In the recently released Sega Sammy Holdings fiscal reports Border Break seems to have made quite an impact. Now, we rather loved the arcade game in our review but it’s interesting to see that the game’s financial model hasn’t put punters off (something that we thought might be an issue). Instead it seems that the Japanese public have taken to Border Break very readily, to the extent that it’s topped the number of units sold. In any case, the fact that the has done so well only begs the inevitable question; when will a console port rear its multi-jointed mechanical head?

Thanks to Chazumaru for the heads up.

Over at GA Graphic they’ve previewed the upcoming Shrike kit from Border Break. Like the other kits from the game, this is also being handled by Kotobukiya so expect good things for the final product. The Shrike is one of the Support class frames but like everything in the game, the mecha can be re-purposed across each class. The kit will be available in May for 3,675 yen and you can pre-order it here.

Senjou no Kizuna, as in that Gundam arcade game with a panoramic cockpit, is getting another update with some rule changes and two new mobile suits. The latter are the MS-08TX (EXAM) Efreet Custom and the RX-79BD-2 Blue Destiny Unit 2, both of which come from the Saturn Blue Destiny trilogy and were piloted by the games’ main antagonist, Nimbus Schterzen. The Efreet is a unique design, as it pops up a lot in the better Gundam games. A new version, the MS-08TX/N Efreet Nacht, also appeared in the recent PS3 game Gundam Senki 0081. The original design came from the Super Famicom game Cross Dimension 0079 in case you’re wondering. The two new suits will also use the EXAM system once they reach critically low health, consequently giving them a performance boost. Both will also be available tomorrow on the 13th January.

Not that long ago, Banpresto funded the development of a rather insane Gundam arcade game called Senjo no Kizuna. The player would literally sit inside a panoramic cockpit and pilot a mobile suit. In addition, each of the hugely expensive cabinets would be connected via an online network to other such machines across Japan. Upon its release, Banpresto soon realised they’d cornered a new part of the arcade gaming market. As queues lengthened to play the game, the main draw wasn’t just the amazing cockpit but also its online capability.

It wasn’t long until other publishers like Sega decided to get in on the act. Learning from Banpresto’s example, Border Break was birthed along with a new arcade board called the Ring Edge. Sega also didn’t miss a trick either, instead of having a theatrically huge cockpit they instead opted for a smaller and more standardised cabinet, whilst also upping the potency of the board that would run the game (as Senjo no Kizuna’s was suitably basic in a graphical sense, which is why its PSP port was even feasible). However, to classify Border Break as a mere herd following cash-in would be a great injustice. To be perfectly frank, Border Break is probably one of the most refreshing mecha games seen this decade.

The upcoming Heavy Guard Type II kit from Border Break has been previewed over at GA Graphic. As with all Kotobukiya kits, the sculpt appears to be very accurate and the Heavy Guard Type II will make a nice addition to the other, almost released, Border Break kit; the Cougar Type I. We’ll also be reviewing Border Break in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that. This kit will be released in March 2010 for a very reasonable 3675 yen, you can also pre-order this kit here.

Courtesy of our good friends at HobbyLink Japan, we’ve been sent a kit from the original Virtual On to review. Specifically, Kotobukiya’s 1/100 scale Viper II. This was a lightly armored and mostly airborne focused virtuaroid, that also sported a very powerful secret attack – in the form of its “SLC” (or “She’s Lost Control”) dive. Like the other VR’s in the Virtual On series, Viper II was designed by mecha design magnate Hajime Katoki.

Our review covers the kit in its out of the box and unpainted form but we have also included painted photos towards the end. In addition, to give the kit some context, we’ve also captured some gameplay footage of the design in action from the recent SEGA AGES PlayStation 2 port.

The wonderful and massively popular Gundam networked arcade game Senjou no Kizuna, with its panoramic cockpit, is getting a version update (Rev 2.10 to be exact) on the 9th December. Apart from general balancing the game is receiving new maps and mobile suits, with the former featuring Odessa as well as the Libot colony from Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket. Considering how wonderfully nerdy the whole setup is, the thought of playing that map in a Yutaka Izubuchi designed GM Command gives me goosebumps of glee.

Despite the insane arcade hardware, there is a port of Senjo no Kizuna available (on the PSP to be exact). Whilst it’s pretty solid, as the arcade game only uses a pretty basic board, it does play a tad differently as the panoramic cockpit forces you to look around in the arcade whereas on the PSP the game occurs straight in front of you. In any case, you can buy the port here.

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Over at the Rookie Borders blog on Famitsu’s site, there are a fair few interesting videos of Border Break’s network games in action. For those curious as to how the game plays and who already read the hands-on impressions we posted not that long ago, then these videos are well worth a look. In addition, a Ver. 1.0.5 update was released a few days ago. This patch improves some of the matchmaking and addresses a few minor balancing issues.

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The Super HCM Pro line of toys has had a new addition, in the form of the Hajime Katoki designed RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. The Super prefix denotes that the toy is of a larger scale than the normal line, as they’re normally 1/200 scale rather than 1/144 in the case of the Supers. The detailing and articulation is also considerably more advanced than the smaller HCM Pro toys but that comes at a considerable price increase. In the case of the Unicorn, both Unicorn and Destroy modes are catered for (with some parts removal) but the technical nature of the transformation has meant the price is even higher due to the increased engineering costs. Considering that the Gundam Unicorn anime is around the corner and Gundam vs Gundam Next Plus is released at the beginning of December, you may want to wait for the larger GFFN toy. As the new Gundam Fix toys use more diecast in the joints for stability. In any case, you can buy Super HCM Pro Unicorn Gundam here.

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GA Graphic has a really nice bit of coverage on the upcoming Cougar kit from Border Break. Like with all other Kotobukiya kits, the sculpt is really impressive and the articulation looks suitably comprehensive too. The kit is scheduled for a Japanese release in January next year for 3,675 yen. You can pre-order it here if you’re curious.