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Following the release of Bubble Gum Crisis, R. Talsorian spun off their anime line into a new imprint: AnimechaniX. The first release from the new company is, appropriately enough, both the prequel and sequel to Bubble Gum Crisis. Drawing from the AD Police and Bubble Gum Crash OVAs, this sourcebook fills in the gaps and fixes the holes.

The first half of the book covers the time before the Knight Sabers, when the only thing between a Boomer and fresh meat was the fledgling and under-armed AD Police. If you want a grittier, more traditionally cyberpunk campaign set in Megatokyo, this is where you'll want to start. The history of the AD Police is full of game hooks. There is also the possibility of starting your campaign in this period, and then having the hardsuits become available as the level of opposition increases.

The second half deals with Bubble Gum Crash, which took the Knight Sabers more into the realm of superheroics. The hardsuits detailed here are incredible -- the Boomer opposition even tougher. If it is the kick-butt aspects of Bubble Gum Crisis that hooked you, this is the setting information you want.

The last part of the book covers the gaps left by the first book. There are instructions for using Mekton Zeta + to build hardsuits, taking care of a serious oversight in Bubble Gum Crisis. There's also more discussion of running a Knight Saber-style campaign, and some rules for creating those secret headquarters every good vigilante group needs.

Before & After isn't just useful for people who have Bubble Gum Crisis. The snap shots of a society in the 2020s and in 2034 are useful for ideas in how to develop your own cyberpunk campaigns. As well, the AD Police and Genom are useful as models for similar organizations in your own game. And if you need a copy of the FUZION rules, they're available for free download off the Internet.

Bubble Gum Crisis: Before & After falls into the same category as its predecessor. It's a useful sourcebook for fans of the OVAs, and an excellent companion to Bubble Gum Crisis. Even better, it's worth a look if you want something to add to your Cyberpunk or Shadowrun game.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Bubble Gum Crisis: Before & After
Author: David Pulver Category: game Company/Publisher: AnimechaniX Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-937279-92-7 Capsule Review by Jason Langlois on 12/17/97. Genre tags: none	Following the release of Bubble Gum Crisis, R. Talsorian spun off their anime line into a new imprint: AnimechaniX. The first release from the new company is, appropriately enough, both the prequel and sequel to Bubble Gum Crisis. Drawing from the AD Police and Bubble Gum Crash OVAs, this sourcebook fills in the gaps and fixes the holes. The first half of the book covers the time before the Knight Sabers, when the only thing between a Boomer and fresh meat was the fledgling and under-armed AD Police. If you want a grittier, more traditionally cyberpunk campaign set in Megatokyo, this is where you'll want to start. The history of the AD Police is full of game hooks. There is also the possibility of starting your campaign in this period, and then having the hardsuits become available as the level of opposition increases. The second half deals with Bubble Gum Crash, which took the Knight Sabers more into the realm of superheroics. The hardsuits detailed here are incredible -- the Boomer opposition even tougher. If it is the kick-butt aspects of Bubble Gum Crisis that hooked you, this is the setting information you want. The last part of the book covers the gaps left by the first book. There are instructions for using Mekton Zeta + to build hardsuits, taking care of a serious oversight in Bubble Gum Crisis. There's also more discussion of running a Knight Saber-style campaign, and some rules for creating those secret headquarters every good vigilante group needs. Before & After isn't just useful for people who have Bubble Gum Crisis. The snap shots of a society in the 2020s and in 2034 are useful for ideas in how to develop your own cyberpunk campaigns. As well, the AD Police and Genom are useful as models for similar organizations in your own game. And if you need a copy of the FUZION rules, they're available for free download off the Internet. Bubble Gum Crisis: Before & After falls into the same category as its predecessor. It's a useful sourcebook for fans of the OVAs, and an excellent companion to Bubble Gum Crisis. Even better, it's worth a look if you want something to add to your Cyberpunk or Shadowrun game. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)