Gunpla: The STH-05R Rouei (IBO HG)

Acknowledging that it was gonna be bleak, I wanted to like Iron Blooded Orphans. I gave it a go. Today's subject is from that series, brought prior to watching, and fielded by the "Turbines" Mafia family. An actual family, as it turned out, consisting of apparently dozens of women, all married to the one guy. They have a crèche. Somebody more eloquent than myself can unpack that one. Fortunately, there's no shortage of other things to talk about here.

Ever look at something, and think there's a cultural context you are missing somehow? Like a idiom you don't get because you're literal minded and don't know whom Gordon Bennett was? I get a similar feeling with today's subject. There's something about it I can't quite place, possibly supernatural, about that four-eyed faceplate. The rest is more familiar, the chonk and bellbottoms look evoking Zeon designs like the Dom. It's a good and interesting look, but it's not what people are likely to mention about this thing. Unlike most IBO kits, the Rouei has no internal frame at all, the construction being similar to a conventional HGUC. There is no obvious reason why this is the case, the external design offering no barrier to the implementation of such a thing. It seems counter-intuitive too, as the Rouei is a remoulded variation on the Hyakuren. Surely, if you knew you were doing both, wouldn't you be aided by having the common internal frame? Also, and I'm not quite sure how to work this into the article, so I'll mention it now, the shoulder armour looks like it should have another joint in it, but doesn't. As it is, one can only suspect some cost saving measure at play. I'll also admit to not realising this fact when buying, silly me. However, all that only matters in the context of IBO, and the absence of a Robo-skeleton is a curiosity, not an objective problem. I wouldn't begrudge someone whom passed on this kit because of that though.

The actual build process proved to be quite a solid one, in both the literal and figurative sense. Nothing leaps out as exceptional, but its a no-fuss process. I like a kit that isn't finicky. It results in a possibly more stable robot than the other IBO kits I've done, as its much thicker in the mid-riff with big feet, so polycaps are less vital to the balance of the thing. Its not without its problems once completed though, the fist plates being a nuisance during photography and couple of joints being loose. In other news, the build does rely on stickers, with fricking humongous ones for the thrusters, in an odd blue-grey. Aside from that showstopper, the stickers are otherwise minor, and often go into recessed locations. I applied the smaller examples, and took the opportunity to try paint here, which worked wonderfully for the eyes. It also seems to getting better at avoiding the cutmark problem too, so I'm pleased with how this turned out.

Let's talk weapons. The Rouei is equipped with a pistol and club combo, fitting the usual tactic in IBO were you to wear down a foe with ranged attacks before crushing the cockpit in with a blunt instrument. Its another good look, thanks in part to double-jointed elbows, and both can store on the most ample butt armour. Throw it on a flight stand, and you've got all you need for a great pose. In a happy bonus though, this kit features all the weapons from the original Hyakuren kit, just unmentioned on the box. That's a rifle, two kinda-boxing gloves, and a sword + sheath. Was that also a cost-cutting measure? Strange, but welcome.

To be blunt: this kit had been sitting at the bottom of the to-do pile for a while, due to the skelebob issue, fear of it being a lemon, and being less than keen follow those episodes I watched. But it proved not to be a lemon. No, its more a kind of unbranded supermarket chocolate. I feel if you are attached to the characters that pilot this, you definitely won't be unhappy with the experience. Otherwise? Well, it won me over, but don't overpay?

Retro Mini-Review: Streets of Rage 4 (Steam, PC)

Yes, yes, I know. It came out this year, so its not really retro, but it's one of those games that very deliberately calls back to the 16 bit era. Back then, the Streets of Rage (or Bare Knuckle) franchise was a big name in the console wars, Sega's answer to Final Fight. Then, the series just stopped, and the scrolling beat em up genre went soon after. The closest modern descendants are probably the Dynasty Warriors games, and Castle Crashers. Eventually came the retrogaming boom, and Streets of Rage games, especially the the second one, were always among the first people went for. Now comes Streets of Rage 4, with its hand animated style, and many expectations. I am happy to confirm it meets those expectations, although I'm unsure if young people will be into it.

This style of game was always very simple, just you and a buddy walking right, and punching criminal stereotypes as you go. SR4 does not attempt to reinvent the wheel, but it does refine the concept, and present it impeccably. Playing it for the first time was like encountering a lost sequel; my muscle memory still worked, with the changes they have made feeling completely sensible. There is now a separate button to pick stuff up! I didn't know I wanted that until it happened. More substantial is the introduction of a combo system, and a risk/reward mechanism for special moves. These debit your health, but if you punch enough without taking a hit, you get it back. This combined with tangible differences between characters, and occasionally clever level gimmicks, made for a pleasently tactical experience in single player. Meanwhile, online multiplayer seems functional, if reliant on Internet randos, and I regret I cannot test the local 4 player mode. That sort of thing is always fun. Replay value also seems fairly good, due to an extensive selection of legacy character unlocks from the previous games. Meaning you achieve silly things like a 4 player game featuring Axel in each of his iterations. 

So then, it's deeper and more rounded than it looks, but nostalgia may be required. There is however something I haven't mentioned yet: the music. Streets of Rage was made famous by its soundtrack, and yes, SR4 holds its own here. Perhaps not for everyone, but I found it transcendent at times. The glass elevator sequence is a real highlight.

It boils down to this. If you were around for the 16 bit days, you'll probably have a good time. If you weren't? Well, if you ever wanted to try a game like this one.... Better try this one.

Gunpla: The MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai

While it would be fair to describe the Principality of Zeon as "Nazis in sppppaaaaace!", it's not the whole story. I do not mean to suggest that Zeon wasn't a genocidal expansionist state, just that they should be considered in the context of Japanese history, specifically that period circa the 1930s and 40s where Japan was those terrible things. The whole Zeon = Nazis comparison was made the original series mind, but it wasn't really explicit until the side story Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, a highly regarded series. This revamped many mecha designs, costumes, and gave Zeon a robot with a German name. Hence today's subject the Zaku II FZ Kai, which is very much ground zero for that approach. Its also piloted by one of the most tragically sympathetic characters in Gundam lore.

There's a relatively obscure book called MS Era, which purports to be a photographic history of the One Year War. While fascinating as a concept, its noteworthy as it casts the 0800 designs as their First Gundam equivalents. This implies that, regardless of official canon, the machines in the anime aren't new creations, so much as the classics done by a different artist. Today's review subject certainly would support such an assertion. The Kai doesn't bring any radically new elements to the table, but it's not merely adding techno gubbins around the edges either. Every little thing has a subtle difference, in proportions and design motifs, but still retaining the fundamental asymmetrical Zaku essence. Its worth remembering that this was designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, more famous for the near-future-kinda series Patlabor, and that particular style of realism is very much present here. There's more going on visually than the old Zaku II, but its fairly understated, and the closest thing it gets to over-complication are the red thrusters. Which I skipped. Probably the only real thing to suggest this is tangibly different from the original is the big assault rifle with the built-in grenade launcher. This is possibly too big, but damn if it doesn't look like something you'd joyously pick over the 120mm competitor. You can get a good firing pose out of it, despite limited elbows.

 

A few observations regarding the build. The Kai lacks a moving monoeye gimmick, understandably given the shape of the head, resulting in a very modest sticker sheet. Less justifiable is the absence of a neutral right holding-hand which strikes me as a needless cost-cutting measure when they included an open hand for the rifle, and alternate head. While generally a good kit, I did find some of the rounded areas a nuisance to cut and finish. Mind you, this was still the most pleasant Zaku variant I've built, having no serious weaknesses.

In general: Not quite as agile as the Zaku I, but still good, and a better build.

Yep. There is no way this chap isn't a good guy. Yes, there are absolutely no design elements that suggest evil. Or horribly vindictive acts of warfare. Nope, this guy must be nice.

The Vision of Escaflowne in The Mecha Hack

Okay, here's an article that percolated while running a game of The Mecha Hack. This might even be a series, who knows.

Anyways. Released in 1996, The Vision of Escaflowne is a highly regarded anime that I should probably write more seriously about. Its currently available on All4. It was fairly unique at the time for taking the whole mecha concept and placing it into fantasy style fiction. It can also be viewed as something of a trope blender, mixing concepts usually aimed at Japanese boys with those aimed at Japanese girls, hence the intro.

Yes, Escaflowne is the rare mecha anime whose lead is both female and a non-combatant. And neither quality should be as rare as they are, TBH. But, obviously it does still have robot punching, with the mecha of the series designed like extensions of knightly plate mail, mimicking the movements of their wearers, while powered by a dragons heart. So here's a combat clip. Perhaps not watch all of it, if you want to avoid a minor spoiler.

The Zaibach Mecha

On first impression, adapting Escaflowne to The Mecha Hack should merely be a matter of changing names. Or just using the regular Black Hack. However, the series does feature the highly advanced Zaibach Empire, whose mass produced "guymelefs" have invisibility cloaks , flight capabilities, metamorphic weaponry, and flamethrowers. I.e. the baddies from the clip above. Running from them, and finding a countermeasure to them, is a significant part of early episodes. Mechanically, this would be an easy fix for a player character, just use the stock Scout, but as enemy? This would probably be a huge issue for a low level party, and require a more considered to approach to running a battle. This could easily take on a horror angle, as players would be continually paranoid, always fearing their deaths from an unseen foe. Below are some possible stats to use, or you can ignore this issue and create a more generic setting without them, for more “knightly” combat.

Alseides HD 4

Invisible: Starts the battle hidden, revealed after an attack.

Backstab: Adds 1d6 damage to attacks when hidden.

Flight: If not hidden, Ignore difficult terrain; reach far locations in one move

Liquid Metal Attack: Mobility, Close or Near, 1d8.

The Mods

So, to make a quick and dirty approximation of Escaflowne, apply the following changes to The Mecha Hack.

1) No ranged weapons or modules without explicit GM approval.

2) The Brawler class is unchanged.

3) The Striker class looses REACTOR CHARGE and gains SIDESTEP - When making its first move action in a turn, it does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

4) The Scout class is limited to Zaibach characters only.

5) The Titan class replaces is ENERGY SHIELD with the Grappler module as a freebie.

What do you think?