Bandai Namco have finally announced Gundam Extreme Versus Force will be released on December 23rd. This only applies to the Japanese version for now, as nothing has been announced for English localized version. On top of the release date, more information regarding gameplay modes was announced as well. Aside from the usual 2 vs 2 mode that is available via ad-hoc mode called Force Battle, the meat of this new game will center around the single player mode called “Extreme Force.” In this mode, you lead a squadron of units that can be collected from the missions you experience, with your hero mobile suit as the lead. Similar to other Extreme Versus games, your team also is built around the cost system. The stronger the unit, the higher the cost. You can also strategically control your units via the “Force Command” to either engage, withdraw, gather, or disperse depending on the situation.

New units to the series that are currently exclusive to Extreme Versus Force include the G-Self from Reconguista in G and the Gundam Barbatos 4th Form from Iron-Blooded Orphans. The latter is a first print exclusive DLC, so be sure to grab yourself an early copy! We will update you as more information regarding the gameplay mechanics around the Force System is released. Until then, check out the latest promo released for the game below.

You can also pre-order the English version of the game here.

A new Kickstarter campaign plans to bring the first two Muv Luv visual novels to Steam, with a full English localization. The initial goal was $250 thousand but the campaign has already blown clear past that. The series is an interesting one, as it deals with an alien invasion and the mecha used to take the aliens on. The mecha design is also pretty damn fantastic, so in that sense I am glad a series as popular as this is finally coming Westward.

As part of Sentinel’s ongoing Riobot range, we’ll be finally getting a toy of the Metal Gear Sahelanthropus from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Like prior toys in the range, this will also have a good chunk of diecast included. The extra good news, bar the LEDs and accessories, is that T-REX are also working on the design of this. Released in April next year, the Riobot Metal Gear Sahelanthropus will cost 41,040 yen. Considering it transforms and it is pretty massive with it, that’s a fair price all things considered. The mecha itself is pretty anachronistic within the series’ timeline but it makes for a fun boss fight at least (the latter being shown below, though obvious spoiler warning attached to that). You can pre-order this new toy here.

The upcoming PS4 port of Assault Suits Leynos is getting a new demo this Friday (25th). The full game is also scheduled for December 23rd but from what I’ve played of the game thus far in the prior demo I am not holding my hopes out for this one. While it will clearly be better than the awful PS2 port of Assault Suits Valken, it’s still not a patch on the original game. I am a fan of Dracue’s work though, as the Gunhound games are good fun, but this feels like a tech demo than game. In any case, the latest trailer is out and shown below.

Vanillaware have finally announced their new game and it’s called 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim. Not only does it look suitably sumptuous, like all their games, but it also features mecha. While not much is known about the game, bar that is set for release on PS4 and PS Vita, we are very curious to see how this title will turn out. Previously Vanillaware has only really done fantasy themed action RPG’s, often with a historical bent. This looks decidedly futuristic and sci-fi with it. The music is also being Hitoshi Sakimoto and thus far has a real Origa vibe to it. The launch trailer is shown below.

Following the news that the next Gundam Extreme Versus game would be shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, we now know that Gundam Extreme Versus Force will very likely be a PS Vita exclusive. In the launch trailer (shown below) we see all manner of new game modes and mobile suits, with the YG-111 Gundam G-Self being notable. The upcoming ASW-G-66 Gundam Barbatos may also be present in the game but no further details are available about that yet. This will be the first named entry in the series to not have an initial arcade release. While this is definitely a PS Vita game we may yet still see a PS4 game come out but we’ll just have to wait and see if anything else pops up. No release is currently set but it’s probable we’ll see something next year.

The sequel to the first freemium Gundam game by Bandai Namco is now finally out in the wild. Compared to the beta version Gundam Battle Operation Next is definitely an improvement, in regards to general movement and controls, but it’s still pretty underwhelming. Bear in mind we’re in Japan so server issues and lag aren’t really a problem but even then the game is not exactly great. While it may look similar to the Gundam Breaker games, the core team behind that didn’t work on this (which likely explains why the gameplay element feels so disappointing). In any case, the game is now out on both PS3 and PS4 so you can see for yourselves what it’s like.

 

A couple months ago, we reported that Bandai Namco had registered the trademark for Gundam Extreme VS Force. This is presumably the fourth version of the series, which I doubt coincidentally is why it is given the moniker “Force.” With TGS 2015 coming soon, it appears the game has been leaked to be shown at the Japanese games convention for the very first time. With their recent pledge to bring future games to both the PS4 and Vita, it would be very interesting to see if Bandai Namco does have a console version of the game in store. But according to history, this will more than likely be an arcade title with Maxi Boost coming to consoles sometime late this year or next. Either way, it’s good to hear some new information regarding the series’ future. Until then, let us know what new units and mechanics should be added in Force!

With the release of Super Robot Wars BX looming, we’ve been graced with a new promo. It shows a lot of new animation and the game is looking great really. Bandai Namco also announced a new Super Robot Wars mobile game but that looks pretty awful and isn’t being developed by the main team anyway, in fact it’s being done by Sega Games so that likely explains a lot. Thankfully BX is at least a proper game to look forward to. The game is released on August 20th in Japan and you can pre-order it here.

As part of the Midsummer Maxi Boost Festival, even more mobile suits will be released for the Gundam Extreme Versus Maxi Boost in the arcades. They are the Nightingale, 00 Qan[T] Full Saber and Perfect Gundam. The first two units will more than likely be 3000 cost, similar to their predecessors already in the game (Sazabi and 00 Qan[T]). It will be interesting to see what type of gameplay Nightingale will bring, whereas Qan[T] Full Saber will be even more melee oriented than the original version. Perfect Gundam will be a 2000 cost unit and the first entry from the Plamo Kyoshiro manga. We’re looking forward to seeing what kind of other units will be on the way during the next couple months. Let us know what you think of these new inclusions in the comments below!