to compete with the greatest shooters ever made.

That's exactly why this remaster matters.

It isn't simply bringing back another forgotten game—it is preserving one of gaming's strangest creative experiments for a new generation. The gameplay may feel dated, the controls occasionally clunky, and the action a little too forgiving, but none of those issues erase the personality pouring out of every cutscene.

Sometimes charm matters just as much as polish. 70s Style Robot Anime Geppy-X won't become the new gold standard for side-scrolling shooters, and it doesn't need to. Its biggest strength isn't its combat—it's the incredible amount of heart behind its presentation. 

From fake TV commercials and cheesy opening themes to colorful heroes and wonderfully campy storytelling, the game constantly reminds players that it was made with genuine love for classic mecha anime.

The remaster wisely keeps that spirit alive while adding enough modern features to make the experience much more accessible. If you're looking for a forgotten PlayStation curiosity with loads of personality, Geppy-X is well worth discovering.