Atlus has announced its Game Boy Advance title, Robopon 2: Ring and Cross version has shipped to stores. The game follows in the footsteps of the original, in which the main character Cody becomes the Legend 1 of Porombo Island. Now, following the tournament, Cody sets out to a new land and a new challenge, but things go awry when his boat is destroyed and he is set adrift at sea. Awakening in the land of Majiko, Cody discovers that the Maskman and his cronies are terrorizing nearby lands. In order to stop this menace, Cody must travel back in time 20 years and then to the present day again.

The Maskman isn't the only troublemaker in Majiko, however; every land that Cody travels to is beset by similar troubles, and as he progresses through the tournament, he pieces together the puzzle of what is causing the trouble in the land. If this isn't enough, Cody is also beset by his rival from Porombo Island, Bisco, and while Bisco is causing his share of difficulty for Cody, it seems more likely that something else is behind all the problems, which are quite diverse. Some of the people and places Cody comes into contact with are:

• The feuding kingdoms, Delica and Wonder-once rumored to be allies, but now bitter enemies.
• Brutal’s Amazing Circus! Home of superhuman feats and mysterious creatures. Rocket Town, the site of a recent UFO incident. The town’s citizens speak about alien phenomena and a mysterious girl named Rena who can read minds.
• Macroland, the world of technology ruled by Mr. Gait, who took over after a mysterious accident at the Waffle Corporation.
• Quasi Tokyo, where organized crime rules the streets and neon ignites the night sky.

Cody won't have to face all this by himself; old friends will be along for the ride as well. Dr. Disc will provide tools and advice, while Professor Don and Sam, his assistant, provide a new time machine for Cody to use. The lovely Lisa, Cody's girlfriend, will call from time to time to offer Cody support, and various people from the towns of Majiko are always happy to battle Cody, which can bring rewards such as new software or unique parts. A man named Hoffman will help Cody build Robopon, and Nick D will follow Cody to try and wheedle money to help save his orphanage. Even with all these friends, new and old, Cody will still get the most help from the Robopon he builds and trains. He'll need it, too, once he discovers the shocking truth behind Dr. Zero's defeat on Porombo.

Robopon 2 features greatly improved gameplay. The world is three times the size of the original Robopon's, and there are over 180 new Robopon, complete with new parts and software. Gamers will also have the option to play numerous mini-games, either against the computer or up to four friends with one Game Pak. Connectivity will also extend to the Robopon themselves through the use of the game's Sparking System, which allows players to use the Game Link cable to exchange and create Robopon. The creatures themselves are also highly customizable; players will be able to change the colours, parts, software, and attack methods of the Robopon, and the new battle system allows an entire party of Robopon to be used in battles.

As there are two separate versions of Robopon 2 there are naturally a few differences between the two versions. The Ring version allows players to play through the game more quickly, and less fighting is necessary. Cross, on the other hand, is geared towards gamers who enjoy battling, and requires more battles to charge up Robopon. There are also more Boot type Robopon in Cross, a type that is unable to equip parts and depend on abilities learned through leveling up.

There will be a difference in the Robopon that can be obtained in each version, at least in the beginning. Later on, it may be possible to build all the Robopon, but at the start, at least, they are not all available. The differences are present in the Sparking System as well; Sparking the same pair of batteries will create Sunny in Ring version, but SunZero in the Cross version.

Spirit helpers will be available in both versions of the game. These entities are not necessarily helpful, and tag along after Cody and his party. Ten are common to both games, and there are 3 secret Spirits exclusive to each version. How exactly these beings will help or hinder players is not certain, but they are a force to be reckoned with.

"The Robopon series takes a giant leap forward onto the Game Boy Advance," said Akibo Shieh, Project Lead, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. "Robopon 2 not only improves on the graphics and sound in the original, but in every conceivable way." Gamers will now be able to put this confident statement to the test by picking up the title, which carries a suggested price tag of $39.99 US.