It’s been reported that From Software are around 70% through production on a PS3 exclusive Gundam Unicorn game. Set for release sometime in spring next year, the game apparently has supremely detailed mobile suit models (to the extent that the Sunrise representatives were apparently blinded by their sheer majesty) as well as a large emphasis on using the voice talent from the series with each of the main characters receiving their own chapter. In addition the game will only cover the first three episodes of the animated series, which begs the question as to whether there will be enough content. In terms of actual gameplay there are references to ACE but not which ones specifically, as the newer PS3 entry really wasn’t that great. To be honest, we’re on the fence with this one. As From Software’s ACE series has taken a bit of a functional nosedive and, despite the supposed aesthetic wonders present here, if it plays like manky balls we’ll have yet another Gundam game that will prop up the false meme that they’re all crap.

Relic Entertainment recently added the Tau Commander to their survival-style mode “The Last Stand” in Dawn of War II: Retribution. This development came out of left field, since the original game didn’t include the Tau race in the first place, and while only a single hero unit represents them here, it’s still very nice to have a frequent fan request added, especially this late in the game’s lifecycle.

The Tau Commander plays much like veterans of the Tau’s previous appearance in Dark Crusade expect: amazing at ranged combat, but defenseless up close. The Commander actually deals no damage in melee, so keeping him out of stand-up fights is imperative, and to aid him in that he has a very effective jetpack which allows him to boost around the battlefield. Keep him out of harms way, though, and he’ll light up enemies with gatling lasers or a minor Itano Circus of missiles.

There are two points of contention regarding the fellow, however. First, there’s the perennial “Tau Are Too Anime” debate which always crops up, and while you cannot deny that the Tau were designed with at least some Asian influence, their vehicles and armor are a far cry from anything an anime fan would remark as traditional mecha design. Their humanoid (Tauoid?) mecha look more like a particularly blocky MT from Armored Core than they do even the most Real of Real Robots. Second, the price for this single new character in a single mode of the game costs $9.99, a full third of what the whole of Retribution originally launched for. While this seems like it could be the beginning of a DLC nightmare, Relic has done an exemplary job with keeping patches coming to their games and even adding new content (including the original Last Stand!) for free to their games, and they’re likely just trying to earn back their investment by charging what hardcore fans are willing to pay.

Over at Game Watch they’ve got an update that says, as of today, the classic Super Robot Wars F and F Final will be added to the (Japanese) PSN game archives for 1,200 yen each. These were some of the toughest and most rewarding of the Winkysoft era games, so to see them in the wild again brings warmth to our cold robotic hearts. As with most PSN archive games, these are playable on both your PS3 and PSP.

Game Watch has a new update for a forthcoming Senjou no Kizuna patch. Including tweaks to the Great canyon map, that give improved routes of access to either side of the area, as well as numerous other briefing and HUD improvements. The most interesting addition though is that of the RGM-79FC Striker Custom from the manga Mobile Suit Gundam Katana. This, despite the Gundam head, is actually a souped up GM Striker that’s built for melee combat. This is an interesting mobile suit to add to the game, as much of the game’s battles are pretty ranged (most of the time anyway). So picking basically a melee only unit will be pretty damn ballsy. In addition to the Striker Custom, the suitably yawn-tastic MS-06S Zaku II Johnny Ridden Custom has also been added to the game’s mobile suit ranks. Whilst we do have an affection for the character, the fact that this is basically a standard commander Zaku II (and not the high mobility variant, which is what made Ridden so famous) is a bit underwhelming.

In the latest pages of Famitsu, the wondrous Hi-Nu Gundam has been finally previewed for Gundam Extreme Versus. This is also the version as “seen” in Beltorchika’s Children and not the more recent Gunpla Builders edition. Following on from that, Bandai Namco have been to keen to highlight the fact that mission DLC will be available free on PSN shortly after the game’s launch. This is an interesting and pretty refreshing move, though its likely that the inevitable mobile suit DLC will be charged.

Update: 4Gamer has a piece showing of the Hi-Nu Gundam in all its very shiny glory.

Over at 4Gamer there’s a new update on SD Gundam Generation 3D. Covering the “chance pursuit” and “support sheet” systems, the first sounds like a quick time event after an attacks which allows a follow up attack from another unit. Whereas the latter sets up who gives this kind of support. In addition to all this the main site has been updating its video page pretty consistently as well, so those are worth a gander below.

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PC Gamer has the scoop on the fact that the long awaited MechWarrior reboot will be a PC exclusive. Whilst the console gaming crowd maybe a tad miffed about this, the original MechWarrior games were all PC based (as they were pretty technical simulations after all). If we’re honest, we’re a bit surprised at this development. Not only because this was meant as a reboot, which normally means the original IP gets sold down the river, but also because this franchise is licensed from Microsoft (via Smith & Tinker) so to not have a 360 version is refreshing. Either way we’re actually pretty happy about this development and we’re curious to see what more is announced soon. Cheers to Greg for the heads up.

Update: Turns out this will be an online only game using something similar to the freemium model. Move along everybody, the party’s elsewhere.

Following on from Macross Trial Frontier, Artdink have produced a new mini-game, entitled Macross Last Frontier, as part of the Sayonara no Tsubasa BluRay hybrid pack. Unlike the first entry, this one is more substantial and features a save system now. The latter is a byproduct of the fact the game is more than just a few missions. What follows is our hands-on impressions with the new game.

What with the announcement of a new Gundam RTS, Mokuba no Kiseki, there has been some curious assumptions and feedback from fans it seems. This is because much of the PR seems to counter arguments and concerns that indicate some level of disquiet amongst the Gundam faithful. From statements like it is not a “new genre” or that you won’t need to constantly micro-manage units, makes us think that a Gundam RTS is a step too far for Japanese gamers. To be fair, the RTS genre isn’t that well known amongst mainstream gamers (compared to Korea’s unbridled enthusiasm let’s say), so this reaction is an interesting one. 4Gamer has some nice new shots of the game though and there will be a game system breakdown in the near future. However, it does seem that there are varied “battle modes” with one giving a more holistic view of the battlefield. Overall this is a relatively small release but one we’re very interested in, as the last mecha RTS-esque game we played was Scramble Commander the 2nd and we loved that (though much of that was down to Dunbine being able to literally high-five Dancouga). What with Armored Core V out on the same day, January can’t come soon enough!

Over at 4Gamer they have an interesting update about Level 5′s Gundam AGE RPG. Despite the somewhat insanely large screenshots, the game looks to have a more rigid battle system compared to something like Danball Senki. The big selling point is that fact that the narrative will cover multiple generations, which will in turn help to frame the TV series’ plot. We’re still not sure about the series to be honest but we are looking forward to Level 5′s gaming output. The game is still set for a release next year.