Zone of the Enders is a video game franchise created by Hideo Kojima and Konami. The original Zone of the Enders was developed for the launch of the PlayStation 2, which has so far spawned a sequel, a Game Boy Advance side-story, an original video animation, and a twenty-six episode anime television series.
Setting
The Zone of the Enders series is set in the late 22nd century. Mankind has colonized Mars, and space colonies are also set up in orbit around Jupiter. Fueling this expansion are two scientific advances: the development of the Laborious Extra-Orbital Vehicle, or LEV, a mecha used for labor and military use, and the discovery of Metatron, a high-energy ore found on Callisto.
However, those in power on Earth begin to take a dim view of the colonists of Mars and Jupiter, calling them "Enders", and imposing harsh and exploitive laws and taxes against them. Eventually, different groups on Mars begin to rise up in opposition to Earth, the most well known of these called BAHRAM. A new weapon given to these rebels is the Orbital Frame, essentially a Real Robot which makes extensive use of Metatron-based technology. These Orbital Frames come to shape the destiny of Earth and its colonies, for both good and evil.
Plot
Throughout the Zone of the Enders series, a number of themes and dramatic devices show up prominently. The story usually revolves around two specific Orbital Frames: Jehuty and Anubis, created as the two "keys" of a superweapon called Aumaan. In the first game, BAHRAM forces attack Jupiter's colony Antilia to secure the two Frames, killing several civilians in the process. One of the few survivors, Leo Stenbuck, finds Jehuty and uses it to stop the BAHRAM soldiers. Leo is then hired by the Space Force to deliver Jehuty back to their ship. On his way to the Space Force, Leo rescues several civilians; and often talks with Jehuty's artificial intelligence, A.D.A., regarding the value of life. When succeeding, Leo is once again requested to work for the Space Force to protect the colony from another terrorist attack. Although Leo succeeds in saving the colony, he is saddened by the revelation that A.D.A. is programmed to self-destruct Jehuty in BAHRAM's fortress Aumann. Shortly before the release of the sequel, Konami released a sidestory that explores Leo training in the Space Force and hiding Jehuty.
The sequel, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, is set two years after the first game. The story introduces the player to an ex-BAHRAM operative named Dingo Egret, who stumbles upon the hidden Jehuty. BAHRAM soon finds Dingo; Nohman, the leader of BAHRAM, wishes to have Dingo back on his side. Dingo's reluctance to go back to BAHRAM results in Nohman shooting him. However, Nohman's underling, Ken Marinaris, saves Dingo's life by connecting his body to Jehuty and requests his help to defeat him. Dingo agrees to defeat Nohman after learning from Leo that Jehuty will self-destruct in Aumann. Dingo joins with Leo and the Space Force to defeat the BAHRAM forces. In Aumann, Dingo defeats Nohman and Anubis and then uses the remains of the two Frames to stop Aumann.
Games
Zone of the Enders (2001)
Main article: Zone of the Enders (video game)
The first game in the series, details the story of a boy named Leo Stenbuck, a colonist from Jupiter who accidentally finds himself piloting the Orbital Frame Jehuty.
Admittedly, I liked this game back when it first came out, but all of the redundant missions and side-missions keep me from revisiting it when it was re-released as part of the HD Collection. That being said though, the boss battles are just as good here as they are in the sequel.
Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars (2001)
Main article: Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars
This is a side-story released for the Game Boy Advance, about a conspiracy involving the construction of Orbital Frames for Earth. The protagonist, a young man named Cage Midwell, finds himself getting involved with a resistance organization known as BIS.
This is the only entry in the series where I haven't played.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (2003)
Main article: Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner
A new pilot, Dingo Egret, finds Jehuty on the Moon of Callisto two years after the events of the first game and travels to the superweapon Aumaan in order to defeat Colonel Nohman of the BAHRAM army, who pilots Jehuty's sister craft, Anubis.
Arguably the best game in the series that took everything good about the original and dialed it up to eleven while eliminating everything that made the original a drag to play at times. This game holds up the test of time with all of it's re-releases, whether you're playing the PS2 original, the HD re-release as part of the HD Collection, or even it's most recent re-release on PS4.
Zone of the Enders HD Collection (2012)
At E3 2011, Konami announced a re-release of Zone of the Enders and Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It includes updated interfaces for the HD resolutions, redrawn art, Trophy/Achievement support, improved audio and rumble support. It includes a demo for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, mirroring the first game's inclusion of the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo. A PlayStation Vita version was announced but was later cancelled. At an event in May 2012, the HD Collection was given a release date in Japan for October 25. At the same event, Kojima confirmed that work on the next installment in the Zone of the Enders series had begun.
Future?
Since 2008, Zone of the Enders 3 has been in concept development by Hideo Kojima, but was kept away from game development until all the big titles were completed. On May 25, 2012, Kojima confirmed that work on the next installment in the Zone of the Enders series had begun. However, the project was cancelled after Kojima Productions acknowledged issues within the HD Collection.
At Tokyo Game Show 2017, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS was announced, featuring enhanced graphics, 4K resolution support, VR headset support, new sound design and “next-gen surround sound”. The title released September 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows.
Anime
Zone of the Enders: 2167 Idolo
Zone of the Enders: 2167 Idolo (released 21 February 2001) is a prequel for the entire series, telling the story of Radium Lavans, the pilot of the first Orbital Frame.
I'm surprised that this movie in its entirety has been up on YouTube for at least 6+ years now without being taken down in both English and Japanese languages. I'm sure that video will get taken down once more eyeballs are on it since I linked it to this post.
Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i (Full Series Playlist)
Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i (released April to September 2001) is a followup to Idolo, following the exploits of James Links, an alcoholic trucker, who, while trying to reunite with his estranged family, discovers an Orbital Frame hidden in one of his shipping containers. The frame, calling itself Dolores, seems to consider James her prince.
I actually owned the ENTIRE box set of this (bundled with Idolo) at one point of my fandom while I was in college. One of the last disks was damaged so I never got to see the finale. I ended up selling it when I needed some cash at the time. If you're a fan of the Gundam franchise, then you would easily find something to like about 26 episode series. Dolores is a bit child-like at times in terms of her AI behavior but grows as the mystery surrounding her creation is revealed throughout the series. FYI the film is a direct follow-up to the events in Idolo.
Why do I love this series so much?
Hideo Kojima proved to me that he wasn't an one trick pony in regard of his success with the Metal Gear series. He created a giant mecha adventure that was just as amazing to watch it's narrative and secrets unfold as it was fun to play. I know Kojima and Konami have parted ways since Metal Gear Solid V, but I wouldn't mind Konami allowing him to develop another sequel in the series under the Kojima Productions umbrella. I know that he has his full with Death Stranding right around the corner this fall, but I wouldn't mind some new Zone of the Enders in my life either.
I have a yearly tradition to replay 2nd Runner in its entirety from start to finish and it never gets old.The gameplay sticks with me after all of these years - from the PlayStation 2 original, the HD release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and finally the PlayStation 4 re-release. I still regard it as my favorite giant mecha game of all-time in terms of it's fluid gameplay alone. The anime-style narrative is just the icing on the cake with all of it's unforgettable characters.
Besides, I can never get enough of hearing Kiss Me Sunlights or Beyond the Bounds.
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