Bandai are deciding to grace us with a new Super Robot Chogokin figure of Shin Getter-1 this August. At 7,140 yen, it’s not exactly cheap but neither is it overly expensive either. Like the other toys in this line, expect a lot of diecast and an overall excellent sculpt and finish. As for the design itself, its gaming heritage is extensive and was originally premiered in Super Robot Wars 4. Admittedly it was work in progress for the manga and then later for an OVA but Shin Getter has been a staple of Super Robot Wars for as long as I can remember. It’s likely we’ll get the other Getter Machines too, with Shin Getter-2 being notable with its influence on the drilltastic Gurren Lagann, with the Getter Rays and subsequent Spiral Energy being also of note too. Whilst this isn’t the first Shin Getter-1 toy, with the Aoshima figures being really quite something, it will be more reasonably priced and slightly less huge.

It seems the beta/trial version of Gundam Breaker will be getting a fair few updates. From fixing the lock-on system, as well as new customisation and multiplayer options. Considering that the game is out next month is interesting as it’s not obvious how much use these changes will be (in terms of feedback loop and implementation) when it’s likely the game is already in certification at Sony. That aside there are new units announced too, with the RX-93 Nu Gundam (shown above) being notable. You can still pre-order the PS3 version of the game here for it’s June 27th release.

Famitsu has a nice update for Super Robot Wars Operation Extend featuring all manner of new units. From the mighty Billbine (shown above) to the RX-79[G]Ez-8 Gundam Ez8. In addition, the piece talks about armour parts that can be equipped to each unit. These are similar sounding to previous parts in the other SRW games. In terms of the blend of 2D and 3D animation in the battle scenes, it seems this is broken down between character cut-ins (2D) and mecha (3D), which isn’t anything overly new (though Banpresto are spinning it that it is). However, the latter 3D models are more stylised in terms of the texturing compared to the previous 3D SRW games. This is obviously a decent improvement but we’d like to see these in action before relaxing entirely, as generally 3D SRW games aren’t exactly very pretty looking normally.

What with the beta for Gundam Breaker already out, it seems Bandai Namco have also been listening to players in regards to improving the game. So we’ll be seeing operators, voiced by seiyuu, helping you out in game as well as allied wingmen. The latter looks more like these will be non-kitbashed units too, which is interesting. The PS3 version will released on June 27th for 7,980 yen. No word on the Vita release as yet though.

There’s a nice big update for Super Robot Wars Operation Extend over at 4Gamer. Mostly showing lots of new screenshots of the 3D battle animations it also shows the game map (as seen above). This is not like the previous grid base approaches but is instead radial and more along the lines of Super Robot Wars NEO. It’s pretty clear that Operation Extend is likely a re-purposed NEO, with a much larger unit roster. We’re still not sure about the whole download only approach but bear in mind the last few PSP have also been available to download too, so this isn’t something massively new (though the episodic nature may be a bone of contention to some). Either way we’re just happy to see Patlabor finally.

Sentinel have updated their site for the forthcoming Riobot Blodia toy from Cyberbots. Showing all manner of new shots of the figure, which emphasises its use of diecast (see above), and a promotional video that shows of its various gimmicks. All told, it looks fucking amazing and is definitely going to be the best Blodia figure we’ve ever had. Whilst it is somewhat pricy (10,290 yen) it is a lot cheaper than many of Bandai’s high end outings, which is impressive. It will also be available in 2P colours as well (blue basically). The toy is released this July and you can pre-order yours here.

What with the beta out for Gundam Breaker already (and one that had over 300,000 downloads in its first week online), it seems a bit odd to have a promo. In any case, it is pretty thorough and shows off the game pretty well. We’re definitely looking forward to the game’s release and will probably be picking up the PS3 version (which you can pre-order here).

We now know that Gundam Breaker will be released on 27th June for a pretty standard sum of 7,890 yen (thus disproving the theories that this would be another freemium game). In addition, the beta version of the game is now available to download via (Japanese) PSN. It has a few levels and some initial customisation. Gameplay-wise it’s pretty close to the Gundam Musou games but with more restricted boosting and firing. Pretty standard arcade fare really. What’s especially interesting is that the game is directly connected to Gundam Perfect Games, a website that’s dedicated to Gundam related gaming. This means you can upload your kitbashed creations for all to see. This alone is a pretty nifty feature. It will be interesting see how Bamco treat this beta release, and whether anything useful in terms of balancing will come out of it.

Over at 4Gamer there’s a new article on the forthcoming Gundam Breaker for PS3 and Vita. Covering the game’s customisation setup in a bit more detail, it seems that experience garnered will allow increasingly potent parts to be equipped but that this can be bypassed through use of “ace points” or certain parts. In addition the game will allow all manner of visual customisation too, from weathered to glossy kit finishes (as well as decals). Following on from customisation we now have more detail on the game structure too, with new screenshots finally showing some decent in-game HUD. Despite the obligatory tutorial missions, we’ll also have defense scenarios as well as giant Gundam battles. The latter sounds the more interesting of the two if we’re honest. The playable environments also look pretty cool, with the model kit workshop being wonderfully nerdy. Still no word on a release date or price for this but the game is look interesting at least. In addition, Bamco will be holding a free open beta on the PS3 version of the game.

So the much loved Blodia from Cyberbots will be getting a rather lovely looking toy, from Sentinel’s increasingly amazing Riobot line. We’ve covered this before but now we have some very nice pictures of the toy in question. As an aside, Sentinel’s Tumblr is worth bookmarking too. Despite the different player colours, which is a nice touch, the paint scheme on the figure looks very nice indeed and it also appears that the toy will have some manner of diecast (this being a good thing obviously). Still no word on a release date or price but it’s nice to know that Sentinel haven’t forgotten about the Blodia.