It’s been reported that Takeshi Miyaji has passed away on July 29th aged 45. One of the founding members of Gamearts, at the age of 19 no less, and the creator of the Gungriffon series (as well as Grandia and Silpheed among others) he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family.

If you remember, we reviewed the Composite Ver. Ka Temjin a while back. It was suitably awesome but maybe a little pricey for some. Well, pricey it is no longer. HobbyLink Japan are featuring the toy in their current sale at a whopping 60% off the normal retail price (coming in at 1,920 yen). It goes without saying that this a fantastic bargain but they only have a finite number in stock, so if you want yours then you better move quickly!

Courtesy of our good friends at HobbyLink Japan, we’ve been sent the Robot Damashii L-Gaim Mk. 2 toy from Heavy Metal L-Gaim. To help give the toy some context we’ve also included some videos of it from the original anime and a few games it has been featured in over the years at the end of the review.

The early to mid 80′s were really a halcyon age for real robot anime, from the likes of Dunbine and VOTOMS to classics such as Heavy Metal L-Gaim. Written by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the series featured the unique (and then new) talents of one Mamoru Nagano. Set in the distant Pentagona star system, it told the plight of the young Daba Myroad trying to usurp the evil and equally mysterious Olda Poseidal. What was especially interesting about the mecha, called heavy metals, was that they were very much industrial machines with armor hinged upon an internal endoskeleton.

The L-Gaim Mk. 2 was the mid-season upgrade to the first L-Gaim for Daba Myroad, which was based upon the prior Amon Duule “Stack”, and as with most mid-season upgrades in real robot anime shows this one also transformed (into “prowler” mode no less). It was also one of the most powerful heavy metals in existence at that point in the show as well, as it could wield the beefy buster launcher and use it with impunity as its generator capacity was more than enough to handle the power output (something that normally plagued other heavy metals). The only other heavy metal that was even a match for the Mk. 2 was the ancient Original Auge, piloted by Poseidal himself.

Coupled with Nagano’s sleek and almost ethereal aesthetic L-Gaim resulted in some of the most striking mecha designs in anime and ones that have been hugely influential ever since. Following L-Gaim, Nagano also went onto pen the truly epic Five Star Stories manga, with many of the heavy metals being re-birthed as beautifully ornate mortar headds.

In terms of gaming, the Mk. 2 has been quite prolific to the point of it being featured in the recently released Another Century’s Episode Portable, with it’s buster launcher still packing an epic punch. It’s also been a moderate regular in the Super Robot Wars games, with the latest being XO.

Despite the show’s popularity and the large number of toys for the L-Gaim Mk. 1, the Mk. 2 hasn’t been as lucky. Apart from the rather lacklustre HCM toy, the Mk. 2 has been somewhat neglected over the years. However, Bandai recently held a poll at one of their Tamashii Nations events and the overwhelming response by fans was for an all new L-Gaim Mk. 2 toy.

Bandai have dutifully complied and done so brilliantly. As with their other Robot Damashii line, the Mk. 2 has very solid articulation as well as a very accurate sculpt. For the price, it does feel very sophisticated in terms of the engineering at work here. The transformation is also very interesting as it has been very accurately re-created, something that takes a little getting used to because the mode shifts look simple but there’s actually more going on than first meets the eye.

Toy: Robot Damashii L-Gaim Mk. 2
Price: 4,640 yen
Size/Weight: 34.2 x 21.0 x 8.0 cm / 400g

The transformation into “prowler” mode is actually quite complex and does, unfortunately, require some parts swapping. The latter becomes apparent when it seems that Bandai have literally gone to town on trying to accurately re-create the transformed aesthetic from the show. The legs have additional hinges above the knee that then click into place at the back of the thighs. The hips also slide back to make room for it to kneel into position. The final result, whilst simple to look at, is quite striking and it’s clear the emphasis was on visual accuracy throughout. Naturally, in order to display this mode off to its fullest requires one of the Tamashii Stands (sold separately).

As with all Robot Damashii toys, Bandai have done a really nice job on the Mk. 2. Whilst the transformation is a bit fiddly, the toy is very poseable and accurate to the show. Even all the power lines and piping are in full effect too, something that’s surprising for a toy this cheap.

Overall this is very much a labour of love by the team at Bandai and, most importantly, a figure done for the fans of the show. It also gives us leave to blithely sing “Say Mk. 2″ an awful lot, which is always nice.

Courtesy of our good friends at HobbyLink Japan, we’ve been sent the 1/3000 scale SDF-1 Macross toy from Macross Do You Remember Love? as made by Yamato. It goes without saying that this is quite an important and iconic design to get given such an epic toy treatment, so we were understandably excited to get our hands on one. To help give the toy some context we’ve also included some videos of it from the original anime and a few games it has been featured in over the years at the end of the review.

In 1984, around the time of the film’s release, many were curious as to how the SDF-1 changed from its TV version, sporting the Daedalus and Prometheus, to the sleeker version (that this toy is based off) sporting two ARMD carriers instead. Despite what is commonly assumed, the SDF-1 in both the TV series and movie were actually designed by the remarkably talented Kazutaka Miyatake and not by Shoji Kawamori.

The initial rationalisation behind this was down to the origin on the ship that crash landed on Earth. Dubbed Alien Starship One (or more unfortunately ASS-1), the TV version was actually a Supervision Army Gun Destroyer. Whereas the movie’s SDF-1 was actually the result of a Meltran Gun Destroyer. The slightly mind bending aspect to all this though is that the movie was a somewhat fourth wall breaking documentary set within the Macross timeline itself (circa 2031). Due to the ignorance of the Supervision Army at that point in the chronology, a more simple war between the Zentraedi and Meltrandi was concocted in its place. This meant that the SDF-1 in the movie was effectively a refitted and somewhat glorified prop post Space War One

Convoluted timeline shenanigans aside, the movie version of the SDF-1 has haunted the nerdy minds of almost all Macross fans (including this one) since it graced movie theatres back in the mid-80′s. Prior to this toy, there have been a few attempts by Wave with a 1/5000 scale toy and a massive 1/2000 scale kit also made by Yamato. The latter is of interest, as this toy was based off the larger kit in many respects. This isn’t to say that this toy is by any means small, as it’s actually pretty damn huge (close to 40 cm tall in fact). If anything, downsizing the much larger kit has helped with the detailing quite a lot as it’s impressively intricate throughout. Yet it’s important to emphasise that this is very much a toy and impressively sturdy to boot.

Toy: SDF-1 Macross
Price: 27,880 yen
Size/Weight: 49.3 x 36.6 x 14.3 cm / 1730g

In cruiser mode the SDF-1 is an imposing display piece. Not exactly what we’d call gimmick ridden, bar the unpainted city in the left leg, the detailing and sculpt is really very impressive. Whilst the paint job is pretty sparse throughout, the design itself was never overly complex in that department and the approach Yamato have taken does accentuate the fact that this is meant to be a massive battleship. The bridge is also modelled in very intricate detail and the antenna, whilst pretty tough, should be handled with care.

The attack mode is really quite something else though and the transformation, whilst obviously quite straightforward, is handled very well. Specifically, the use of diecast to handle all the internal joints. Considering its size, the toy holds poses very well and isn’t at all floppy. The articulation on the “arms” is very nicely done too and the folding main cannon is an awesome touch.

There are a few slight issues with the toy though, considering the large price point the fact that you have to affix multiple small parts (to cover screw holes) is a bit surprising. The ARMD carriers also aren’t numbered, like in the movie, which is a bit odd as Wave managed to handle that fine with their 1/5000 toy. To be fair though, this are moderately minor gripes as the base toy is a remarkable achievement on the part of Yamato.

Overall, this is arguably the best toy of the SDF-1 to date. Its sculpt is nigh-on immaculate and it’s very well built too, so despite the price you can actually play around with it. If you’re any kind of Macross fan then this is definitely a must buy, especially as it is in very short supply. In any case, this Macross fan is pretty ecstatic with the final result and hopes that Yamato do the remaining Macross class battleships at some point in the not too distant future.

Courtesy of our good friends at HobbyLink Japan, we’ve been sent a toy from Virtual On to review. Specifically, the Composite Ver.Ka Temjin. In addition, to give the toy some context, we’ve also linked some gameplay footage of it in action from the excellent SEGA AGES PS2 port at the end of the review.

The original Virtual On was a classic game in many ways and one of its most striking elements was the ruthlessly efficient mecha design on the part of one Hajime Katoki. From the clean silhouettes to the simple shapes that sculpted the limbs. All of this was as a result of the technology of the time and the Model 2 board’s then inability to handle too many polygons, something that was literally baked into the designs of the game’s mecha.

MBV-04-G Temjin was effectively the Ryu of Virtual On’s virtuaroid (or VR) line-up. From a standard beam rifle, bomb and beam sword; it was a jack of trades but master of none. It sat functionally abreast of the game and as such, in the right hands at least, was a formidable force to contend with. Many of the best players in the 15 year history of the series have been Temjin pilots but this is not to say that Temjin was by any means uber, far from it in fact. Temjin was actually one of the hardest VR’s to master at the higher levels of play, mostly on account of how comprehensive the functional menu was and the skill based expectation that left on the player.

Considering that this year is the 15th anniversary of the original game’s release, it seemed only fitting that Hajime Katoki would help create a fitting homage to his design on the newly created Composite Ver. Ka toy line. Unsurprisingly, it’s really quite special.

Toy: Composite Ver.Ka Temjin
Price: 4800 yen
Size/Weight: 24.0 x 24.0 x 5.5 cm / 340g

As you can see, the toy is covered in all manner of lovely panel details and the sculpt is pretty much flawless. From the standard beam rifle, with its beam sword extension, you also get the prototype’s rail gun (something that wasn’t actually featured in the original game, but only visible on as a bitmap background on one of the leaderboards). In addition, the the Sega Saturn themed V-converter also opens up and contains a silver disc. The figure also comes with a variety of hand types, one which can also hold the bomb too, and a nice stand so you can do various dashing poses as seen in the game.

In terms of articulation, the arms, head and legs are very mobile. Even the feet hinge upwards allowing for some nice crouching poses. However, the ankle joints are initially quite rigid and somewhat limit the movements of the feet and makes for quite static poses. That said, the beam rifle can be held very snugly into the elbow joint (something the Sega Real Model toys had issues with) and the joints are pretty sturdy to even allow some nice beam sword poses.

The latter is especially notable, as the new beam sword add-on is pretty epic in terms of scale and is beginning to seem like a Composite Ver. Ka party piece (as in give the toy a ridiculously large weapon add-on to wield). We’re not complaining though as the beam sword looks pretty impressive.

Finally, it seems that after 15 years Virtual On fans have received the Temjin toy they’ve desired for so long. From the excellent sculpt and paint job, to the brilliant figure peripherals and a nicely hinged V-converter; it really is an excellent toy. Whilst the ankle articulation is initially a bit limited, the stand makes up for that as it allows for some nostalgic gaming poses. Overall then, if you’re a fan of the original Virtual On then this toy is a must get and is yet another excellent figure in the growing Composite Ver. Ka range.

Along with a slew of other toy announcements today, Bandai have finally come clean on the fact they are indeed going to release Robot Damashii toys of both the L-Gaim Mk.I and Mk.II respectively. If you remember the Heavy Metal L-Gaim mecha, designed by the glam-rock-tastic Mamoru Nagano, topped the wishlist of fans for new Robot Damashii figures not that long ago.

Unsurprisingly, with such a classic Yoshiyuki Tomino real robot series it’s been featured in numerous games over the years. From a variety of Super Robot Wars titles to the more recent first two Another Century’s Episode games (not to mention Real Robots Final Attack, but we prefer to ignore that little “gem” if we can).

L-Gaim has also had quite an impressive toy history too, from lovely HCM figures to a very recent and utterly amazing Soul of Chogokin Spec toy. These new Robot Damashii figures will hopefully be a bit more affordable though. Currently there’s no word on whether the L-Gaim Mk.II toy will retain the transformation but it’s quite a simple sequence so it’s quite likely it will. Both toys will be release early next year in Japan and can be pre-ordered here and here. What with us being massive L-Gaim nerds, we’ve also linked the lovely openings from the series as well as a few game clips of the respective mecha in action below.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Update: GAGraphic has some nice shots from the current Tamashii Nation show.

Over at Comiket, Takara Tomy have unveiled the next set of Video Game Robotics gashapon that were meant for a June release (that are now scheduled for December instead). In total, the series will contain four mecha from four different games. They are the PDF-802 X-4+ from Power Dolls 2, a PC turnbased strategy game with mecha designed by none other than Hajime Katoki. Followed by the HIGH-MACS 12 from the original Gungriffon and then the V-MH GLORY from the super rare Metal Slader Glory adventure game on the Famicom (later ported to the Super Famicom). The last mecha, of the four, is apparently a new blast runner from the upcoming Border Break Air Burst. However, all this may sound and look wonderful but the last set of gashapon in the range were pretty awful and they cost 700 yen a piece, these new toys cost 400 yen each. Considering the poor quality of the previous set, reducing the price for the new one doesn’t exactly bode well really.

A fair few places are covering this year’s Tokyo Toy Show, with Dengeki Online’s contribution being pretty thorough. From the upcoming Super Robot Chogokin Cybuster, pictured above and featured in the recent Nintendo DS port of The Lord of Elemental, to the Composite Ver. Ka Temjin, it’s clear that mecha gaming has had quite the impact on the Japanese toy community in recent years.

Over at Hobby Stock there is some nice photo coverage of the current Wonder Festival. Apart from cool stuff like an SD White Glint kit, Kotobukiya also announced their intent to make a kit of SAV-07-D Belgdor from the original Virtual On. Belgdor is an interesting design both functionally and aesthetically, as it was the most real robot VR in the game (as it used solid ammunition amongst other things). It was also one of the weaker units too but that didn’t stop the versus community from coming up with a variety of techniques to keep Belgdor competitive, with the usage of rowing being notable. Belgdor also received various updates in both Oratan and Force; from Grys-vok, to Stein-vok and finally the Vox series. No word on a release date or pricing as yet but like the other Kotobukiya kits it probably won’t be that expensive.

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

A chap by the name of “Aaron C.” has made a custom pair of TwinSticks for the Saturn port of Virtual On out of some cookingware and old joysticks. It’s a good piece of modding but the question remains; why the Saturn version? After all, Sega over produced the original TwinSticks and they are consequently readily available. Still, hats off for his initiative and he also states that he might come up with a Saturn/360 controller adapter, so he can use it on the recent XBLA port of Oratan. If you’re at all curious about the Virtual On games, we a have a very thorough feature about the series here on the site. Thanks to Persona for the heads up.