, abbreviated as A.C.E. 2, is a third-person mecha action video game produced by Banpresto and developed by From Software. It is the sequel to the popular 2005 game Another Century's Episode. It was released for the PlayStation 2 on March 30, 2006. On November 29, 2007, Banpresto released A.C.E. 2 Special Vocal Edition as a follow-up to the heels of A.C.E. 2s sequel, Another Century's Episode 3: The Final. This version includes vocal theme songs for each of the featured animated series in the game. Plot A.C.E.2 is not a direct sequel to its predecessor, as it involves its own original plot, as well as covering events that already happened in A.C.E., albeit differently. This is not an unusual occurrence, as Banpresto has done this with most entries in the Super Robot Wars franchise; most of the games in that series are not connected by an established continuity (exceptions include the Super Robot Wars Alpha games and the titles in the Super Robot Wars classic timeline), with remakes or updates abounding. However, there are some links back to A.C.E. in the sequel. The Ark series, including the main character's Gunark, use as their power source the super-volatile substance E2, which was introduced in the first game. Additionally, most of the A.C.E. original enemies return, this time with a backstory, while in A.C.E. they were simply there to add to the challenge. System changesFaster Combat: A.C.E. 2 delivers and portrays high-speed mecha combat better than its predecessor.Pilot Cut-Ins: The game will feature the pilots in both 2D and cel-shaded 3D forms, while in A.C.E. their only presence was in sound bites played while launching and during certain battles.More Weapons: Each unit can also have up to seven weapons, which can be set by the player; this allows the player to separate the units primary ranged weapon and melee weapon, unlike the previous game.Improved Support: While A.C.E. allowed the player to have other units support him/her during a stage, their presence was limited to occasional voice clips. A.C.E. 2 will have the other units actually appear during the stage as computer-controlled allies.Combination Attacks: The player will be able to perform special combination attacks where their team members combine their skills with incredibly devastating (and cinematic) results. Certain combinations of characters will result in team-ups from the anime involved, such as Brain Powerd's Chakra Extension and Nadesico's Double Gekigan Flare. Some combinations