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!

Following the reveal we now have some initial combat footage for the Platinum Games developed Transformers Devastation. We’re loving the cel shading and the combat looks decent enough too but the whole aerial ramming in vehicle mode looks a bit odd. It will be interesting to see how it will play once it is released in October this year. We’re definitely excited for it though, which is a novel feeling to have for a Transformers games.

Hot on the heels of the brand new units that have already come to the console version of Full Boost are the inclusion of three more recently released Maxi Boost units! They are 00 Seven Sword G, Astray Red Dragon, and Tallgeese II. These units will be accompanying the Perfect Gundam on July 22 as part of the Midsummer Extreme VS. Festival DLC for Full Boost. Last year we received eight new units during the Midsummer Festival so it will be interesting to see if there are more along the way. Let us know what you think of these units in the comments below!

One of the more interesting releases from Bandai as of late has been their DX Chogokin VF-19 Advance as seen very briefly in the second Macross Frontier movie. As there have been a fair few YF-19 toy releases already, and we reviewed Arcadia’s last attempt, this is the first time that Bandai has attempted the design to this degree of fidelity. As you might expect, Bandai have utterly nailed it.

More units are coming in the form of Perfect Gundam and Marasai/Gabthley for both Maxi Boost and Full Boost. Scheduled to be released on July 22nd, these two units will be the 9th and 10th additions to the Full Boost roster since the 1.08 patch went live in May 2015. While not much has been discovered regarding the units’ playstyles, Perfect Gundam’s addition represents another Gundam manga series to the EXVS franchise in Plamo Kyoshiro. As for the Marasai/Gabthley, it will be interesting to see if the switching mechanic is similar to the Kapool tag mechanic or is like Char’s Zaku II where some moves switch to Char’s Z’gok for a set amount of time. It is interesting to see that Bandai Namco is still actively supporting Full Boost through brand new units that have yet to appear in Maxi Boost, which raises questions about Maxi Boost’s eventual console release. Anyway, let us know what you think about these two new units in the comments below!

So a commercial listing for the upcoming Transformers Devastation was recently leaked. This is a cel-shaded brawler developed by Platinum Games, set for release on pretty much everything (as in PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360). The game will also feature all the classic 80’s English voice cast too. After the High Moon games we are a bit wary of someone else handling Transformers, that said this is Platinum we are talking about and they do make well crafted games on the whole. The cel-shading also looks good too but until we see it in motion we’ll reserve judgement, as this kind of thing is notoriously difficult to get right. Set for an October release this year our fingers are crossed for this one!

Thanks to some datamining from the recent Full Boost 1.08 patch, we know now there are four more units on the way as DLC. They are Penelope, Nobel Gundam, Gundam Harute and Blitz Gundam. As you may know, these units are currently part of the Maxi Boost roster with Harute being the newest in this group of four. It’s possible these units might show up in the upcoming months, especially if Bandai Namco have another Summer Festival Event like last year which introduced Banshee Norn, ReGZ, Altron Gundam, and Strike Rouge. With all these additions, perhaps a Maxi Boost console port is much further off than expected. Let us know what you think of this group of additions and what you think might be in store as future DLC!

Bandai Namco have uploaded a new video highlighting the four new DLC suits to appear next week in conjunction with the Gundam Extreme Versus Full Boost 1.08 update. The four new units are Full Armor Unicorn Gundam, Avalanche Exia, Sandrock Kai, and Char’s Zaku II. All these units have been brought over from Maxi Boost and will cost 476 yen plus tax. We’ve seen other suits cross over from the sequel as well, so it will be interesting to see how the new units perform in Full Boost. Interestingly enough, both Banshee Norn and ReGZ will be receiving nerfs on the 1.08 update as well due to their rather impressive performance in Full Boost from Maxi Boost, so we’ll see if the new four will be properly balanced too. As Perfect Gundam has already been unintentionally teased in images promoting the new update, we can only wonder what new units will become DLC for Full Boost in the near future. Make sure to check out the video below and let us know what other units should join the fray!

Back in 2009, during the last days of the PS2, we saw the first game in the Z series made digital flesh. It was quite the departure from the previous Alpha series and also boasted an all new 2D animation engine. It was also a pretty damn fantastic game, that used focus groups of three units to offset the formations of enemy attackers.

Not long after that the PSP saw host to the second part of the Z series, in the form of Hakai-hen and Saisei-hen. These were more streamlined and dropped the formation approach for single units while still retaining some lovely animation. Then last year we received the first part to the third instalment, called Jigoku-hen it was split across PS3 and Vita with cross save functionality enabled. Taking a middle approach with having each group comprising of two units, it sat neatly between the first game and its portable offspring. That made sense as it was both a console and a portable game. It also looked incredible.

So now after six years we have reached the end of the road with the Z series and Tengoku-hen doesn’t disappoint.