Job: Guest Character
Alright, this submission is gonna be a little different as I'm going to do a quick history lesson, on a
huge aspect of the Toy Industry and one of its best selling lines... if you'd forgive my use of the term "Toy".
So, I'm sure you all know what a Model Kit is; It's not
exactly a toy, it's more accurately defined as a Collectible or a Display Model... but let's face it, it's a type of toy. An expensive, big boy grade toy, with assembly required. But make no mistake, Model Kits are not a joke, they're a
behemoth of the industry and make up their own entire sections in any given Toy store. Originally popularized for being based on real-life vehicles, ranging from civilian vehicles like The Titanic to military vehicles, it's a market so big it's spawned its own hobby. But, ultimately, the most popular and dare I say the most iconic line of Model Kits worldwide is one I feel you're all familiar with:
Gundam.
And going off of that I don't feel the need to explain what Gundam is, because you
all know what it is. And of course for a series so popular it's
going to have its own adult line, and that line is none other than Gunpla, the premiere Mecha line of the Model Kit industry; Originally popularized in Japan, it quickly made its way over to nearby countries and eventually the West, possibly being the biggest example of Eastern-developed toys that could be represented in this game... but I'm getting ahead of myself. Gunpla took the world by storm, and it continuously proves it popularity time and time again by being a best-selling line in the market; In fact, according to Bandai's Quarterly performance charts...
It's a
huge seller. And Bandai is no joke, as the company itself has been labeled the
second largest toy company worldwide as of 2023, beat out only by Lego. And take extra note because Gundam itself is listed as the 12th most valuable brand in this chart as well.
But, okay, you get the idea. Gunpla is its own self-made market, owned by one of the biggest toy manufacturers in the world. How does this translate into a playable Fighter?
ahem
Franchise:
Mobile Suit Gundam
Company:
Bandai
The most iconic Mobile Suit ever made, it's none other than the RX-78-2, a model so recognizable its the primary blueprint for so many heroic suits that came after it. And for those who don't know, it's of course
the original Mobile Suit, making its first appearance in 1979's
Mobile Suit Gundam, the first anime in the franchise and what would spawn the market blitz that is Gundam and Gunpla. So, of course with this suit being the face of the franchise, it's got a lot of history and lore behind it that would translate into an interesting moveset, in fact it's got it
all. Which, of course, for a one-man army space suit designed to combat space Nazis, it should definitely have it all.
For up-close and personal space battles, the Gundam comes equipped with a pair of back-mounted Beam Sabers, otherwise the Gundam franchise's lightsaber equivalent, and best paired with Gundam's shield. Of course these things on their own make for an awesome set of weapons, but not only that, they can combine into a Javelin for a second melee stance. THATS AWESOME! | A gun equally as iconic as Optimus Prime's Ion Rifle, it's the Gundam's Beam Rifle, carried on him almost at all times. Despite the limited ammunition it typically carries, it packs a huge punch in each blast, practically designed for kicking *ss, and this isn't even to mention its Super Napalm mode that's essentially a one-shot kill. It has a NAPALM MODE! | Probably the most iconic tool in Gundam's entire kit, as he practically carries it with him 24/7. Capable of blocking warship-level damage this thing can save the Gundam's hide from deadly attacks, and, as a matter of fact, there isn't a single character on the current roster that uses a shield, is there? I could be wrong, but, if not, this is definitely a first moveset wise. |
Okay, so, not really a hammer, but rather a flail, similar to that of Megatron's, except of course this is handheld rather than replacing a hand, and it has ROCKETS attached to it! Um, point of view, you have a giant-robot sized flail flying at you at mach speed. | Pretty self explanatory, if the Gundam needs a rocket launcher, well, he's got a rocket launcher. | Okay, just to clarify, the Gundam is not a Transformer. The Core Block System is an escape system design to have the Pilot's cockpit split apart and act a jet fighter, only under the circumstance that the suit has been destroyed. Imagine blowing up the Gundam in a fight and this thing flies out of it firing at you? |
Speaking of pilots, the Mobile Suit is only ever half the Gundam, none of these tools mean
squat if not for the man inside the machine. And that brings me to the second half of this nomination, it's the most iconic Mobile Suit Pilot in the series...
Gundam's first protagonist, and in fact one of the most popular anime protagonists to ever grace TV screens around the globe; I'm sure everybody on this site knows how stupid popular Amuro and his Gundam is in Japan, and Ray himself is ranked as one of the series' most Legendary Gundam Pilots and characters in general. Frankly, there was never gonna be anyone else's Gundam in contention other than Ray's, he's just
that integral to the series. And for those who don't know the story, he's the teenage kid who bravely hopped into the mysterious Federation weapon during a Zeon attack and became the linchpin of the civilian forces that stood again Chaar's Forces and eventually whooped his way across the One Year War into beating Zeon ass. You know, typical anime stuff.
OH and he has
psychic powers. Telepathy and Precognition, of course.
Alright, I think everyone gets the gist of it by now, who this character is, what he can do, how important he is and what company's he tied to. But ultimately, none of it matters much more than having a Gundam in a (not really) official capacity finally,
finally going up against...
Seriously, come on, you think the two most iconic toy robots of all-time
wouldn't be cool as hell to have in the same fighting game roster?
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Full disclosure. If you think my first suggestion makes as much sense as Pikachu does right now, I can find another character.
Jakks Pacific (and Topps as well) is a full-on toy company so he qualifies.
I am gonna say, I was expecting more nominations by now.
Nobody's gunning for He-Man?