Favorite Mecha/GIANT FIGHTING ROBOT Media and Why?
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{Returns High Five} Old School! Wooot!PedroSteckecilo said:
I had picked up the first and third disks of the 3 disk 'Essential Anime' release of Nadesico when I found them on ridiculous bargains some time ago, leaving that pesky gap of -you know--the *middle* of the series--until a few weeks ago when a certain website named for female warriors notified me that the price on it had dropped to a ridiculously low level as well (either $5 or $7) so I grabbed it up and became extremely happy that I now have the complete series. You might want to pop over to a website named for a river in South America and take a look.....
It made me really feel my age when in an anime discussion here someone referred to Escaflowne as 'Old School'....Gundam X is older than Escaflowne or Nadesico....
Not enough love for Battletech in here. For shame!
Anyway, as I've made clear my favorite has always been Battletech/Mechwarrior.
The reason being that, besides having the requisite giant-robot sci-fi trappings (like, well...giant robots, lasers, space travel, and all the standard stuff), it also has a rich lore and very expansive story-verse built around the mechs. With the conflicts and political maneuvering between the noble houses and the clans it's essentially like Frank Herberts "Dune" novels. Just, with giant mechs instead of sand worms.
Now, it's not the only mech-verse I enjoy. I have a soft spot for things like Heavy Gear, some of the core Gundam series, and Megas XLR, etc. But really, none have ever been as interesting to me as Battletech is.
Anyway, as I've made clear my favorite has always been Battletech/Mechwarrior.
The reason being that, besides having the requisite giant-robot sci-fi trappings (like, well...giant robots, lasers, space travel, and all the standard stuff), it also has a rich lore and very expansive story-verse built around the mechs. With the conflicts and political maneuvering between the noble houses and the clans it's essentially like Frank Herberts "Dune" novels. Just, with giant mechs instead of sand worms.
Now, it's not the only mech-verse I enjoy. I have a soft spot for things like Heavy Gear, some of the core Gundam series, and Megas XLR, etc. But really, none have ever been as interesting to me as Battletech is.
Guy running away with the rare mech sprouted wings on occasion?Demon ID said:
Stripey catgirl companion to the guy with the rare mech?
Rare mech powered by crystal found inside a living dragon?
Guy with black wing had an artificial arm?
Guy with black wing had 2 really hot catgirls vying for his attention?
Guy with long blond hair helps guy with rare mech & his companions?
If any of that sounds familiar than the series was Vision of Escaflowne.
What you saw on TV was probably a butchered version, find the DVD's to see it properly.
Nostalgia. I still remember that iconic battle music...Samuki Elm said:I'll go for the lesser-known Vision of Escaflowne.
A fantasy epic from way back in 1996, it remains my favorite anime of all time.
ESCA, FLOWNE~
ESCA, FLOWNE~
Don't think I ever finished that series either.. May have to dig that one up again.
My big 3 are Mechwarrior, Heavy Gear and Zone of the enders.
Mechwarrior 3 was my first mech game, and was AWESOME. Fighting and salvaging your way across an enemy planet. Still one of my absolute favourite games, but I can't seem to find a copy anywhere. Favourite "Big Stompy" mechs.
Heavy Gear, specifically Heavy gear 2, was next. Mechs on rollerblades. Plus I liked the more humanoid style. And Heavy gear 2 had zero G combat. And punching. And punching in zero G... you get the idea. Favourite "Humanoid/battlesuit" mechs.
And finally Zone of the Enders. Do I even have to explain ? Its like a mech anime you play. Favourite "Eastern" mech.
Honourable mention to MEGAS for general and continuous awesomeness.
40k titans are pretty cool, but as a Guard player (well in DOW) I'm just too much of an infantry grunt to really get behind them. An APC to drive me closer is all I need.
Mechwarrior 3 was my first mech game, and was AWESOME. Fighting and salvaging your way across an enemy planet. Still one of my absolute favourite games, but I can't seem to find a copy anywhere. Favourite "Big Stompy" mechs.
Heavy Gear, specifically Heavy gear 2, was next. Mechs on rollerblades. Plus I liked the more humanoid style. And Heavy gear 2 had zero G combat. And punching. And punching in zero G... you get the idea. Favourite "Humanoid/battlesuit" mechs.
And finally Zone of the Enders. Do I even have to explain ? Its like a mech anime you play. Favourite "Eastern" mech.
Honourable mention to MEGAS for general and continuous awesomeness.
40k titans are pretty cool, but as a Guard player (well in DOW) I'm just too much of an infantry grunt to really get behind them. An APC to drive me closer is all I need.
The Gears in Heavy Gear were specifically "designed" to be Pilot-able Mechs instead of Power Armour so they aren't really "battlesuits" and while Heavy Gear itself was "Made in Canada" it's actually a not at all thinly veiled homage to two anime, Fang of the Sun Dougram and Armoured Trooper VOTOMS. It's more obvious when the Armored Troopers from VOTOMs start "skating" around and punching things ^-^. That said I'm presenting this as a "The More You Know" rather than a "Heavy Gear is a Ripoff" as I love a great deal of Dream Pod 9's work, Heavy Gear and The Jovian Chronicles both make it in there for being pitch perfect homages to their inspiration while still presenting original universes with some incredible Mecha Design... I mean I shelled out $100 for the PDF Artbooks for both of those settings... so... yeah... Heavy Gear is awesome...PBMcNair said:
Speaking of North American productions clearly inspired by anime... the Macross Inspired Exo Squad is far better than its animation style would suggest... it's a remarkably well put together Giant Robot Show that just happens to also be a cartoon from the early 90's with some occasionally goofy ass "action figure selling" Mech Designs.
I have been ninja-d.TehCookie said:
I realized lately that the only reason why i was so into Evangelion was because I was depressed.
Now that I am better I do like to revisit it but not be totally obsessed about it.
Also I understand that Gundam is for the more mentally sane people and that is why I never really understood the ppeal.
Now I have move on to Aqualion and Aqualion Evol and the more lighter spectrum of robot anime.
A funny comment if you understand the "Secret History" between Gundam and Evangelion...Angie7F said:
One of Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's lesser known series's Space Runaway Ideon pretty obviously inspired Gunbuster (Evangelion Creator Hideaki Anno's other famous Mecha series) and also carried through to Evangelion, what with its bonkers as hell ending full of religious symbolism and new age screwballery.
Anno and Tomino also had another thing in common, they both suffered from severe depression that had a large influence on their work. It's obvious with Evangelion (which is definitely more psychological than Gundam) but it was in the throes of his depression that Yoshiyuki Tomino earned his infamous "Kill em All" nickname with the shear character slaughtering brutality of Space Runaway Ideon, Zeta Gundam, Aura Battler Dubine and Victory Gundam (the bloodiest Gundam series until SEED, which apparently has the highest named character bodycount).
Both have since received a great deal of treatment for their depression, for Tomino this resulted in Turn A Gundam and Overman King Gainer, for Anno this is primarily reflected in Rebuild of Evangelion.
Just a connection between two creators that I've always found very fascinating.
The More You Know!
Cybylt said:I concur with the above gentleman's statement, although I love everything from 08th MS Team, MSG F91 is probably my other favorite.Ed130 said:I like a bit of everything really, but something that has always stood out for me is the Gouf Custom from 08th MS Team which is probably the best Gundam OVA ever made.
And anybody who can go pick up Zeonic Front on PS2 for a sweet squad tactics game, as well as showing the terror of fighting the Gundam in a Zaku.
In not sure this strictly counts, but I've always found the grappler ships from Outlaw Star to be a believable and logical development for space combat, even if the battles as shown selectively ignore the laws of physics, they are frickin sweet though!
(Couldn't find a video link unfortunately, but you should go watch it!)
honorable mentions to Gurren laggan, Metal Gear REX, and macross.
More fun trivia, the main ship of Outlaw Star was designed by Shoji Kawamori... designer of the VF-1 Valkyrie and series creator (and sometimes director) of Macross, Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross ZERO, Macross Frontier, Genesis of Aquarion, Aquarion EVOL and Vision of Escaflowne. He's also done Mechanical Designs for Gundam 0083, Eureka 7, The Armored Core Series, Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor.DBLT4P said:In not sure this strictly counts, but I've always found the grappler ships from Outlaw Star to be a believable and logical development for space combat, even if the battles as shown selectively ignore the laws of physics, they are frickin sweet though!
(Couldn't find a video link unfortunately, but you should go watch it!)
honorable mentions to Gurren laggan, Metal Gear REX, and macross.
One of the all time great Mechanical Designers, Series Creators and Anime Directors... I mean seriously... just look at those credits... the mans work is incredible.