Beatings in Space: A SD Gundam G Generation Genesis Story

SD Gundam G Generation Genesis is the latest console entry in the G Generation franchise (but not the latest entry, since a mobile game just came out about a month ago). G Gen is a long-running game series from Banpresto centered around the Gundam franchise. For people who are familiar, G Gen is pretty much the Gundam-only companion to Banpresto's other long-running strategy series: Super Robot Wars.

Back in 2011, I LP'd another game in the series, and a lot of what I said about the series as a whole is still true today. G Gen Genesis goes back to both the game's and the show's roots, by both being entirely focused on Gundam series set in the core Universal Century timeline and also by being another G Generation F-style game, while the last few G Gens have been a kind of hybrid style. And boy, G Gen F is my favourite G Gen, so I'm looking forward to playing this! While I'm sad about the lack of some of my favourite mobile suits due to the focus on UC, UC does also still have a lot of my favourites in it, and I'm looking forward to showing them off!

So on that note, I haven't played through Genesis yet, so while a lot of the game will be new to me as I come up on it, I will be helped by a few things: 1) I have played many G Gens, and have followed Gundam for a long time, so I am familiar with what is being used here, 2) I will have a (hopefully) rotating cast of friends to chat along with me through my journey, and 3) G Gen Genesis is, I'm pretty sure, the first G Gen game to get an official English translation.

So, with that said, let's dive right in!


Table of Contents

Introduction

So, as I had mentioned in the start, Genesis differs from World in that it's centered around playing through a whole series, instead of playing through it's own progression that goes through highlights of each series in the game. As such, we have our first decision! What series do folks want to see me run through first? My understanding is that there are no series in Genesis that are "traps" to start with, unlike F (*shakefist* 0080!), so I'm going to give any of them a try! As I said, I haven't played the game yet, so I have no idea at this moment which ones would be "harder" or "easier" to start with.

Of course, I know that a lot of you probably don't have all that much exposure to Gundam, so here's a brief overview of each series:

Mobile Suit Gundam

MSG is the classic, the one that started it all. The first show in the franchise, it also was one of the first shows to pioneer the concept of "real robots", which differentiates itself from the "super robot" style by focusing more on the idea of the robots being weapons, and the stories that rise as a result of it. If super robot shows are your costumed hero stories, real robot shows are your GI Joes. MSG itself technically straddles the line, as one might expect from something that helped pioneer a new genre.

MSG is a story of young engineer Amuro Ray, who gets dragged into the ongoing war between the Earth-based Earth Federation, and the Principality of Zeon which is aiming for independence for the space colonies. He winds up piloting a prototype robot, and fights against Zeon as they try to take it from them before the tech can be returned to the EF for production.

Also Zeon is straight up Nazis, and yet the fandom loves them.


Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO

MS IGLOO is one of the various "side stories" that happens during the "One Year War" that MSG is based on. It tells the story of a crew of Zeon engineers as they prototype various new designs for Zeon. Some of which are neat, like the Hildolfr, and some of which are ridiculous, like the Ze'Gok.

I know I just razzed on Zeon a moment ago, but MS IGLOO was pretty neat.


Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

While most of Gundam as a franchise likes to focus on the action in space, 08th MS Team takes the fight to Earth, and tells the story of a squad of pilots fighting in the Asian front. It winds up being a lot more about characters and tactics then Gundam tends to be, and is certainly a lot more low-tech even if the main characters are all using a Gundam variant.

It also is about love blooming on a battlefield.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Cross Dimension 0079

Cross Dimension is an interesting one to have here as a full series instead of just as units, because it was itself a game that (unlike some of the other entries we have) seems to have been mostly relegated to the archives. While most of the game is itself a strategy game retelling of MSG, the rest of it is a small sidestory focusing on another prototype Gundam, because it's not like there wasn't a million of them during the OYW.


Mobile Suit Gundam Sidestory: The Blue Destiny

Next up is another game, but Blue Destiny is very popular in Gundam-specific stuff (though I wish it would show up in more things. Blue Destiny for SRW!). Not wanting to let Zeon take all the fun, Blue Destiny is a story about a test of a new anti-Newtype system (Newtypes being the psychics of the Gundam universe), though there seems to be more to the device then meets the eyes...

Also Yuu Kajima is a badass.


Mobile Suit Guundam Side Story 0079: Rise From The Ashes

Another video game. Basically 08th MS Team, but everyone is using GMs instead of Gundams. Also more war focused. The GM Sniper II is badass, though. Rise from the Ashes, much like Cross Dimension, tends to be included in these kinds of games as filler, instead of a main entry.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front

Continuing the video game block of series, Zeonic Front is like Rise From The Ashes, but played from the Zeon side. I think it's interesting that for the most part it doesn't feature anything NEW... other then Mudrock Gundam which is basically the villain of the game.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles

What if you wanted to play around with all the cool things in the OYW, including Blue Destiny, but also wanted to follow the stories of characters who did nothing that mattered?

I mostly tend to hear about Lost War Chronicles as well in the context of game filler. I think it's pretty neat that Genesis is putting a lot of these kinds of games front-and-center, though.


Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space Beyond the Blaze

This was basically the original story mode for the game Mobile Suit Gundam: Encounters in Space, which is also one of my favourite Gundam games. Stars two more Gundam prototypes that are much better equipped then the actual Gundam.


Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Missing Link

Another ensemble video game, most notible for the addition of the Pale Rider, which is as close to a mass-produced Blue Destiny the OYW managed to get.


Mobile Suit Guundam 0080: War in the Pocket

Bernieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

A tale of the last days of the OYW, as a rookie Zeon pilot ends up befriending a kid on an EF testing colony, and ends up trying to save it from destruction by single-handedly taking on the Gundam being developed there. Also is a biting commentary about the way the fandom took to things around the OYW.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record UC 0081

Tales from skirmishes after the OYW. I mostly like that Battlefield Record was finally where the Heavy Full Armour 7th Gundam got an opportunity to debut.


Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

The EF decides that building nuclear-armed Gundams is a good idea, so a Zeon fanatic steals it, leading to a chase between him and the test team that was trialing the machines. And it all ends with things going so poorly that the EF decides to start their own authoritarian arm, because why should Zeon get all the fun?

Robots piloted by other robots are still cool, though.


Mobile Suit Gundam Zeta: A New Translation

Following directly on from 0083, Zeta follows a group of rebels who continue the fight against the EF's heavy handed handling of... well, basically everything. And these rebels are only kinda sorta Zeonic remnants, but it's ok because actual Zeonic remnants are also out there being shitty. But probably not as shitty as the Titans, because wow those people are shitty.

A New Translation is a movie trilogy "remaster" of the show, which changes some aspects, tightens up others, and also ends on a happier note for Kamille Bidan, the main character.


Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

If Zeta was a bit of a downer, ZZ was almost a complete opposite tone. Starting off immediately after the end of Zeta, ZZ starts off with a new cast stealing the Zeta Gundam, and then getting into wacky hijinks until it's time for the plot to actually begin. Also features a Gundam that might as well be Getter Robo.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Jumping forward in time a bit, Char decides he's had enough with the corruption of the Earth Federation, so he decides to use that corruption to drop a mining asteroid on Earth to force everyone to live in space and evolve. Amuro Ray, noted nutbar by this point, goes out of his way to get in Char's way even before it looks like Char is a supervillain.


Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

Zeonic remnants decide to actually try real diplomacy to get their independence, while another group of remnants thinks that Char was right all along. Unicorn also goes into the history of the Earth/Space separation in the EF, which is the crux of the diplomatic attempt.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Brilliant Hathaway

Hathaway Noa, really upset at the EF being shitty, and haunted by a ghost, decides to run off and become a terrorist. This doesn't go well for anyone involved, but he does pilot a machine with funnel missiles, which seems like a hilarious waste of resources.


So, 18 separate series to choose from, with 11 of them being set during the OYW. Let me know which ones you want to see first, and I'll get started! For this first voting block, I may end up giving a fair amount of time just so I can get results and then do a video, but after that I intend to have something up weekly.

I think the funnel missiles in Hathaway's sidestory (with some really oddball mecha designs by the Zeorymar guy unless they got Katoki to do redesigns again) were mostly there as a workaround for both bits/funnels not working in atmo and Minovsky particles neutering the comm tech that actually makes precision targeting for missiles work.

But yeah, Blue Destiny is always fun. Shame this is only anime/vg focused though.

While that's mostly true, Gundam has had funnels work in atmosphere, and honestly if you can get the propulsion of a missile running you can make it a gun instead. Besides, in the years since 1979, drone tech has become a lot more advanced then they thought it would be. So it definitely comes across as silly, even if it makes sense!

But also yeah. I love how Xi and Penelope just straight up look like Zeorymer knockoffs.

I like hijinks so this one gets my vote.

I would just play the series in chronological order as much as possible.

This might be biased, seeing as I'm one of the people who is going to be commentating with you, but starting off with a bit dose of the 80s is always a good idea. My vote goes to ZZ.

I'd like to start recording the first episode in a day or two, so if there's anyone with a last minute suggestion, I'd love to hear from you! I've been excited about this game for a while now, and I'm really looking forward to just digging right in.

In our first proper episode, we start off at the very beginning of the One Year War, watching from the perspective of the 603rd Technical Evaluation Unit of the Zeonic forces as the war begins in earnest.



New Mobile Weapons Seen in this Episode

Jotunheim: The Jotunheim is a prototype civilian ship that has been pressed into service with the Zeon forces, and attached to the 603 as their mothership.

Papua-class: The Papua-class was the workhorse supply ship of the Zeon forces. In G Gen, it's also notable for being an early ship with 2 team slots, but generally little to no weapons and only usable in space.

Musai-class: The Musai-class is the standard ship-of-the-line cruiser of the Zeon forces, and is seen in almost every major space battle. This design gets updated and iterated on constantly in the Universal Century.

Salamis-class: The Salamis is to the Earth Federation what the Musai is to Zeon.

QCX-76A Jormungand: The Jormungand is the focus of the episode this mission is based on. A super-long-range artillery cannon designed to eliminate enemy capital ships from outside of their attack range, this weapon would have been devastating during an era where space combat was mainly between fleets. Unfortunately, this cannon found itself being combat trialed during the same battle that mobile suits were introduced, which obsoleted it instantly.

Gwazine-class: The Gwazine was the main Zeon battleship of the time. It was frequently used as the flagship of a fleet.

Magellan-class: The Magellan-class fills the same role as the Gwazine, but was a lot more common in the EF armada.

Observation Boat: Basically a shuttle used by the 603 to observe the prototypes in action. Unarmed, barely armoured, and totally inappropriate for a unit intended to be getting actual combat data.

FF-S3 Saberfish: The Saberfish was, at hte start of the war, the primary EF attack vessel. While a lot of space combat was between capital ships, fighter craft like the Saberfish could get in between the lines and harass enemy ships. As well, combat in atmosphere was still between similar constructions of forces as today; tanks, planes, infantry, and so on, and the Saberfish was the primary air force there as well.

Carry Base: The Carry Base is the classic original ship of the G Generation line, being your starter ship for a very long time. It's not exceptional, but it covers all the bases you need to get started.

GGS-000 Phoenix Zero: The Phoenix Zero has become one of the go-to starting units for G Gen games, acting as a prototype to the more powerful Phoenix Gundam. It acts as an "ace" unit for your starting squad here, boasting some powerful attacks to get you started.

Tornado Gundam: Meanwhile, the Tornado Gundam remains barely more then mass produced junk. It feels a little better in Generation then it has in a lot of earlier games, but it's still outclassed really easily.

MS-06 Zaku II: While it wasn't the first mobile suit, the Zaku II was the first one to see proper combat, introduced during the Battle of Loum itself. The introduction of mobile suits, giant humanoid combat machines, changed the way war was fought in the Universal Century overnight. Able to carry heavier weapons then fighter craft, but also able to be a lot more maneuverable, they could decimate enemy fleets while dodging return fire.

MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type: Char's red Zaku II is, most likely, the origin of red things being 3 times faster. I know it's a thing in Warhammer, but MSG was earlier.

RB-79K Ball Type K: We don't see the regular Ball in this episode, but we do see this alternate variant which replaces the single recoilless cannon on the Ball with a pair of autocannons instead.

In today's episode, we follow a team of Zeonic commandos as they descend upon Earth as part of the initial Zeon invasion.


New Mobile Weapons Seen in this Episode

Type 61 Tank: The Type 61 was the EF's main battle tank at the time of the OYW. While a powerful weapon for conventional combat, it was very quickly outclassed by mobile suits. A bunch of them could hold their own against a Zaku, but one-on-one they're no match.

Medea: The Medea is the standard EF atmospheric transport craft. Nothing special about it. They're available early on in G Gen games, generally, as a cheap second ship you can get, but they're only useful in atmosphere.

MS-05A Zaku I Early Type: The Zaku I is a poster-child for how weird Gundam's retconning goes. Produced 5 years before the OYW, yet was never used in mobile suit combat until they got obsoleted by the Zaku IIs? Go figure. This one is an even earlier prototype version of that prototype mobile suit.

Big Tray-class: The Big Tray is a giant land battleship, basically trying to be a Magellan but for ground combat.

Type 74 Hover Truck: The Type 74 is a lightly armed vehicle meant to be used as a mobile HQ for a squadron in the field.

GGF-001 Phoenix Gundam: The complete version of the Phoenix Zero, the Phoenix Gundam is a powerful ace unit. In other G Gen games, the Tornado -> Phoenix Zero -> Phoenix Gundam line would be the way you branch out into starting units from all the series in the game. In Genesis, because of how it's structured, they basically just stay within their evolution lines. Sadly.

Type VIII Attack Submarine/Jukon-class: The attack subs housed at California Base get captured by Zeon, and retooled into their own submarines. It's kind of confusing.

RGM-79[G] GM Ground Type: Ground GMs were very early production models of the Earth Federation's GM mobile suit, made using early testing data from Project V (which eventually produced the Gundam). Effectively, though, the Ground GM is a ground-combat variant of the GM, which mostly uses conventional weapons though it does have a beam saber for close combat.

RGM-79 GM: The Earth Federation's first properly mass produced mobile suit, the GM became the workhorse unit for years to come. Almost everything the EF itself as an organization produces after it's release is a variant of either the GM or a Gundam.

MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type: A variant of the Zaku II that boasts increased speed and mobility, but at a higher production and training cost. Usually only seen as an ace pilot's personal mobile suit, such as Shin Matsunaga.

Gunship Heli: I mean, the one in the episode is basically an Apache, not that thing. So I don't know what's up? It's an attack helicopter, though.

Just noticed this LP and read the intro and... man, that's a lot of OYW spin-offs. I know it's the nostalgia juggernaut for Japan, but you'd really think by now we could use at least a few side stories from the 0080s and 90s eras, even if only in games and such.

They have a few things in later eras. Gundam Sentinel was a novel set during the time of ZZ Gundam released in 1987. It sadly does not have a story in this game (though units from it are in it). More recently Twilight Axis is a small story set around the same time Unicorn, which was originally a novel but is now getting an anime. Overall though, this game did very much focus on the One Year War stuff.

Yeah, on one hand I like that this game is such an interesting history of the OYW, but at the same time I wish they dove a little deeper into some of the things just outside of it. Sentinel would have been an incredible addition to the meta-narrative they went with for this game, as would some Advance of Zeta story (what little there is). Ecole du Ciel was a really neat side thing that covered some of the leadup to the events of Zeta Gundam, and I like GM Canard and La Cygne. I think it would also be cool for something like Under the Gundam: Double-Fake to get some of the spotlight.

One thing that causes Genesis a little bit of trouble when it comes to sidestories is that because it decided to do such an emphasis on the historical record of the OYW (and some other major UC series), it limits it's ability to have stages from series that are obviously questionably canon. I'd love to have some stages from Origin or Beltorchika’s Children/High Streamer, but they change a pretty significant amount from the "canon" of the animated timeline, so that's probably why they're only represented as units.

So, yeah. On one hand, I like that Genesis is such a historical tale of the OYW (though I wish it had a proper timeline mode for stages, so you could tell what you're supposed to play next), but the OYW is also SUPER TOLD, even if most of the stuff that Genesis uses are not commonly used in G Gen games. There's so much mid-to-late UC that barely gets much more then unit representation in G Gen games anymore. Gimme another F90 and Silhouette Formula 91 story mode, G Gen!

Wait, Twilight Axis is in the Unicorn period? I've been watching it and had no idea. I generally have no idea what's going on in that show, though; it's so short there's really no time to orient the viewer to anything.

I loved Ecole du Ciel (though admittedly a big part of that is being a Mikimoto fanboy), but have only read it up to where the English translated edition sadly petered out. Unless more came out and I wasn't paying attention...

In today's episode, we return to the 603rd as they find themselves on Earth in order to reevaluate a previously rejected design.

New Mobile Weapons Seen in this Episode

Komusai: The Komusai is a short-range reentry capsule used during the OYW, capable of transporting a couple of mobile suits and their personnel to and from Earth. Not otherwise armed, however.

YMT-05 Hildolfr: The Hildolfr is a "mobile tank", which I guess means it's a tank with the body of a mobile suit. Considering this thing was made 3 years after the Zaku I, I guess you can see why it was rejected for mass production. I still think it's awesome, though.

MS-06Z Psycommu System Zaku / MS-06Z Bishop: The Psycommu System Zaku was designed to prototype Newtype-use weapons that would later go on to be used in other mobile suits.

RGM-79[E] GM Earty Type: The GM Early Type is... well, an earlier prototype model of the GM.

RTX-440 Ground Assault Type Guntank: The Assault Guntank is less of a variant of the Guntank from Mobile Suit Gundam, and more of a modification of an existing anti-MS tank using things developed for the Guntank. Considering the development of the Guntank itself, you could think of the Assault Guntank as being akin to it's version of the Ground GM.

In today's episode, we go to what started it all: The first episode of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and the reveal of the titular robot.

New Mobile Weapons Seen in this Episode

RX-75-4 Guntank: The Guntank is pretty much the EF's first true prototype mobile suit. Barely a mobile suit at all, it's pretty much just a tank with a body instead of just a turret, but that lets it carry heavier weapons, I guess.

RX-78-2 Gundam: The robot that started it all. The Gundam is a powerful prototype mobile suit that is impervious to harm and has a learning computer that makes it easy to control. So of course a kid becomes it's pilot. This pairing changes the path of mecha anime forever.

SVC-70 White Base: The White Base was another prototype built as part of the Project V, in this case a prototype battleship that carries mobile suits, as the EF didn't have the ability to do so with their existing fleet.

FF-X7 Core Fighter: One of the most interesting things about the Project V line of mobile suits was their construction around the concept of a "Core Block System", which basically means they're slightly modular and designed around a single fighter craft (the Core Fighter) that docks with the mobile suit components. It also means that if the mobile suit were to be destroyed, it's possible for the pilot to eject with the Core Fighter and escape.

Dodai YS: While ostensibly a bomber aircraft on it's own, the Dodai YS was more frequently used to carry mobile suits further and faster then they could get using their legs or thrusters, though not as efficiently as if they were to just get on their mothership.

Shackles: The Shackles, on the other hand, is just a flying platform to help move mobile suits around in space faster.

RGM-79[G] GM Sniper: The GM Sniper line is terribly named and really confusing. This one is a GM Ground Type that's been equipped with a long range beam sniper rifle instead of a regular machine gun. Normally the rifle would actually need to be plugged into an external generator because the GM Ground Type can't produce enough power on it's own, but G Gen tends to ignore this part.

RGM-79D GM Cold Climate Type: A GM that's been modified and equipped for combat in very cold climates. You see a few in 0080 defending the base the EF has in the Arctic.

GGF-001 Phoenix Gundam (Unlocked): Not really a "new" mobile weapon, but G Gen tends to break Phoenix Gundam into two versions, and the one we barely get to see in this episode is the "unlocked" one that has full access to it's power. You'll really get to see it more next time, though.

MS-05B Zaku I: Yes, you've seen some other versions of this already. It's the proper production version of the Zaku I this time.

In today's episode, we bring the White Base to Earth, but nothing is happy about this return...

New Mobile Weapons Seen in this Episode

DFA-03 Dopp: Zeon's only atmospheric fighter during the One Year War. This doofy thing has raw power, but can't bring it to bear because of it's terrible aerodynamics.

ACA-01 Gaw: The Gaw, on the other hand, is a decently well build atmospheric carrier, able to bring mobile suits or Dopps into the battle from the air.

HT-01B Magella Attack: The main Zeonic battle tank during the One Year War. While mobile suits made up the bulk of their army power, tanks still had a role while production was ramping up. The turret of the Magella Attack could eject from the body and turn into a plane, as well. Because why not.

RX-77-2 Guncannon: The third mobile suit generated from Project V, the Guncannon was the EF's first "true" mobile suit.

MS-06V Zaku Tank: The cobbled together remains of a Zaku and a Magella Attack gives us this monstrosity, which somehow can't use a Zaku Machine Gun so it only gets the gatling gun in the base. It's one of the worst units in G Gen.

In today's episode, we watch a team of test pilots discover what's up with that hovering mobile suit.

New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

MS-07B Gouf: The Gouf is no Zaku, boy. This ground-combat mobile suit is exceptionally good at close combat, with it's super-heated whip, one of the few things to actually show damage to the Gundam's shield.

MS-09 Dom: Another ground-combat mobile suit, this one features super-high mobility by basically having nuclear jet engines for legs. It uses this speed to equip a huge bazooka and quickly overwhelm it's opponents.

RGM-79G GM Command: While named "Command", the GM Command is not actually a commander unit, because who said the EF was good at naming things. In seriousness, though, the GM Command is just a well refined late-war GM model, building off of the knowledge from the GM Cold Climate Type and all the data obtained from GMs during the war.

MS-06G Zaku II High Mobility Ground Type: Essentially a Zaku II Ground Type with a Gouf's jumpjets equipped, instead of being like the regular Zaku II High Mobility Type.

RGM-79SC GM Sniper Custom: No, this is not a custom variant of the GM Sniper. This is a GM (Sniper Custom). Yes, I already mentioned that the GM Sniper line is so terribly confusingly named.

FF-X7-Bst Core Booster: A module that can be mounted on the Core Fighter that turns it into a heavy fighter craft. In case you don't have enough mobile suits to plug your Core Fighters into.

MSM-04 Acguy: A water-use mobile suit that somehow became incredibly popular as "cute". Honestly, I can see it.

In today's episode, a squad of Zeonic criminals discover a Federation base that's hiding a secret.

New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

MS-08TX Efreet: The Efreet is kind of like this weird amalgam of a Gouf and a Dom, but before the Dom actually got released. It's a very close-range focused mobile suit that is incredibly mobile, and probably is legit one of the best things Zeon made during the OYW. At least in terms of G Gen games.

RX-78XX Gundam Pixy: Another high-mobility melee mobile suit, the Pixy was made for "elite" pilots... which really just means Amuro.

RGM-79HC GM Guard Custom: The GM Guard Custom is a variation of the GM Sniper Custom (what) that's designed to protect battleships from direct attack. That big shield probably did a pretty decent job at deflecting beam cannon shots.

RX-78-6 Mudrock Gundam: In order to combat the problem of the Gundam running out of weapons if it's rifle ran out of ammo, the developers of the Mudrock decided to put giant cannons on it's shoulders as well. The Mudrock was also the main antagonist of Zeonic Front, and boy if it ever scary whenever it shows up in that game.

In this episode, the Wolf Gar team returns to finish the fight.

New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

RX-78-4 Gundam Unit 4 "G04": One of the many "other" Gundams that came out during the One Year War. Side stuff essentially said that Side 7 had 3 Gundam prototypes at it specifically, but there were more being worked on using the same designs elsewhere. G04 and G05 (which will be seen later) were such other prototypes, and they were modified during production to have an emphasis on space combat. G04 gets equipped with a large beam cannon that gets used as it's main heavy weapon in games and stuff, but in the actual story the G04 came from, using the cannon caused the Gundam to overload and explode, killing the pilot.

RX-78GP00 Gundam "Blossom": Part of the Mobile Suit Variation collection for 0083, the GP00 was said to be the initial prototype for the whole GP line. It's main gimmick is that it is equipped with a powerful radar system that uses minovsky particles instead of the normal EM waves that radars and the like use, which gave it incredible accuracy but also incredibly low reliability.

MS-08TX/N Efreet Nacht: It's an Efreet painted black, equipped with a katana, kunai, and a jamming system. It's a ninja mobile suit.

MS-06J Zaku II Ground Type (Desert Version): There are three different Zaku II Desert Types, and the one that shows up in this episode is the one that's just a Zaku II Ground Type painted in brown instead of green. Also since the Ground Type hasn't shown up yet (Wait, really? I probably just didn't flag the last few as Ground Types), I'll just mention that it's the basic Zaku II with it's space thrusters removed, and a slightly beefier engine to help it keep it's mobility while under gravity and atmosphere.

In this episode, the special forces team known as Slave Wraiths root out corruption in the Federation forces, while the Marchosias Company assaults a transport convoy that might be carrying a new Federation mobile suit.


New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

C-88 Medea: So, this is not ACTUALLY seen, but I just wanted to point out that the Slave Wraiths' transport is supposed to be a new model Medea, but I think Genesis just didn't want to include it.

RX-79[G] SW Slave Wraith: A lightly customized Ground Gundam for use by the Slave Wraiths. It has slightly more armour, but otherwise is equipped the same.

MS-08TX Efreet (Doug Schneid Custom): I already pointed out the Efreet when it first showed up 2 episodes ago, but this version doesn't get a unique variant name for another 18 years in-universe. Efreets are close-range mobile suits, but Doug Schneid's version is more close-range bullets then close-range melee. It still has the shotgun, but adds a Gouf Custom's 3-barrel machine gun, and also replaces the heat sword with a heat lancer.

RX-78-4[bst] Gundam Unit 4 "G04" [bst]: Essentially the same as the G04 but with more boosters and stuff.

MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom: The Gouf was always meant to be a close-range high-mobility mobile suit, but that close-range nature was also a weakness. The Gouf Custom made up for that by including an arm-mounted machine gun, a shield mounted gatling gun, and some hand-held guns that could all be discarded as necessary to allow the pilot additional mobility. This gave ace pilots an alternative to the Dom, which while it was also high mobility, it's weapons were mainly slow and heavy.

RX-78GP01 Gundam "Zephyranthes": A prototype new generation Gundam, designed to be operational in all environments. The Zephyranthes was the most basic of all the new Gundams designed under the "Gundam Development Project", and mirrored the original RX-78 the most. You could basically say that the GP01 is them taking the RX-78 and updating it with more modern tech.

FFB-7Bst Jet Core Booster: If you don't have enough Core Fighters to attach the booster unit onto, then you can just mount a regular fighter jet cockpit on it instead.

RGM-79FP GM Striker: A GM that's been specialized for melee combat, featuring a twin-bladed beam spear that can also shift into a scythe mode because Deathscythe is a cool mobile suit, right?

In this episode, Amuro thinks that the White Base crew is trying to get rid of him, so he runs away and finds himself in the company of some Zeon guerrillas.

New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

RX-75 Guntank Mass Production Type: An attempt to mass produce the Guntank, it removes the core block system but lets it turn it's waist around. It also has smaller cannons, but the cannons are also swappable. Basically, refining the design for cheaper production.

MS-06K Zaku Cannon: The most basic MSV concept: What if we took this mobile suit, and then put a cannon on it's shoulder(s)?

Gallop-class: A land battleship that makes use of hoverjets to give it exceptional speed and mobility, especially in the deserts where Ramba Ral operates.

Nah, I've just been focusing on STO in the few times my co-host and I have been able to get together over the past few months. That said, while I have another episode on the docket, I won't be able to finish it for a few weeks.

In this episode, the Midnight Fenrir provide backup during the Federation's push on Odessa.

New Mobile Weapons Seen In This Episode

RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Type: After Project V was shown to be a success, the EF took all the spare parts they made for the original Gundam and made 20 of these ground-use Gundams for combat on Earth. Instead of making sure the White Base had spare parts, I guess?

AGX-04 Gerbera Tetra: Originally designed as the 4th unit of the GP line, it was originally cancelled because it basically did the same thing the Gundam Zephyranthes. But then Anaheim, the weapons dealers they are, made a deal with the Delaz Fleet to finish it up using Zeonic designs and sold it to them. It is a super-high speed mobile suit that annoyingly actually can't fly in atmosphere. But I really like it's beam machinegun.

RMS-179 GM II Semi-Striker: Kinda basically doing the same thing as the GM Striker, but with an eye towards making it mass producible. This makes it a worse unit.

D-50C Loto: A transformable mobile suit/tank, kind of like the extension of the Hildolfr. This is the closest Genesis gets to representing one of my all time favourite mobile suits, the Guntank R-44, which got retconed to being based on the Loto after Unicorn started.

RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type: One of the few Guncannon variants to not have those rounded shoulders. Also it has more sensible cannons. Honestly, this is one of the rare cases where it seems they made a BETTER unit in mass production.

RX-78-5 Gundam Unit 5 "G05" [Bst]: The other Gundam that was developed alongside the G04 we saw earlier. Instead of the giant beam cannon, this one uses a giant gatling gun instead.

RE: The Gerbera Tetra, wasn't that more because the mods they made to the 01 to get it work in space obviated it?

Pretty much. In specifics, the GP04 was designed to be a super high-speed space assault mobile suit, and while the GP01Fb was probably not AS fast and mobile, it's adaptability to multiple environments made it more generally useful.

on hiatus