Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a shooter game released in 1997 by Jaleco. The player takes on the role of Nikke who, after reaching the highest rank in an all-female guard, decides to leave to strike out on her own as a mercenary.

The game starts with Nikke landing on a planet infested by aliens and being hired by their commander to find a missing cargo ship and bring it back. She journeys through six missions with each mission consisting of three stages: ground combat, air combat (piloting her fighter), and boss fight. Nikke also has a life meter which can be depleted but can be replenished by picking up special items. If the life meter drops to zero, it is game over.

The enemies in the game are all based on characters from "Mobile Suit Gundam" anime series. The enemies are replaced with robots which are based on the enemy of the same name which appeared in that series. Different weapons and armor can be found at certain places during each mission. If the player has special items in the inventory, the weapons and armor can be equipped or removed from Nikke's arsenal.

There are also two new elements in this game: first is a lock-on system that allows Nikke to target enemies at specific parts of them (head, arms, etc.) and fire accurately. Second is a shield which covers Nikke's body when she takes damage.

The player uses the directional pad and the A button to move Nikke and B button to fire or pick up items. The Start button pauses the game while Select switches between primary and secondary weapons. The L button fires primary weapon while R fires secondary. The 1P controller also has a cross-shaped button that slides Nikke sideways which is used to dodge enemy attacks or make way in a narrow space.

The game contains six missions, each separated into three stages: ground combat, air combat, and final boss battle. The ground combat stage consists of three sections: close-range, long-range, and hold. The close range section places the player in a room that has destructible walls and objects. The player is armed with a pistol which can fire straight or diagonally at enemies. The long range section consists of shooting targets that are either on floor or ceiling. The hold section involves the player killing at least one enemy to proceed to the next area. The air combat stage consists of shooting down an enemy via a lock-on gun (if the player has the weapon equipped). If the player has an armor equipped on Nikke, she will not receive damage during the battle. The final boss battle is a typical shoot 'em up stage where the player must shoot or dodge various enemies until they reach the end of the stage and kill the boss.

The game contains two weapons and three armors. The two weapons in this game are "Reagan's Shotgun" and "M61 Vulcan". The other 3 armors are "Suzaku's Armor" (the standard armor for Nikke), "Ibis Armor", and "Mamoru Armor". The game contains two unlockable ships: first is a bomber called the "Peyton's Bomber", and second is a fighter called the "Zoldyck Fighter".

Levels

When the player completes the game they are presented with a ranking and a password is given that can be used to start on any of the missions or at any level.

System

The game uses the same system as "Mobile Suit Gundam", also from Jaleco. The player uses the directional pad and A button to move Nikke, B button to fire, and Start button to pause the game. The L and R buttons are used for moving Nikke sideways. The 1P controller has a cross button which slides Nikke sideways which is used to dodge enemy attacks.

Music

The sound effect used in this game is taken from the arcade version of "Mobile Suit Gundam". The music for each stage is taken from the anime series with "Gundam Seed" being mainly used. The song "I Can't Stop Loving You" was originally performed by Ray Charles and was popularized by both Elvis Presley and Michael Bublé.

The game is considered as an average game according to players. The graphics are considered dull and the gameplay is considered easy. But, there are exceptions as players who enjoy the shooter genre consider it both fun and challenging.