Gundam Gundam Discussion Thread

[bullethead]

From my understanding, that isn't entirely the case. The biggest problem is that no other continuity has the sheer staying power that is UC Gundam's thing

Well yeah, UC has the most staying power... because it's the only one they built upon to that extent.

Having a back to back stretch of three shows, plus the original and its trilogy adaptations, plus CCA, plus 2 OVAs, all before the turn of the century gives UC a critical mass none of the other universes has.

SEED's the only one that comes close, with two shows, but that's when they discovered their fojoushi demo doesn't buy the Gunpla, they buy all the other shit. Then Morosawa's brain cancer really got in the way.

The problem with Gundam is that they keep trying to funnel everyone into UC, instead of just accepting they have a really big fanbase that likes different things - especially the western fans, and keeping up a steady supply of OVAs for the non-UC folks. The only move they've kind of made towards this is the Build stuff, which is less serious "wow, cool robots" material, but even then, they fucked it up with the unnecessary Fighters/Divers continuity split.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I liked Zeta and War in the Pocket, but overall dislike the rest of the UC storyline. Starting with ZZ, the setting begins becoming bleak. The Feddies are always oppressing the colonies which incites a Spacenoid rebellion that leads to an independence movement that gets hijacked by crazies and kills a lot of people. The protagonist is roped into crushing the Spacenoids for the Feddies. The heroes make lip service about reforming the Federation or something. Temporary peace. And then the Feddies go back to being dicks again and nothing changes. Nothing the heroes did mattered and the suits profiteering from the bloodshed won every time.

I'm also not really a fan of the UC setting and its derivatives. It's just Earth + the Moon + O'Neil cylinders in orbit around the earth, and the mechs shoot laser guns and use laser swords. It starts getting stale after the first 50 hours... and then it keeps going. And going. Wing, SEED, and 00 felt like rehashes of UC with small changes that didn't amount to much.

IBO is the most interesting Gundam. The scope expanded beyond the Earth sphere to other planets and the asteroid belt. Even Venus being colonized was mentioned in passing (floating cloud cities?). The melee combat with metal weapons was visceral and cool. You had mecha suits that may or may not have been possessed by spirits. And they even introduced FF7 superbosses to the setting like that ancient weapon that Iok woke up. I was really looking forward to that spinoff that was going to be set on Venus, or maybe a prequel about the Calamity War or a sequel about Ride and Almiria hunting down Rustal, but it looks like that's the end of IBO.

I guess 00 also introduced aliens at the very end but didn't do anything with them.

 

[bullethead]

So, new SD Gundam Battle Alliance trailer dropped:



TL;DW:
-100% confirmed this is a "Gundam is a simulation" crossover.
-Console demo drops July 22, save progress carries over if you buy on that console.
-Characters do interact with each other a little if they're in your squad.
-AGE-FX and Kio show up on Mars to fight with Tekkadan (including Orga in his Shiden!) against Hashmal and that bird mobile armor from AGE as part of DLC 1.
-Some weird ass Gundam Narrative vs 0079 Amuro + Kamile and Judau vs Char mission as part of DLC 1.
-Showing off the combo systems, perfect guard, perfect dodge.

My hype breakdown:

• Gameplay: 90%
• Mission crossover scenarios: 80%
• Franchise character interactions: 50% (not expecting much of anything beyond one liners)
• Game story: 0%

God, I wish they had used any other premise to justify this crossover.

 

[TheRomanSlayer]

Is the Nintendo Switch region locked or not? I’m wondering if it be possible to buy that game while buying the Switch in North America

 

[bullethead]

Is the Nintendo Switch region locked or not? I’m wondering if it be possible to buy that game while buying the Switch in North America

It is my understanding that digital games/DLC are region locked on consoles/PC, but the physical games are region free.

I don't know your situation, but you'd probably have to use a site like PlayAsia to get the physical Switch game in that scenario.