Anime: Gundam VS Battletech

[Rob Knotts]

Enemy grunt robots in Gundam anime are usually more functional in appearance than the heroic Gundams, but they usually also share the same resemblance to human figures (complete with heads and hands).

However, the most recent promo (YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhr91Cvush4)) for the upcoming Gundam 00 show features enemy grunts that are more mechanical, less anthropomorphic than both heroic and mass-production units from other Gundam settings.

The enemy forces for Gundam 00 look more like Vertical Tanks from Steel Battalion (aka Tekki) than armored humanoid figures, a style that would be more familiar to Battletech fans than anime fans.

[Tengu]

I wish I could comment on that, but when it comes to mecha, I really just prefer Evangelion.

[Nerd-o-rama]

To answer the question I thought the topic was asking: Nadesico.

On the actual topic: so they decided to go with a different, perhaps America-inspired design style. Perhaps to make the enemies more faceless and sinister? I think it looks good, but then, I'm not a huge Gundam fan.

[Rob Knotts]

Both styles show up in Japan, both in video games and anime, although most anime mecha tend to be anthropomorphic. In the U.S. the more mechanical designs have always been more popular.

[Closet_Skeleton]

The Battletech Mecha are based off Japanese designs, just differant ones to Gundam. For example Macross had both these realistic designs;

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/macross/sdfmacross/adr-04-mk10.htm

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/macross/sdfmacross/hwr-00-mk2.htm

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/macross/sdfmacross/mbr-04-mk6.htm

and these heroic transforming thingies

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/macross/macross.htm

While another anime in the same genre, Voltoms, had very gundamlike but more functional designs.

http://www.mahq.net/mecha/votoms/votoms.htm

[SDF]

Yeah Battletech totally ripped off several Macross designs. :smalltongue: My favorite giant robots would have to be from Armored Core. I love giant robots, even my sn is Macross inspired.

[Rob Knotts]

As an example how Gundams usually compare to enemy grunts, here's the Nu Gundam (http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/cca/rx-93.htm) and Geara Doga (http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/cca/ams-119.htm) from Char's Counterattack.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Yeah Battletech totally ripped off several Macross designs. :smalltongue:

Apparently, Battletech was originally developed as a war game system for using Japanese model kits as playing pieces. Battletech ripped off Macross designs because before there were any official Battletech models, they just made battletech stats for Macross model kits.

[Indon]

Man, I thought this would be a thread about who would win in a fight...

[jamroar]

Apparently, Battletech was originally developed as a war game system for using Japanese model kits as playing pieces. Battletech ripped off Macross designs because before there were any official Battletech models, they just made battletech stats for Macross model kits.

Yeah, there was a legal tussle over that fact later on, and the ripped off Mechs designs and transforming LAM rules had to be excised from the rules, and moved permanently 'off screen' in canon.

[Alex Knight]

For the record, the legal tussle was more complicated than that, and it also involved Playmates and their use of a BattleTech design without permission. But that's a big, long, heap of of stuff to go through, and largely irrelevant now.

The "offending" designs have received new images that pay homage to the old "unseen" artwork.

And btw, not all the designs were from Macross. The Locust design was from Crusher Joe, the Shadow Hawk, Griffin, and Wolverine were from Dougram, and I can't quite remember where the Battlemaster, Scorpion, and Goliath artwork came from.

[Evil DM Mark3]

For what it is worth I have allways felt the walking tank (or for larger mechs walking building) style of Battletech, as well as Epic, is far more intimidating, realistic and inspiring than Gundam.

[Mysticaloctopus]

Hmm...

Space Battleship Yamato

[AtomicKitKat]

The only Gundams I've seen have been Seed and Seed Destiny, so I'm not really sure how it reflects on the rest of the universe, but CE units range from humanoid(about 90% of all types, and 85% of all forces) to the bizarre(Gaia goes from Humanoid to Panther/Dog, and Bucues and Andy Waltfeld's first 2-person "Tiger" unit look like dogs and tigers respectively), to the downright crazy(I think it was either the Forbidden, Calamity, or Raider, that looked like one of those giant beetles, with its 2 massive tower shields).