The second batch of DLC for Gundam Extreme Versus has been updated over at the official site. Featuring both the ZMT-S33S Gottrlatan and the PMX-003 The O (picture above). Each mobile suit will cost 500 yen each but the additional trial missions will be free to download, as per the first pack. We’ve been playing the game quite extensively in the arcades in Japan as well and we can vouch for the fact that the PS3 “port” is pretty much identical in every way (especially if you have a good arcade stick to hand). Admittedly the arcade version allows you to pimp your HUD out as well as other similarly superficial customisations, but the game itself looks and plays the same. It’s thanks to this that we’ve had a pretty long win streak, as our skills developed at home have been entirely applicable in the arcades here. Naturally, our favoured ride of choice is the XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai, as mecha with capes are just plain awesome.

In a slightly surreal turn of events, Famitsu went live with a full blown update for Gundam Seed Battle Destiny on the PS Vita, only to pull it down pretty much straight away. In any case, the cat is out of the bag now and it seems that Artdink are indeed returning to the Gundam Battle series yet again but this time with souped up graphics and some additional touch screen support for (some) weapon selection. In addition, the PS Vita’s right analogue stick will also be used to control the camera. This is an interesting development as the Gundam Battle games have historically used a circle strafe lock system and a free camera look setup would change that somewhat. This may mean the games may becoming even more like the original Another Century’s Episode series, as they retained a circle strafe lock for movement but with an independent camera. The other big shift is the fact that this will be the first Gundam Battle game to be exclusively non-UC in terms of the timeline featured. As the name says, this game will be all things Gundam Seed and the roster of series it covers is suitably thorough. Whilst we’re not fans of Seed, we’re happy to see Artdink back in the saddle again and we’re hoping this will be a return to form after the depressingly and uncharacteristically dire Gundam Assault Survive. Apparently the game is around 70% complete and will be released in Spring of next year.

Update: Famitsu has updated their site with the breakdown on the game.

What with the current game already on PS3, Bandai Namco are keen to keep the momentum going and have unleashed a new update over at 4Gamer for Gundam Extreme Versus Full Boost. Covering a new “Boost Attack” that can be activated during Burst Mode (something that most units already do, which is a little odd) the other big addition is that the PS3’s DLC will basically be added to Full Boost’s roster as a matter of course. With the current exception to this being the MSN-02 Zeong and the GAT-X105E+AQM/E-X09S Strike Noir (the latter pictured above), which are currently an exclusive units to Full Boost (though this will likely change no doubt). Talking of DLC, our favourite Hi-Nu Gundam that was given away as a pre-order code for the PS3 game is now in the arcade version too. So if you practiced at home to beef up your skillz on the unit you can use it in the arcades too.

4Gamer has a new piece on the forthcoming Mobile Suit Gundam Online and it seems that they’re really going more for the co-op action route, a la Monster Hunter, rather than an old school MMO. This is mostly down to the combat being pretty standard TPS Gundam fare, with mobile suits broken down into class types (such as assault or sniper for instance). The fact you can also have a suitably massive number of players, 52 per side to be precise, is also pretty damn awesome really. In addition, there’s also a commander mode available that looks and sounds awfully like Armored Core V’s setup (which in turn is influence by Chrome Hounds obviously). Still no word on pricing or release date as yet but it’s looking to be a pretty cool game.

Famitsu has a new breakdown on the forthcoming Gundam Unicorn game for PS3. Not only do we have a release date now, the 8th March next year, but that the price will also be a very affordable 5,040 yen for the standard edition and the limited edition at 7,980 yen. The latter will feature additional bonus content on a separate Blu-Ray disc about the making of the anime as well as a new prequel novel written by Harutoshi Fukui with a luscious cover by Hajime Katoki featuring the prototype Sinanju Stein that we mentioned previously. The game has also had it’s “mode shift” controls clarified too. In that there will be an “assist” mode that will handle the weapon selection based on your range to target and a more “normal” setup where you have to select your sub-weapons manually. In addition, you’ll also be able to upgrade your pilots’ and mobile suits’ abilities with points earned in missions.

4Gamer has an interesting breakdown of the campaign modes in the upcoming Gundam Unicorn game. We already knew about the Unicorn Mode, which allowed players to choose to play through the narratives of several characters in the anime. The latest addition though is that of Custom Cast Mode, this allows you to create a team of six pilots and a warship and undertake a variety of challenging missions. Considering one of our concerns was the somewhat lean singleplayer, this new mode sounds to beef things up quite a bit. The other element is that of a prequel narrative, written by Harutoshi Fukui (who also penned the Unicorn novels), regarding Full Frontal’s stealing of the Sinanju Stein as well as introducing the Gundam Delta Kai (specifically built for Newtypes). On top of all this, there will also be DLC for the game. The first being revealed to be the forerunner to the pimp-tastic Hyakushiki, that of the transformable MSN-001 Delta Gundam. Finally, there are also some more details as to the gameplay; specifically that there is a mode shift present. This sounds a lot like the controls shift seen in the last two Another Century’s Episode games on the PS2, which would make sense as they were also developed by From Software. The game is definitely shaping up though and we’re keen to get our hands on it when it is finally released sometime next year.

The decade long lineage of the Gundam Versus games started out as a simplified reaction to SEGA’s more complex Virtual On. The latter required the player to keep an enemy’s position in their heads, as the camera would lose your target when you moved past them. In addition, the fixed vectored dashes made managing that even harder. The Gundam Versus games took this premise and distilled it down by removing the fixed vectored dashes and ensuring that the player could never lose sight of their target. What mixed it up was the addition of an extra opponent; two teams of two players a piece. Whilst the core mechanics were more accessible the additional enemy made combat more fluid. All of this was undertaken on a pretty standard arcade stick setup and what with the huge Gundam license attached to it, gamers piled in to play a game that was more immediately accessible but still interesting from a versus standpoint.

Fast forward ten years to the present and the Gundam Versus games have changed dramatically. The accessibility the games once had has evolved into something far more involved and in many ways has gone back to a more discerning setup similar to that of the original Virtual On games. Either way, the latest iteration in the form of Gundam Extreme Versus is nothing short of an arcade versus thoroughbred.

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Considering the arcade heritage behind Gundam Extreme Versus you would have thought that there would a dedicated stick for it. Well, Bandai Namco are going to do just that. Via their Lalabit Market, for the rather large sum of 14,800 yen, you’ll be able to have your very own Gundam styled stick in March of next year. What’s not entirely clear at the moment is who the stick is made by, though it looks like it could be HORI. It’s also a bit odd considering that this will only be available four months after the release of the game itself. We’re already blitzing the game with our Real Arcade Pro. 3 and whilst the Gundam styling of this stick looks pretty nifty we’re not sure what else it really offers to the discerning gamer. As four our review of the game itself, stay tuned for that as we’re writing it now.

There’s a nice update over at 4Gamer for the forthcoming Gundam Unicorn game. Whilst the information and shots are pretty much the same as those shown at Famitsu originally, these are now at HD resolution so you can really see the detail. Though this piece does talk more about the weight of the mobile suits and that they’ll feel “heavy”. Still no word on a price or specific release date as yet, bar sometime next year. We still really want to see some game footage before we get too excited though.

The first set of DLC for Gundam Extreme Versus has been fully revealed finally. Apart from the GNW-20000 Arche Gundam, which we already new about, we also now have the RX-79BD-1 GM Blue Destiny Unit 1 and its beastly EXAM system in full effect. The latter is probably one of the greater gaming heirlooms in terms of the Gundam mythos, as the Blue Destiny Trilogy on the Saturn was truly wonderful. In addition to the mobile suits, priced at 500 yen each, there will be 8 additional trial missions available for free. All of this DLC will be released on December 22nd.

Update: 4Gamer also has a really nice update about the upcoming DLC.