We have come to terms.

In other words, yesterday’s track was SURE PROMISE from The Big O, one of my favorite anime series. Nothing broadens your horizons like a crossover game. And today we’re going retro (at least as far as anime is concerned) with a song that was composed back in the 1970’s.

Also, typical SPOILER!!! warning.

Day 23: Track from a 70’s anime – Beyond the Time (MSG: Char’s Counterattack) (SRW Alpha 2)

So, full disclosure here, I’m not that big a fan of Char’s Counterattack. Mostly with how it portrays what I see as a backpedaling of Char Aznable’s character. Now, it’s possible that I missed something in all that goes on between the original Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and Char’s Counterattack. But I tend not to like works of fiction that have high fatality rates.

Which, incidentally, brings me to a unique aspect to Super Robot Wars. I probably mentioned it before, but SRW games often give the player the opportunity to save the lives of people who die in their original works. Some examples from series that have already featured in this list are Master Asia from G Gundam, Musashi Tomoe from Getter Robo, and Nicol Amalfi from Gundam SEED.

This, combined with giving redemption arcs to certain antagonists, is one of my favorite things that Super Robot Wars does. Victory Gundam in SRW 30 has over a dozen of those instances. And the same applies to Char’s Counterattack. Many titles allow you to recruit enemies like Gyunei Guss and Quess Payara, while having Char ending up on your side to stop the iconic Axis Drop.

Alpha 2 is not one of those games. It sticks to the script, and consequently Char perishes in the battle. So why did I pick this version. Well, scarcity of other games to pick from, for one. I’m committed to seeing hard mode through to the end. But for another, I like the slightly off-beat composition of Alpha 2’s rendition of Beyond the Time. Can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I like it nonetheless.

As for the track itself? Regardless of any other misgivings I have with Char’s Counterattack, I will always back this song as being an absolute masterpiece. As I’ve heard someone once say; there’s no better theme for when you’re pushing a giant rock in outer space.

And that’s all from me this time. We’ll be entering our final week of the challenge tomorrow, where we jump forward approximately one decade for our next selection. Adios.