Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senjou no Kizuna Portable

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.