<s>
is	O
a	O
2005	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
Banpresto	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Banpresto	O
enlisted	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
FromSoftware	O
,	O
a	O
Japanese	O
developer	O
known	O
for	O
its	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
series	O
,	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Banpresto	O
held	O
the	O
exclusive	O
video	O
game	O
rights	O
to	O
several	O
popular	O
robot	O
series	O
,	O
it	O
envisioned	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
crossover	O
similar	O
to	O
Konami	O
's	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Yui	O
Tanimura	O
,	O
who	O
later	O
directed	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
co-directed	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
and	O
incorporated	O
music	O
performed	O
by	O
songstress	O
Hitomi	O
Shimatani	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
strong	O
sales	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
's	O
top-selling	O
video	O
games	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
favorably	O
compared	O
its	O
gameplay	O
to	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
,	O
and	O
enjoyed	O
its	O
wide	O
selection	O
of	O
mechs	O
and	O
mission	O
objectives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Represented	O
series	O
include	O
Aura	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
Dunbine	I-Application
,	O
Mobile	O
Suit	O
Zeta	O
Gundam	O
,	O
Brain	O
Powered	O
,	O
and	O
Blue	O
Comet	O
SPT	O
Layzner	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
mechas	O
from	O
other	O
FromSoftware	O
and	O
Banpresto	O
franchises	O
like	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
and	O
Super	B-Application
Robot	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
gameplay	O
has	O
been	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
series	O
;	O
players	O
fly	O
their	O
mecha	O
around	O
a	O
large	O
cubic	O
environment	O
and	O
must	O
complete	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
mission	O
objectives	O
,	O
each	O
increasing	O
in	O
difficulty	O
as	O
they	O
progress	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
refugee	O
ship	O
incident	O
,	O
hardliner	O
Duke	O
Dermail	O
seizes	O
power	O
within	O
the	O
UCE	O
government	O
,	O
replacing	O
the	O
pacifist	O
Relena	O
Peacecraft	O
and	O
foreshadowing	B-Application
the	I-Application
coming	I-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
new	I-Application
war	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
collaboration	O
between	O
Banpresto	O
and	O
FromSoftware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
Bandai	O
and	O
the	O
holder	O
for	O
the	O
exclusive	O
video	O
game	O
rights	O
to	O
several	O
Japanese	O
mecha	O
franchises	O
,	O
Banpresto	O
conceptualized	O
a	O
large	O
crossover	O
between	O
them	O
following	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Konami	O
's	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
expanded	O
into	O
other	O
forms	O
of	O
media	O
such	O
as	O
anime	O
tie-ins	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
believed	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
what	O
persuaded	O
Banpresto	O
to	O
begin	O
production	O
of	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
assist	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
,	O
Banpresto	O
enlisted	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
FromSoftware	O
,	O
a	O
developer	O
known	O
for	O
its	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Yui	O
Tanimura	O
,	O
who	O
would	O
later	O
direct	O
the	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
directed	O
by	O
Tomohiro	O
Shibuya	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Banpresto	O
announced	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
on	O
September	O
1	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
demonstrated	O
it	O
during	O
that	O
year	O
's	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
on	O
September	O
24	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
2	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
re-released	O
under	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
the	I-Device
Best	I-Device
budget	O
label	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
hit	O
for	O
both	O
FromSoftware	O
and	O
Banpresto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
performed	O
considerably	O
better	O
than	O
FromSoftware	O
's	O
previous	O
licensed	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
negatively-received	O
Spriggan	O
:	O
Lunar	O
Verse	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ollie	O
Barder	O
,	O
a	O
writer	O
for	O
GameSetWatch	O
,	O
likened	O
its	O
gameplay	O
to	O
Sega	O
's	O
Virtual	B-Application
On	I-Application
arcade	O
fighter	O
and	O
its	O
overall	O
concept	O
to	O
Konami	O
's	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
wrote	O
that	O
it	O
felt	O
like	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Virtual	B-Application
On	I-Application
in	O
the	O
way	O
it	O
controlled	O
,	O
believing	O
that	O
"	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
subtle	O
change	O
over	O
Virtual	O
Ons	O
initial	O
implementation	O
and	O
more	O
akin	O
to	O
the	O
anime	O
combat	O
that	O
inspired	O
Sega	O
's	O
real	O
robot	O
franchise	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
place.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
writer	O
Arshad	O
Abdul-Aal	O
favorably	O
compared	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
style	O
of	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
to	O
Zone	B-Device
of	I-Device
the	I-Device
Enders	I-Device
,	O
expressing	O
his	O
appreciation	O
towards	O
the	O
variety	O
of	O
missions	O
and	O
solid	O
selection	O
of	O
mechas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
the	O
mecha	O
series	O
represented	O
in	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
gained	O
popularity	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
its	O
commercial	O
success	O
;	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
Metal	O
Armor	O
Dragonar	O
received	O
a	O
DVD	O
box	O
set	O
and	O
a	O
line	O
of	O
art	O
books	O
after	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
mechas	O
was	O
featured	O
in	O
E	O
..	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
effect	O
has	O
been	O
compared	O
to	O
Banpresto	O
's	O
Super	B-Application
Robot	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
which	O
similarly	O
increased	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
franchises	O
that	O
were	O
represented	O
in	O
the	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
spawned	O
a	O
new	O
franchise	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
merchandise	O
,	O
albums	O
,	O
and	O
four	O
sequels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
,	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
2006	O
)	O
,	O
continued	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
and	O
improved	O
many	O
of	O
its	O
faults	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
refined	O
melee	O
combat	O
system	O
and	O
faster	O
pacing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Final	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
)	O
was	O
envisioned	O
as	O
the	O
final	O
installment	O
,	O
adding	O
new	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
branching	O
story	O
paths	O
and	O
additional	O
playable	O
mechas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fourth	O
entry	O
,	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
:	I-Application
R	I-Application
(	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
was	O
noticeably	O
more	O
plot-centric	O
than	O
previous	O
installments	O
,	O
focusing	O
primarily	O
on	O
an	O
encompassing	O
storyline	O
and	O
borrowing	O
elements	O
from	O
role-playing	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
Portable	I-Application
(	O
2011	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
last	O
entry	O
,	O
omits	O
the	O
story	O
entirely	O
and	O
instead	O
focuses	O
on	O
completing	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
missions	O
and	O
destroying	O
boss	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
