Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna

The game was launched in Japan on 7 November 2006 with arcades usually equipped with four pods (some amusement centers have more). Battles are held online across Japan against other players from opposing factions (全国対戦).

In this game, players become pilots of giant robot mobile suits from the anime series. Pilots play through two battle scenarios lasting a total game time of ten minutes. Pilot cards are purchased at the game's pilot terminal. A large monitor replays the last battle and an angled touch screen user interface is used to manage pilot battle data. Almost all text is in kanji, hiragana, and katakana.

The pilot terminal updates pilot cards before and after games are played. Pilots can walk away from an end game for a week and not insert their pilot cards into the pilot terminal (data from the last battle is saved on the card inside the pod). However, if a pilot card is not used for a long period, such as a few months to a year, the pilot card unit icon (the battle station's city/town location where the pilot card was first generated) is erased and a new unit icon is printed on the card at the pilot terminal it is re-inserted. For example, if a player buys a pilot card at a Kawasaki game center, the pilot terminal prints the Kawasaki game center's icon on that pilot card. If the card goes dormant for months, and the player uses the card in a Yokohama game center, the Kawasaki game center icon is erased, and the Yokohama game center icon is printed on the card. All other data may still be saved on the card-all unlocked mobile suits, upgrades, and weapons are still saved on the card (some data traits are reset-see the Japanese website for recent version and game changes).

Most game centers have a sign up sheet near the pilot terminal. Players are seated according to the time and play level they signed in. Beginning pilots should always circle the beginner kanji on the sign up sheet. This system allows team players and advanced players to decide whether to play the next game with beginner players, or pass and wait for another game window. Another reason advanced players do not play with beginners is that some advanced players do not want to risk lowering their online ranking in the game. Advanced players do not have the time or money to maintain a high ranking in the game, so reaching and holding a high ranking is important to them.

The game plays through a reservation system. All pods in a game center are interlinked. Players can opt to launch simultaneously with their friends or with other players who have also opted to launch at the same time, in the same game center, though it is not required. If players are not alone and launch with other people in the same arcade, voice chat becomes possible between the players. Pilots run two battle scenarios per game, average game time lasts 10–15 minutes and based on game center location, updates, time and popularity, makes for long waiting lines.

The game POD is large and has an adjustable seat, surround sound speakers, projector screen, headset jacks (red and green), hand control sticks and foot pedals. Each POD is equipped with headset jacks for in-game communication between players (pilots may bring their own headsets). Players inserts their pilot cards into the card slots and insert 100 or 500-yen coins to begin gameplay. The battle scene point of view is from inside the mobile suit, the overhead projector displays three panels onto the inner dome screen about 1m away from the pilot's seat (a little longer than arm's length). Inside the pod entrance door, there is just enough space to stand another person on the side, or place a backpack or gym bag.

The Hong Kong launch of the game (at Rev. 1.01) was on 19 April 2008 at Causeway Bay's Wonder Park Plus.[1] As of spring 2009 the cabinets are available in five more arcades in Hong Kong, and had been featured during the C3 HK exhibition in April. Machines at all three locations are at Rev. 1.01 and the linked play between all three arcades are possible, though the version difference prevents any overseas arcades to be compatible with the Japanese version.

Users accessing the official websites are recommended to access the Hong Kong website for the Cantonese and English translations, and the Japanese website for the Japanese release.

The game was introduced to Taiwan on 28 July 2009, with 8Pods in Chung-Li and eight in Taichung. Later on, in November, additional 4POD sets was added in Taipei and Shin-Chu.

Singapore has also brought in eight pods which are available at Bugis TKA arcade and four pods in Zone X Ang Mo Kio HUB. it has been activated on 31 August 2009. *update* - as of 21 Feb 2010, all operators in Singapore have removed the units.

As for October, 2009, all three regions (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore) share the same revision (1.07), and players are able to connect overseas in these regions.

As of 24 November 2010, both Hong Kong and Taiwan regions upgrade to Japanese revision 2.18. From this point, linked play between Japan and oversea regions (Hong Kong and Taiwan) has become available.

The mobile suits featured in the game are based on units that appeared in the series. The game had divided these suits into five categories, based on the optimal range for combat. These include melee, short, medium, and long-range support and sniper units.

Earth Federation

Performance in the battlefield determines the player's pilot rank.

• Civilian 民間人 (minkanjin). First rank, only used in the Side 7 training area.
• Private 2nd Class 二等兵 (nitouhei). Obtained after finishing Side 7.
• Private 1st Class 一等兵 (ittouhei). Obtained after earning 8000 Pilot points.
• Private Upper Class 上等兵 (joutouhei). Obtained after earning 20,000 Pilot points.
• Corporal 伍長 (gochou). Obtained by earning 22,000 Pilot points AND getting rank C (or above) 10 times in a row.
• Sergeant 軍曹 (gunsou). Obtained by earning C rank (or above) 10 times in a row as Corporal.
• Sergeant Major 曹長 (souchou). Hold C rank (or above) 10 times in a row as Sergeant.
• 2nd Lieutenant 少尉 (shoui). Hold C rank (or above) 10 times in a row as Sergeant Major.
• Lieutenant 中尉 (chuui). Hold C rank (or above) 10 times in a row as 2nd Lt.
• Captain 大尉 (taii). Hold C rank (or above) 10 times in a row as Lt.
• Major 少佐 (shousa). Hold B rank (or above) 8 times as Captain, C rank 2 times (2 consecutive C= reset).
• Lt. Colonel 中佐 (chuusa). Hold B rank (or above) 9 times as Major, C rank 1 time.
• Colonel 大佐 (taisa). Hold B rank (or above) 10 times in a row as Lt. Colonel.
• Major General 少将 (shoushou). Hold B rank (or above) 10 times as Colonel. Monthly Pilot point rankings must be in top 10 (6th-10th place).
• Lt General 中将 (chuujou). Hold B rank (or above) 10 times as Major General. Monthly Pilot point rankings must be in top 5 (2nd-5th place).
• General 大将 (taishou). Hold B rank (or above) 10 times as Lt General, at least once must be S rank. Monthly Pilot point rankings must be 1st place.

A port of Senjō no Kizuna, entitled Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senjō no Kizuna Portable was made available for the PlayStation Portable on 26 March 2009. It was developed by Access Games and published by Bandai Namco. The main director at Bandai Namco Games was Hisaharu Tago, who was a main director of the arcade version, REV1.00 and at Access Games, it was directed by SWERY.

Namco later used the dome screen concept for three other games: Mach Storm, Star Wars Battle Pod, and Lost Land Adventure. Unlike this game, these games made it to North America.

• Official website (in English/Cantonese; Japanese for users in Japan)
• Official PSP version website
• Game guide (in English)
• Video of the inside of the Gundam Pod