Tokyo Toy Show 2009 - Image Gallery

Some images from the Toyko Toy Show 2009, will continue to update as I search for more photos:

Robot Damashii (Side MS) Unicorn Gundam

Robot Damashii (Side MS) 00 Gundam Seven Sword

Robot Damashii (Side MS) Turn-A Gundam

Robot Damashii (Side MS) Gaga, Gaddess, Garazoo, w/ booster equipments

HGUC 1/144 Jegan

HG00 Reborn Gundam

1/100 Gale Strike Gundam

1/100 Hail Buster Gundam

Images from ToysDaily & Cybergundam

PS3 - Mobile Suit Gundam Senki U.C. 0081 (Update 5.1)

A tiny update with an image from this week's Famitsu magazine. Nothing new to report other than noticing an image on the right page where there seems to be a scenerio in an urban setting.

The image display high rise buildings that are pretty detailed and not the usual retangular block of past gundam games. I personally like urban settings scenerio akin to the ones in PSP's Senjou no Kizuna. I hope this scenerio will be a city with lots of dense buildings, allowing lots of places to pop out / hide, and will also avaliable in multiplayer game. Then this game would certainly rock.

Image from SRWHotNews

1/100 00 Gundam Seven Sword Conversion Kit - NEOGRADE Website Updated

Neograde.com has updated their website with images of the 1/100 00 Gundam Seven Sword Conversion Kit. This conversion kit is currently a pre-order item from NeoGrade (Korea). It is priced at $160.00USD (plus shipping & handling), with a release date of July 22, 09.

This conversion kit requires the 1/100 00 Gundam frame for construction, which is sold seperately.

With the release of the Robot Damashii version of the 00 Gundam Seven Sword, I think most likely I would buy that one instead of paying such a hefty price for this kind of conversion.

Images from Neograde.com

A Visit to the Local Hobby Stores

So today I went to a local hobby store to replenish some of my hobby supplies. Originally, I wasn't even planning on going to the gunpla store, but just go to an american hobby supply store. However, the gunpla store was on the way, and I made a judgement call to exit off the freeway to head to the gunpla store in LA.

When I went in, I said hello to the store owner who was an old lady who really knows her gundams. Usually she just wave back and let me be, but today she constantly hovered over me like a hawk. She was trying really hard to sell me some gunplas...showing me all the new arrivals and some discounted old kits. She was like, "HG Hi Nu is new and is very popular" and "O Gundam & Exia Repairs makes a good purchase in pairs."...."MG Gouf 2.0...."..."Metalic MG GP02 for $50 only." But in my mind, I was like, "Dude! Just let the man have his time to look!"

Finally the phone rang and she had to picked it up....Whew. Obachan probably had a quota to meet this month. So anyhow... my eyes were fixed on the HG O Gundam (but thinking of BB, I resisted... a personal victory), and since the store had like 15 boxes anyways, I was pretty sure it would still be there later on.

But then I saw the HG Arche Gundam & GN-X, both were the last ones in store. And I knew I just gotta have those. So I picked up both of them. The store also got a hefty supply of Mr.Hobby paint, which is my most preferred paints. And I spent a bit of time choosing them. I also found that there were a lot of new supplies for flouresent red, pink and similiar paints, and the store lady told me that the MG Unicorn is currently the hotest selling item still, and these paint for the pink color parts is in high demand. And so I picked up a couple of bottles of those... dupe!! I fell for her trick. At the end, I also picked up some gundam markers (Gold, silver, bright silver, metalic blue) for detailing work.

Afterwards, I happily drove to the american hobby supply store to replenish some supplies - various pla-plates, glue, sandpapers, new filers, decal paper w/ overcoat solution, & putty.

When I was driving home, I almost got into a car accident.... but thank goodness for my newtype abilities. =P

HGUC 1/144 Jegan

Updated images for the upcoming HGUC 1/144 Jegan.

Release Date: August 09
Price: 1,575 Yen

This one is a must buy on my list. I am considering getting two of them. I will build one as is, and will attempt to build the second one to be modified into Stark Jegan (from Unicorn Gundam Series). Can't wait...

Images from ToyWorld Forum

HG00 1/144 Gaddess (Anew's Unit)

Updated images for the upcoming HG00 1/144 Gaddess (Anew's Unit)

Release Date: August 09
Price: 1,680 Yen

Even with the new images, it does not deter my hatred for the Innovators & their lousy machines..

Images from CyberGundam & ToyWorld Forum

Gunpla Worklog: 1/100 Gundam Astraea FA Kai - Update 5

Here is another update of my work-in-progress 1/100 Gundam Astraea FA Kai. Last update I had pretty much finished with modding the main body of the Astraea. This update, I will focus more on the details & accessories for this kit, and I will describe what I had been doing in bits & pieces...


Filling Empty Area With Putty

Unlike MG kits, non-grade 1/100 usually lack the intricate details for some parts. For example, the back of the waist skirt is usually inert & empty (this is the case for this kit as well). So here is what I did add a bit more detail to them.

Used putty to fill the entire empty inert area

Added pla-plates to the piece to create what later would be metal beam support

Attached the skirts to the waist to see how it looks.... I will paint this area later with silver for the metal beam support and dark grey for other area.

I also puttied the inner empty space for the back of the arm parts.

Adding Pla-Plate For Further Detail (Currently 60 % Completed)

Since the theme of the mod is Full Armoured, I thought it will look better if certain parts were to look bulkier. So I added pla-plate to some pieces.

Scribing Panel Lines (Currently 30% Completed)

A very tedious tasks and dangerous too if I am not careful. With the newly modded pieces, most of them lacks any details to them. So here I opt to create some new panel lines.

My hands usually aren't very steady, so I always use a scribe ruler & a scriber to add in panel lines. The scriber is the best tool to do this. When creating panel lines, use very light pressure on the scriber, and just run over the piece back & forth until a noticeable panel line is visible.

Part on the left is marked with pencil the shape I want to panel line. Part on the right is panel lined using the scriber.

Weapons & Accessories (Currently 60% Completed)

GN Booster - The back of the Astraea is modded to fit the new GN Booster. The booster itself still require much modding with pla-plates adding more details & some wings.

GN Blades - When I saw the 00 Gundam Seven Sword....I fell in love with it right the way (similiar to how Mr. Bushiso fell in love with battling Setsuna...) I especially like the blades that were attached to the knees. So with my FA mod, I will be making my own and adding them to the kit. (For a pic of the 00 Gundam Seven Sword, here is a link to the image at mahq.net: http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/00v/gn-00007s.jpg)

Here is a simple conceptual layout of what the GN Blades will look like... of course later it would be a bit more detail and bulkier than what is seen here.

Beam Rifle - I haven't touch them yet, other than cutting them out of the spruces.

Here is a few images of my kit still with much to be worked on.... Update again soon!

PS3 - Mobile Suit Gundam Senki U.C. 0081 (Update 5)

This update will be just be a minor update providing a bit more info to what we already know about this fabulous upcoming PS3 title, 'Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Records U.C. 0081 (Gundam Senki)', which is coming out Sept. 3rd, 2009.

The official Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Records U.C. 0081 website has been updated. Check here to check it out: http://ps3-gundam.net/

Update Mission Info

Update MS List

Dengeki Online Article:

The following is a loose translation of the latest article from Dengeki Online for this game. (I apologize for some repeated images from my last post)

The New RX-81

Previously, there were not much details given about the mobile suits from the Mobile Suit Variation (MSV) series, but finally in the game's story mode, we will get some explanation in the production of the RX-81 mobile suits. In the game, mobile suits' design is mostly based & refined upon Katoki Hajime's designs, and mobile suits that would make appeareance are limited to the ones available during that era (and that's not a small amount..)

The RX-81 was developed by incorporating the full potential from the previous seven versions of the RX-78 mobile suits, to increase the unit’s performance. The RX-81 mobile suit has a basic design to the frame and body, so that additional equipments can be added on depending on the requirement of the operation.

The images below displays various RX-81 variants, from the standard version to high mobility and high versatility.

The Underwater Battlefield (Federal Forces Scenario)

This is an introduction for a Feddie’s mission to defend the industrial area located near the Belfast base in the United Kingdom. This operation is divided into two phases and fierce battle is imminient.

(First Phase) Belfast Harbor

The remnants of the Zeon forces had gathered at the industrial area near the Feddie’s Belfast base. This industrial area is known to develop military weapons for the Feddies, and the Zeons aims to steal their supplies & ammunition. Amphibious mobile suits will dispatch to repel the landing of the Zeon forces.

(Second Phase) Belfast Harbor

The Phantom Sweep unit is dispatch to pursue the Zeon unit that had stolen some supplies. The chase led them into an underwater battle, where a single fearsome foe awaits.

Customization is the key to winning battles, since the performance of mobile suit configured for land operation and sea operation are dramatically different. In the underwater scenario, player will need to make sure to customize their MS with equipment that would increase mobility in water, and also to equip with effective weaponry

Due to the various nature of each mission, player most likely cannot stick with using their favorite suit for every mission. Player will need to make sure that they understand the potential of each mobile suit, customize them accordingly, and increase performance to utilize them in their full potential.

Award Video

A product code will be soon be available for viewing a fully HD animated sequence of the Gundam Senki title. The product code will only be able to view the first few minutes of the first production. The Gundam Senki series will be animated by the same staffs that brought us the Mobile Suit Z Gundam movie trilogy. The first production will be set during the battle of A Bao A Qu, in a heated battle between Hughes Curro and Erik Blanque (Similar to Amuro & Char).

The full video will be available thru the Japan’s Playstation Store to be released as rental starting Oct. 31 ’09..

Images from Dengeki Online & Gundam Genki Website