PS2 Zoids Struggle - New Import

Mechanical beasts shaped like recognizable animals called Zoids clash and battle in fast-paced 3-D fighting action. A little too fast perhaps. There is a learning curve here due to the speed of the game but once that's down pat, Zoids Struggle is fairly enjoyable as a 3-D fighter. Tomy touts the Armor Break system which has been borrowed from Sega's old Fighting Vipers where the armor of a Zoid breaks if blows are heaped upon a certain point. It's an interesting use of a protection system but ultimately moot in Story Mode because of how powerful some Zoids become.    As a Zoids combatant racks up wins, additional weapons may be bolted onto the beast. After a certain point, a Zoid simply becomes too powerful in the firepower department and one-on-one matches stop becoming reasonably balanced and turn into a shooting game where projectile attacks take precedence over close combat. Perhaps Tomy should have staggered out the weapon upgrades somewhat but as it is, superior firepower decides the outcome of every battle, every time. This isn't a problem in Versus matches between two players however and only affects the Story mode of the game which leads gamers through the events of the Zoids television series and puts players in key battles from the show's episodes.