You’re going to notice that I’m far less polite in the discourse of what’s the most awesome robot. As I mentioned last year, I spend most of the time nursing and coddling the poor, neglected, and oppressed mecha fans, whom the anime industry chooses to ignore year after year as if robot shows are never made anymore. Well, since this tournament is all about making sure MY favorite robot wins, an asteroid on all your planets, a colony drop on all your hangars and manufacturing plants.

Insane levels of variation. You have variable parts in your real robot shows, but here you have variable pilots, and combinations. It’s like Getter Robo minus the lameness. Gattai all day is pure sex. If you’re not watching the ongoing show, you’re missing out on something incredible.

Sure, Sheryl & Ranka may be the metaphorical wings of farewell, but the Durendal is the actual swept forward wings of sayonara to all you enemies. Piloted by Princess Alto Saotome, it effectively was a 0ne-unit siege assault weapon against an entire planetary defense fleet of Vajra, as well as the super robot kaiju monstrosity that was the Battle Frontier Vajra Queen mod.

Vajra Queen Battle Frontier

It’s a monster capital ship class giant robot that fired devastating Macross Cannon fire onto NUNS/SMS fleets. It’s big, very big, can control fleets by remote, sings Aimo, teleports, and can stop time FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE AND THE RESOLUTION OF LOVE TRIANGELS SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF GREAT BATTLES.

This unit brought with it a unique value proposition: unskilled pilot with low power levels in an ancient robot with massive speed and physical capacity, armed by the imagination of the mad scientist queen who likes unconventional weapons as much as she dislikes clothing. There is no other unit that brought entertainment levels from melee combat as much as the Delphine with Rygart Arrow.

Another monster from Gundam, the GP03 Dendrobium Orchis is a mobile armor set-up that is “carried” by the GP03 Dendrobium Stamen. The whole set up is a flower of death that spreads ruin among Zeon. In my mind it has a delightfully diverse weapons payload that isn’t magically streamlined into the mobile suit’s silhouette. Lots of weapons = bulk, and the GP03 is a great example of how it’d look like.

Being my favorite mecha in all of Gundam, I’m bringing it back from last year’s nominations.

I want to give special focus on the Dendrobium because people don’t get how awesome it is. It is a MOBILE ARMOR WITH A GUNDAM IN IT.

I’ll round out my nominations list with units from my last year’s set. It’s a good thing the VF-1S and the YF-19 are seeded this year, so I can nominate more:

Gurren Lagann

∀Gundam

Gunbuster

NZ-666 Kshatriya

GN-001 Gundam Exia

There you go, a glimmering row of perfection! You cannot do better, but go ahead and try as the universe laughs at you.

1. Unicorn Gundam, this is a BEAST on the battlefield. Probably sentient
2. Stargazer Gundam, If completed, the SF’s beam spam wouldn’t do anything to it, it’ll capture the beams and use them as a giant beam ring to cut enemies.
3. Aquarion Evol, or any Aquarion for that matter, ultimate variability. AND MUGEN PUNNNNNNCHHHHHHHH!
4. VF-0, My favorite VF
5. YF-29, its the Nu Gundam of the Macross Franchise.
6. Vajra Large Type, Perfect biological war machine.
7. Strike Gundam, extreme multi-purpose unit, with 7 packs to choose from.
8. VF-25, Great design, awesome machine.
9. SV-51, I made it into the ultimate missile spammer in the Macross game on the PSP, awesome machine.
10. VF-19, Basara’s personal red Valkyrie, nigh-invulnerable.

1. Good
2. Obscure
3. Infinite lulz of awesome
4. Lacks Overtechnology
5. No it isn’t; not overpowered at all, but more awesome anyway
6. I like the Ranka-kidnapper type from the movies more
7. this hurts me
8. Perfection
9. ok
10. POWER TO THE DREAM

Kawamorifag. Your tastes are shitty and your choices disgusting (except where they coincide with mine). And dropping the King of Braves and the Kaiser of Steel for Aquarion FAIL and that ugly as sin Macross monstrosity? Fucking irredeemable.

MOAR LIKE GUNDAM MECHA, AMIRITE? In all seriousness though, good selection. The GP-03 remains among my all time favourite Gundams. I would have voted for more Valkyries, but the 10 robot limit (and personal Super bias) cut them out. Next year.

It’s like Getter Robo minus the lameness. SHUT YOUR FILTHY WHORE MOUTH. WAIT TILL YOU SPLIT THE MOONS OF JUPITER IN HALF WITH SHIN GETTER IN SAISEI HEN YOU ARTLESS PHILISTINE, THEN WE’LL SEE WHO’S LAME.

Aquarion, like most other modern Kawamori designs is too spindly and anorexic for my sensibilities, but I will grant you it gets far more mileage out of combination than Getter Robo. No matter what incarnation it is, Getter 3 is ALWAYS useless. Getter 1 can fly and has the finishing moves, Getter 2 has the speed, but Getter 3 is the tank mode of a glass cannon robot. In every Getter show they have some fat retard who sits on his ass on the off chance they need a heroic sacrifice (sorry Musashi). For a combining robot, its forms are significantly unbalanced in terms of practicality and power.

No mercy this time. Heap scorn and derision upon my ridiculous choices, and weep as one of them inexplicably makes it to the quarter finals (We shall sing songs of glory in your honour, Tranny Pharoh Bot!)

1. Elemental Lord of the Wind, Cybuster (SRW OG: The Inspectors) – Seeing as the schizophrenic Alteisen was on a lot of nominations last year, I thought I’d nominate a godly Banpresto original. The FIRST Banpresto original, no less. Cybuster is a glorious hybrid of Real and Super Robot sensibilities, satisfying on so many levels and gratifying just the same. It looks like what early 90’s Kawamori would have created when told to design an Aura Battler.

Versatility and balance are its guiding principles. In-game its a decent combination or close and long range attacks. Untouchable speed and enough armour to take a solid hit. Flashy finishing moves and it makes a good grunt killer. A magical Super Robot the size of a Gundam. Ornate, yet badass. Etheral and alien, but chivalrous and knightly. In canon, it’s among the strongest robots Banpresto’s ever designed, and when compared to the SRX, Granzon, Compatikaiser and Valcazard, that’s saying something!

2. Black Ox (Tetsujin 28 2004) – The great grandaddy of all robots didn’t get anywhere when I voted for him last year, so I nominate his evil twin. Black Ox is remarkable for being a lot of firsts: first rival mecha, first robot to beat the protagonist unit, first evil robot, even.. and spoilers for the show here… the first mecha to ever be mass produced, a good 15 years before the Zaku II. All this and it’s a wrestling super robot that uses a remote control the size of a telephone reciever. No Black Ox, then no GR-2, no Master Gundam, no Epyon, no Gear Fighter Ogre, no Kokubougar, no Lazengann, no Griffon, no Big Duo, and no GP02. And mecha would be all the poorer for it

In a series full of goofy looking robots, Black Ox is timeless in the sense that it still looks cool even by demanding modern values. A simple matte black paint finish, streamlined body and joints, personable head, and a subtle indicator of it’s inherently “evil” nature: the slouched head, with reduced kneck joints giving it a moody, hunchback demeanour. Glow-up slanted eyes complete the look, and it even has a decisive secret weapon: the fog it emits from it’s fingers dampens the control signals of other robots, leaving it’s contemporary enemies inoperable, and providing excellent camoflage for it’s primary role, hit and run night attacks. Black never goes out of style, and neither does Ox. Plus it’s theme song is based on Jaws.

3. Boss Borot (Mazinkaiser OVA) – I make no apologies, and expect no quarter. There are two kinds of people in the world, my friends: those that bench Boss in every single SRW game they play, and those that field him in every single map and use him to kill the final boss. I am the latter. Here’s to Boss Borot. The first ever robot to provide comic relief (suck leper cocks in hell Kerot from Combattler V and racecar dude from Kotetsu Jeeg), the first Super Robot ever designed at gunpoint, and the first Super Robot to be inherently CRAP from its very conception. Plus it has the best ever version of Boss as it’s pilot. GENDOU IKARI IS BOSS.

4. Dai-Guard (Terrestrial Defence Corp Dai-Guard) – What if Boss Borot was the world’s only Super Robot? I adore Dai-Guard the series for both its characters and the way it approaches such hoary mecha conventions with such a down to earth and human touch. But a lot of my love comes from my adoration of the titular mech itself. The first military prototype designed to combat an alien invasion that just sort of… stopped one day, the army defaulted on paying for the damn thing and it’s ownership reverted to the original manafacturers, who promptly put it to work as a giant, 30 metre tall walking comapny mascot. They even replaced the armour with zinc plates!

Come the reurn of the invaders, Dai-Guard leapt back into the fray, in spite of it’s numerous design flaws, lack of lethal weaponry, crumbling armour plating and an operational time of roughly five mintues. As my love of Boss Borot and Scopedogs would indicate, I have a real soft spot in my heart for truly shitty giant robots; there’s real pathos in seeing a gleaming metal death machine take two tottering steps only to fall flat on its face. Probably a Freudian thing. I love the giant huge-ass arms and legs, the goofy head crest, the lengthy assembly process invovling wire pulleys, I love how it’s most “old school” weapon (drill arm) is efffectively useless, I love how three pilots are required to just to keep it from falling over, and I love it’s signature weapon, the utterly unique knot punsiher. Just so much love for this thing. ROCKETTO PANCH!

5. Raideen the Brave (Yuusha Raideen) – Limit restrictions meant I was sadly forced to leave out old favourite Daitarn 3, so I went for this underated little number. A true all time classic super robot, Raideen is one of a kind amongst it’s 70s bretheren. First ever magical robot, one of the first starring roles of Mr. Akira Kamiya, first ever animal transformation, first ever high mobility flying mode (GODDO BIRDOO CHANGGEEEE!!!). Looking at this thing it’s not hard to see the genesis of Zeta Gundam’s waverider mode (or Cybuster’s for that matter), even the psychic powers plant the seeds for the Bald Wizard’s later opus. Kill em’ all Tomino started HERE.

Raideen just has so much going for it. The stately, ceremonial headress, the giant mountain hangar shaped like it’s own head, emotive faceplate, the simple colour scheme, the way it turns into gold whjen not in use, the mystical fusion with the pilot, last weapon of a long dead civilisation, the sheer utility it derives from it’s forearm weapons (GOD BLOCK! GOD SHIELD! GOD SPIN CUTTER! GOD BOOMERANG!), the regal bearing, the bow and arrow, and it’s finishing move is screaming at you. RahXephon’s grandaddy still got it going on.

6. Kotetsu Jeeg the First (Kotetsushin Jeeg) – Lot of super robots here. I didn’t bother with stalwarts like Mazinger or Gunbuster, because there nomination is nearly assured. So I went with lesser known beauties. Case in point, Steel Jeeg. Kotetsushin may be a lousy hackneyed show, but the return of the magnetic pro-wrestler almost made up for it. Jeeg is a clusterfuck of 70’s Super robot design cliches, yet it somehow comes together into a coherent whole. The cyborg pilot forming the actual robot’s head, the magical Bronze Bell power source, the tiny size, the dynamic weaponry payload, and versatility/adaptability rarely seen in Super Robots. Tear off it’s arms and legs, and Big Shooter will just send out a new pair. Tough armour? Big Bazooka parts. Too agile? Drill arms will fuck you up. Master Gundam? Jeeg has a centaur mode. I went with original Jeeg because it has the far cooler pilot, a much less gaudy colour scheme and a slimmer silhouette. Every bit superior to it’s modern day successor. BUILD UP!

7. Mic Sounders the 13th (King of the Braves GaoGaiGar) – WHY I hear you yell? Mic is inherently ridiculously, even by Super Robts somewhat lax standards. A giant toyetic kareoke machine that transforms into a blocky little Autobot. He has the mental age of a five year old. He speaks neither English OR Japanese fluently, despite being developed by NASA. He SHOULD suck. And for all that, this little guy is one of the most shining examples of what makes Super Robots so awesome. He kills you with the Power of Rock and Roll. He guitar solos the shit out of the exact sound frequency it takes to destabilise your atoms. He can bolster the resolve of his allies while lowering the morale of his enemies. He’s part of a squadron of robots with the same powers. His finishing move summons a golden GaoFighGar to hammer the shit out of evil. He plays a Keytar. MOTHER FUCKER PLAYED TOWER BRIDGE LIKE A FENDER STRATOCOASTER.

He also has the singing voice of Maasaki Endoh. How many robots do you know that play for JAM Project? AND NO, BASARA’S FIRE VALKYRIE DOESN’T COUNT.

8. Vikungfu (Machine Robo: Revenge of Chronos) – Vikungfu, like most things associated with Rom Stoll, is fuckmazing. Accusations of pilot overshadowing unit (like Master Gundam) are baseless: due to the complete fusion between cyborg operator and machine, Vikungfu and Rom are ONE. A motion capture mecha controlled by ANOTHER mo-cap mecha piloted by a cyborg. That’s some Tengen Toppa shit right there. Said pilot is a skilled sowrdsman and martial artist: the blade or the fist. Choose the manner of your death evildoers. Vikungfu is a supremely 80’s design, all high colour palette, Obari sharp corners and incredibly over the top finishing moves. You don’t deserve to know the correct romanization of his name! SEIBAI!!!

9. VB-6 König Monster (Macross Frontier) – Left field choice for me. I STILL haven’t seen Frontier, but this robot really stood out to me from SRW. I’ve always had a soft spot for the original Monster design, so as you can imagine modern update + genuine veritech transformation + bomber flight mode + naughty Sheryl tatoo on the nose = LOVE. It solves the mobility problems of the original while letting it stand on equal footing with the shiny new VF fighters. A superb long range attack unit in lovely gunmetal green. Wonderful stuff.

10. Shin Getter Robo (Shin Getter Robo: Armageddon, but any incarnation will do) – No more games. No more slurs of “Getter fag tears are delicious and rejuvinate my shrivelled and decrepit sex organs”. No more. This year we shall know VICTORY. Shin Getter is the poster mech for the franchise, as well as the first ever modern update to a classic robot. Ishikawa took his quaint little 70’s toy and gave it rounded limbs, human proportions and a sinister demonic visage, complete with bat wings.

A doll in the form of man given a human soul, the ultimate tool of makind’s ceaseless quest for growth. The God of Evolution. That which beget Getter Emperor, the Death of Universes. It doesn’t need to destroy you when it can just absorb you. Nothing can stop it, all we can do is accept our fate and become one with the Getter. Baptise yourself in the glorious fire of the Getter Rays!!! Eva-01 was a fucking choir boy compared to this monster. A swing of it’s axe cleaves planets in twain, Stoner Sunshine can collpase stars. The threat of the Spiral Nemesis fulfilled. “The voice that quakes the Universe itself was indeed that of Ryoma Nagare.”

What’s with the Pokemon.. OH POKEMON EVOLUTION = GETTER. I JUST GOT THE JOKE GUYS.

I put my heart and soul into that paragraph and you heap petty insults upon it? You’re dead to me… for the next three months. A bit more constructive criticism please, mainly how my choices relate to me being an AIDS ridden back alley prostitute on the streets of Dehli. Four of my choices turned into shiny fighter planes, isn’t that your ultimate criteria for giant robots?

The fuck is this Vajra Queen bullshit? Is that meant to be a joke? ‘Cause I ain’t laughin’. If you aren’t going to treat this as SERIOUS BUSINESS, then go nominate Tekkaman Blade, or Detonator Orgun, or the Radam, you pustule ridden dicknose. HELL, WHY NOT NOMINATE A KAMEN RIDER, YOU COULDN’T MAKE YOUR ENTRIES ANY MORE OF AN UTTER FUCKING TRAVESTY.

What a moron. The Vajra Queen Battle Frontier is a product of violent oppressive GATTAI which makes it far more awesome than your puny brain can handle. It can handle entire fleets as if funnels. Get yourself some learning.

Reideen – The first transformable mecha evar is not a favorite of mine, but that’s just because I’m an uncultured Colonial with no appreciation for the finer things in life. I put ice in my tea, for Chrissakes. However, it did inspire one of my nominations, so I’ll say “good show, old boy.”

Jeeg – the best pro-wrestling robot ever with the tackiest color-scheme since. I can dig it.

Mic Sounders – DEATH TO ALL BUT METAL. AMERICA F*** YEAH.

Vikungfu – I have no idea what the heck this thing is, but it’s too much hot blood for my body to handle, unready as my frail corpse is. I was most surprised and pleased with this nomination. Good deal, sir. Also, this has a righteously snazzy name. How in the crap does anybody eff with a robot called “Vikungfu”? Seriously.

Konig Monster – OG BATTLETECH ISH FA RILLA. I liked it best when it was called “Wise Duck”; even Char (Shadow Red) got a custom version.
“SUTANDO UPPO SODIAR!!!!”

Sh_n G_tt_r – Our wills are gonna CHANGE GETTO. I nominated This One too. Sh_n G_tt_r is too godly to even have the syllables of His name spelled out. Death to the Freudian Mommy Bot fags. Our Lord and Master has evolved past their pathetic apathy. We, the followers of the True Faith, will not remake the world in our sad image; we will rise above the flaming cosmos to bask in the glorious HEAT of destruction, through which we too will evolve beyond the time.

Buddy, I’m just overjoyed someone gave enough of a shit to even LIKE some of my choices, or at the very least be polite about it. Cybuster is a beast, and thank you for the praise. Imagine Wing Zero if Heero was too retardedly hot blooded to use the Zero System, and then cross it with Escaflowne. That’s Cybuster.

I reiterate for Boss Borot: no apologies, no quarter recieved. I have a soft spot in my heart for the walking junkpile, but that’s just my idiosyncratic taste. RahXephon again this year? Fine choice, especially in the face of innumerable Freudian mommy bot worshippers who dream of going back to the womb. Sing them out of existence.

Machine Robo is an awesome show, albeit in a offensively 80’s manner: Fist of the North Star meets Transformers. As Eva-01 drifts through space like so much cosmic trash, we shall crash our souls together, destroying whole planets with the force of our Gattai! CHANGE GETTER EMPEROOOORR!!!!

Not sure if you got my earlier message, but my second copy of SRW OG 2 came through the maiul, and it’s 100% legit! Do you still want my old copy? IO can vouchsafe it’s in fperfect working order. Just respond and we can hash out the details via e-mail.

1. Cybuster will get lost before even entering
2. So old I don’t even
3. Shin Mazinger’s Boss Borot flung an ICBM at Baron Ashura, therefore that version is superior.
4. YES.
5. GOD VOICE
6. Shiba Hiroshi does not need air. NO AIR AT ALL.
7. VERY YES
8. Wat
9. Have I mentioned I love the Koenig Monster? No homo.
10. This is Saimecha, not SaiWhichGetterVideoIsAwesomest

Cybuster will get so lost it’ll miss the entire contest and somehow end up in GARhalla anyway. Shin Mazinger’s version had a shitty voice actor and was far too useful and competent to be worthy of the name Boss Borot. And it’s SRW Z2 version SUCKS, only three attacks and one of those is just how awesome the Kurogane Five are.

So you ADMIT Getter Robo is awesome? How are things trapped in the closet, you Getter-faggot-in-denial? Your adoration of Dai-Guard, Mic and the Koenig means you are not beyond any hope of redemption. But your ignorance of Machine Robo repulses me, you contemptible little excuse for Cancer Cells. I KNOW cancer. Cancer killed my Grandmother. And YOU sir, are no cancer. You’re not even an Arblest. YOU’RE NOT EVEN A TACHIKOMA.

I’m still thinking it over. It’s hard because you get to a choice but then you think to yourself, “wait, are you sure there isn’t something better than than?”. Then there’s keeping the distinction between the mech and the pilot in mind. Gah.

1) Aquarion – it’s big, it has 3 forms and it is powered by teenage lust which allows it to punch the moon with an extendable arm that thrusts upwards driven by the release of gattai. That and Space Cube, or 3D Attack as it’s better known.
2) Gravion – forget the later upgrades, the original has a kick ass theme tune, a piloted rocket punch, and the main character is stuck in the leg rather than the main cockpit.
3) Ariel – Imagine if Valsione had 3 pilots who all hated each other and fought the alien equivalent of 21st Century Defence Security. It’s a giant 80s fembot with garters, stockings and an armour purge mode that lets its ~fabulous hair flow in the wind~
4) Z-Mind – Nobody has heard of this but it’s the best super robot ever. This is a FACT. It’s got drill arms, axes on its shins and can teleport its rocket punches through wormholes.
5) Turn-X – It’s amazing. It’s like the Turn-A’s big brother. That is all.
6) Dendoh – Battery-powered rollerskating judo robot which downloads weapons from the internet. From the Yuusha show that never was.
7) Da Garn X – It’s a classic Yuusha robot voiced by the VA of Max Jenius. It forms from a police car, a train and a jet. Da Garn Rules.
8) GodSigma – I know nothing about Godsigma except the OP is catchy as hell, its head is a flowerpot and it shoots a giant sigma at people which explodes and all its dynamic kills in SRW Z end with a good ten seconds straight of rainbow-coloured explosions.
9) Baldios – Its most powerful move involves teleporting into the enemy’s face and belching a giant ball of energy at them, It’s got an extendable sword. And even then it can’t win. Show some love for Baldios.
10) Zeorymer – If you don’t vote for Zeorymer it will turn up in the middle of the night and explode your house.

OK it’s not that obscure but I’ve not met anyone else who’s even heard of Z-Mind, which is a shame because it’s pretty amusing. It’s a very self-aware super robot OVA with one of the main robot pilots being (unsurprisingly) a huge otaku. It also in the way that only 90s OVAs can has the pilots gain a cup size when they pilot the robot due to art inconsistencies.

1. Yes
2. Ugly but not cool like Braiger
3. I don’t even
4. BETTER THAN GROIZER X? YOU LIE.
5. If Gym Gynghnam piloted Turn A you’d think it was cooler. X is interesting but a lot of it had to do with the pilot being ridiculously awesome. SAI PILOT IS THE CANCER THAT IS KILLING SAI MECHA.
6. Gundam AGE-01 NormalGenoAce > Gear Fighter Dendoh
7. Yuusha no Tanjou >>>> all other Yuusha robots I mean COME ON
8. what a fucking hipster
9. Mechander Robo is better
10. Zeorymer of the Skies is an overpowered jackass robot, should’ve lost to Lanstarr of the Wind

The best thing about the otherwise so-vanilla-it’s-blase Da Garn is the OP, which includes some of the most hilarious junk evar: random people riding zoo animals, a Yazan Gable cameo, and tentacle-rape dinosaur monsters.

Otherwise, this list is solid.

Zeorymer is the best hentai-to-straight-anime. Fate/Stay/Whatever dumb title can suck it.

1. URRRRGHHHH IT HUUURRRTTSSS WRYYYYYY
2. sai moe but fine they’re robots
3. YESSS
4. IT’S PRETTY, IT FLIES, ITS HAND GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER
5. It’s pretty AND IT TURNS INTO A BISHONEN DRAGON (as opposed to something like GaiKing, which a fat motherfucker LOL)
6. I CAN FLYYYYYY
7. EPISODE TWO I CAN’T FIRE GUNS BUT I’LL RUN YOU OVER
8. THE EAST IS BURNING RED
9. INFINITE DIGGING WORKS WITH TTGL
10. Sexiest shit in the heavens

I have eagerly awaited this glorious day. My blood runneth hot. Let it commence, the hap-happiest season of all. Sai Mecha, ya’ll. None better. Normally, I’m of the type to say “Let’s fight like gentlemen” but now I say “You have no dignity. Gutter-trash.” I say this with full knowlege that some of my entries will be met with scorn and derision, but I am prepared; my METAL HEART beats through the glorious pain.

First of all, let me say that I really dig the GARhall vs midGAR rules. Zaku II is going to have revenge. Also, this allows me to nominate a different favorite of mine in that spot. Without further ado:

Part I – all the stuff that makes it apparent how much of a Gundamfag I am
1. MSN-06S Sinanju (Mobile Suit Gundam UC)
If the Zaku II is the sign of the everyman Spacenoids’ Lost Cause, the Sinanju is the symbol of Space-born freedom, a heroic image, a rallying cry for Colonial independence, the “Zeonic Gundam,” if you will. As I argued last time around, Sinanju is the best-looking mobile suit ever drawn, as it faultlessly combines fussy aesthetic flourishes with simplicity. The strength of Sinanju is in its overwhelming fighting ability and speed above all else and as such it is the perfect example of Char Aznable’s combat philosophy, even if he never got to use it in battle. It is the only Mobile Weapon that can stand toe-to-toe with the Gundam Unicorn because it lacks the Newtype-specific weapons others use. Probably my favorite mecha of all time.

2. OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon (New Mobile Report Gundam Wing)
I’ll let you haters hate; that’s all you can do! YOU ARE NOT NEEDED HERE! WE HAVE NO NEED FOR YOU IN OUTER SPACE! This is what made me love Gundam, and it’s still my favorite one, in spite of the silliness. A real man looks his enemy in the face when he kills them, which is all Epyon can do, being a weapon for a chivalrous fighter. I show my respect for all that I first loved about the Gundam franchise with this entry.

3. MSN-001A1 Delta Plus (Mobile Suit Gundam UC)
This is the best transforming Mobile Suit, if you ask me. Oh what’s that? You didn’t? Too bad. It’s blue-on-blue paint scheme looks great and the overall design calls back to the Hyaku Shiki in-universe and out, which is always a good thing. Delta Plus makes good on the promises the Zeta series could not deliver in terms of design and satisfying transformation sensibilities.

4. RGE-790/790C/890 Genoace series (Mobile Suit Gundam Age)
GaoGaiGar was called “The True Shape of Courage” first, but the almost completely hapless Genoace deserves that title above all other mecha introduced since the last Sai Mecha tournament. Ghostlightning and some others will probably say something like “you just like picking these underdogs” and you’d be right. The Genoace looks like a toy, but it definitely does not play. It’s like the good-guy version of a Zaku, only less sinister. It takes real HARD WORK AND GUTS to pilot one of these things. It deserves more love.

5. SYSTEM ∀-99 (WD-M01) ∀ Gundam (Turn A Gundam)
What is there else to be said about this masterpiece that hasn’t already been said by better men than me? I love it. It’s among the strongest entities in sci-fi;it’s the only Gundam to be designed by an American; it can wash clothes just as easily as smash your face with a huge spiked ball and chain.

Part II – the stuff that shows I’m not just a Gundamfag but a TRUE BRO

6. VF-2SS Valkyrie II (Macross II)
This one is a true anomaly. It is, to my notion, one of the best-looking variable fighters and yet it has nothing to do with the accepted Macross canon (such as it is lol), nor was it the product of Kawamori-sensei or his crew. Also, the series it’s from sucks a whole stack of rods.However, I think it combines all the best things about the VF-1 and takes them to new levels of appeal. It’s better in a fight, looks better (if not as timeless), gives a sense of logical progression in terms of design than the sudden jump to the VF-4 Lightning III, etc.

7. XHA-1065 Heavy Assault Variable Weapons Carrier “Havoc” (FLAG)
Did I say I was “TRUE BRO”? What I meant was: I am a REAL BRO. This is the realest of the real. It’d be almost plausible with less humanoid hands, but the transformation gimmick comes *this* close to being reasonable but it’s still awesome in a way that only fantastical robot killing machines can be. I don’t remember the name of a single character from the show, but “FLAG” was one of the most significant anime shows of 2011 for me and it’s all because of this guy.

8. Mazinkaiser SKL (Mazinkaiser SKL)
Only the true can keep the spirit alive. DEATH TO FALSE METAL.

9. RahXephon (RahXephon)
Rahxephon the show fulfilled for me what I wanted to see from Evangelion all along: a belief in the redeeming power of love. Rahxephon the mech is just a beast. It kills with a song (or a bow made of energy or a sword made of light, etc.) and looks good doing it. It’s unstoppable – a physical god. RahXephon may be the very definition of the “boring invincible hero” for some, but I see it as a triumph, calling back to the simpler days of Raideen while bringing its own goodness to the table. Love conquers all.

10. Shin Getter Robo (Shin Getter Robo: Armageddon)
We will take our revenge. Read Matt Wells’ entry to understand. I won’t even try to top his nomination pitch.

Your comments were better than my whole entry. I salute you. That astute observation about RahXephon just won the whole internet. Forever. Haruka is a babe. Misato is a drunk and Asuka is a b!tch of all b!tches (even though I really do wish she would have come around in the presence of a real man like, say AYATO KAMINA, who definitely does not beat off to the semi-naked bodies of comatose young women). Even Elvy Hadhiyat’s Vermillion Dolem is super cool (I actually liked it more than the Rahxephon, but hey, gotta go with the one likely to get the nomination).

1. Yes, I know. If Sinanju hadn’t gone up against the VF-1 in the quarters last year it would have gone on to the semi-final round.
2. I admit the show is crap. But this isn’t ShowMecha, and Epyon framed everything that makes me specifically love Gundam over even “robot anime.” I have no background in either super robot shows or real robot shows, so when I saw Gundam Wing for the first time that was literally the first mecha show (other than Giant Robo back in the day) I’d ever seen. I like my supers portrayed as reals and that’s Gundam in a nutshell. Epyon is so super that if it were in a strictly real show it’d be sniped to death immediately. It won’t win a nomination, but I had to do right by myself, and that means showing respect.
3. …I like it. TMS aren’t supposed to look like real planes; they’re supposed to look like MS with their parts moved all around into something that could *maybe* fly. This not TransMacross where perfectly serviceable/realistic planes turn into needlessly humanoid robots.
4. Have you watched any episodes of the second third of the show? All the Feddy suits use upgraded beam rifles that regularly shoot down Vagan suits.
5. Pornstache is more like it.
6. Last year you told me you liked this one. Don’t tell me you went all wishy-washy on me.
7. Once again, it was at your insistence that I watched this one. I owe you a debt of gratitude.
8. My digestive tract is strictly one-way, thanks.
9. I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over Rahxephon singing Eva-01 out of existence. AT fields mean nothing to MEN WHO HAVE NO FEAR.
10. HOT BLOODED Shin Getter used STONER SUNSHINE. It’s SUPER EFFECTIVE. The Universe fainted.
8.

1. Maybe. Could it beat the Zaku II? Really? Unit 01?
2. Epyon uses a short whip. What the fuck. Also, purple. I don’t mean the pretty VF-27 Lucifer purple. I mean ugly 90s cel animation dirty Grimace purple.
3. You like ugly. See #2.
4. Yeah but the GenoAce you’re nominating is the old one right?
5. ok
6. I’m trashing you more than I’m trashing the robot in this case.
7. Of course. In Sai Mecha I am awesome.
8. …
9. You call that shit singing? Get to proper giant robot songs lame ass turd.
10. It managed to damage RahXephon, who sang about it. GJ.
8. …

3. Alseides : Escaflowne
Why : Cause damn it, this is one fine villain mech that NEVER gets any love

4. Mazinkaiser SKL : Mazinkaiser SKL
Why : Cause, fucking metal! Even though the pilots would probably be boring as shit in a full length series… BUT THIS ISN’T GAWDDAMN SAIPILOT!

5. Black Selena (or Black Serena if you have to google the engrinsh) : Martian Successor Nadesico Prince of Darkness
Why : Akito’s last mecha in Nadesico, honestly it’s pretty damn tragic that his pink Aesti had to don the black armor of vengence but man’s gotta do what a man with access to giant mecha’s gotta do.

1. ALL RIGHT! Batman drives this one.
2. HECK YES! Ladios Sopp keeps his pimp-hand strong.
3. RIGHT ON! Zeorymer doesn’t give a sh!t.
4. A true no-limit soldier drives this one. What a sicknasty MS. Good pick!
5. The true shape of courage.
6. A very good choice, but I think it’s disallowed because it’s never been animated…
7. Turn X isn’t explicitly a Gundam, which is the only way something can be a Gundam, regardless of appearances, but who cares? This thing is too legit.
8. The only good mono-horned hero robot. Too bad that queerazz Shinji Ikari didn’t have access to this “beast of possibility” or maybe he would have MANNED THE F*CK UP!
9. SIX! SIX! SIX! The number of the beast. Hell and fire were spawned to be released.
10. Trans-am has nothing on V-Max. Good choice. I love the cockpit-in-the-head/mini Gundamness of Layzner’s SPTs.

1. [intentionally left blank]
2. hurrr
3. Zeorymer is a pain in the ars to play in SRW J. Fuchs it.
4. lololol
5. *brofist
6. ACCEPTABLE.
7. So what does the Turn-X do again? Split itself into pieces? Gets regenerated and then blasted apart, FOREVER? Smalltime, mang, smalltime.
8. BUT DOES IT TURN INTO A HORSE
9. *yawn
10. And what was interesting about the Layzner again?

Danguard transforms into a ship! Danguard shoots stuff from his eyes! And wait, did I mention Danguard’s mothership is called Jasdam?? Hmmm, Jasdam, Jasdam. That sounds kinda familiar. DAM it, I remember now. It sounds just like Gundam! And that’s because as everyone knows or should know if they don’t, Leiji Matsumoto came up with the radical idea of calling stuff with the suffix -dam in them and someone stole his blueprints and all of his ideas and came up with some ripoff called Gundam. And so Leiji said, “Screw this, I’m not going to do any more giant robot stuff” and STILL EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS DANGUARD IS SIMPLY REFERRED TO AS “THE MECHA” (thus the site address above).

Gundam, LOL. War is hell?? Well, duh. That’s because you don’t got no pirates or long-haired blondes (or Charlie Sheen, I guess) to help you out. War is downright fun if you do! Now chant along with me: Tomi No, Leiji Yes, Tomi No, Leiji Yes!!

You can’t call yourself a super robot fan if you insult Getter. Not sure about EVOL, but original Aquarion was terrible. The only time Getter Robo did anything below awesome was Shin vs Neo. Have you no balls?

Below awesome? Ryoma punching Dinosaurs to death with his bare hands, Musashi kamikaze’ing New York, and TEXAS MACK COME ON SWEET U.F.O. counts as BELOW awesome? Kind of says it all about Getter’s high standards, doesn’t it? I thought the only time Getter was below awesome was that lousy Getter Robo Go anime.

1.Volkein (Gun x Sword)- A repurposed mining mech that has a cape and bigass guns, what’s not to like?

2.Ingram (Patlabor)- Not all mechs are meant for war, some are meant for justice. Despite the inherent unrealisticness of mechs the Ingram strives for a believable sense of realism. The fact that it has a mech sized revolver, pump action shotgun, and flak vest doesn’t hurt either.

3.Desperado (Gundam AGE)- The Desperado is utility mech that looks more at home in a super-type universe that kicks ass. Seriously there is no reason for this thing to not have its shovel/pickaxe/or any other tools as integrated systems, besides the fact that it looks more badass swinging them with hands. Also it has potentially one of the greatest names ever.

4.Gunleon (SRW Z)- Gun gun leon Gunleon, I like me some mechs used for combat that are meant for a different activity. The Gunleon is the epitome of this. Why use a wrench to fix mecha sized plumbing when you can use it to beat the shit out of another robot and then dynamically turn them into plumbing. Don’t lose Gunleon!

5.Dai-Guard- A real tasked with the job of a super, driven by gears, powered by some realistic power source, fueled by hotblood, tempered by cool heads, and restrained by paper work. Dai-Guard fights abstract monsters, natural disasters and corporate greed, yet is able to rocket punch them out and persevere by being more than a mech but a symbol for cooperation and hope.

6.F91 Gundam (Gundam F91)- It’s a damn shame that this thing only got one movie and a few cameos in Crossbone Gundam. Regardless the F91 is one sleek machine both in aesthetics and performance. Beam shields, twirly beam sabers, and double VSPRs make for a nice loadout too, and who can forget afterimages that have mass?

7.Jesta (Gundam Unicorn)- Being too tacticool can be wrong, but if the Jesta is wrong I don’t want to be right. Grunts hold a special place in my heart, especially GMs (dem visors), and so do limited production Jegan successors. Suppressors and red dots on beam rifles might seem silly, however they are perfect on a beam carbine.

8.Billbine (Aura Battler Dunbine)- Fuck over technology fueled transformable mechs, give me a two form machine powered by magic and souls. The Billbine has a unique design in both body and armaments, who puts shoulder cannons on a machine designed to maneuverable, honestly. The beam bayonet is a nice touch. While others may nominate Cybuster I’ll stick with the original and go beyond the Todd.

9.Shin Getter (Getter Robo Go)- I know I’m not alone in my nomination of one of mechadoms greats. Multiform combiners are perhaps one of the greatest types of mechs. Whether it’s slicing the moons of Jupiter, seeding life on Mars, scaring the batshit out of Ryoma, absorbing things it has no business absorbing, or anything else Shin Getter deserves to be on any mech fans short list. Also Shin Getter 2 is the best form.

10.Scopedog (Votoms)- The gruntiest grunt that ever grunted. Not even an Übermensch with quite possibly the strongest plotarmor ever can protect one of these little bastards from exploding at the slightest touch. Scopedogs are jealous of the heavy armor given to Leos. That doesn’t change the fact that watching them zip and spin around is one of the greatest joys I have ever known. Punches powered by big ass shells is a plus too. Hopefully the final showdown is the Dog vs. the Zak, because then everyone is a winner, and by everyone I mean guys who love Okawara grunts.

3. Desperado is indeed one of the coolest names yet decided-upon for an anime robot. All I can think of is “Yo esse, whachoo got in tha geetar case, homes?” “Mi geetahhhhhhhhhra.”

4. MAKENAIZE MAKENAIZE MAKENAAAAAAAIIIIZEEEE…..GANGANLEON GANLEON. Yes. Good choice, sir. Wrenches that are also nunchaku makes Gunleon the ONE “medic” unit that players will WANT to use.

7. This is what Solid Snake would drive if he were to drive a mobile suit. I cannot complain. Although one has to wonder if that suppressor-ish device on the end of the beam carbine really IS a suppressor. Maybe the HG instruction manual can reveal some more details.

10. If Desperado is the coolest name for a mech to come along in a loooong time, Scope Dog has got to be one of the coolest in the history of everything made of OWNAGE. It reminds me of the awesome Forrest Whitaker movie “Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai”. Maybe there should be a stealth-camo version of the Scope Dog called Ghost Dog…send me your money, Sunrise.

6. Feeling really guilty about this one. In all honesty I prefer this design to the Crossbone line, I just like Crossbone as a series better. Had the nomination list been 15 entries like last year I would have backed you up on this. The ninja after images caused by going so fast it’s armour, the boosters that double as laser cannons, and the only top of the line Gundam the Universal Century ever mass produced.

8. I’m still with Cybuster all the way, but I pay my respects to it’s originator. Dunbine has a better silhouette though, even if it lacks the cash crimson paint job.

9. FUCK DINOSAURS YESSS… never met a Shin Getter 2 fan before. I think it suffers from the lack of a definitive colour palette and being too dependent on it’s awesome drill for attacking. Hayato more than makes up for that though. My favourite Getter 2 is probably New Getter’s. It’s very stripped down and willowy, lanky in a way that can still scare and intimidate.

10. Randomised selection ROBBED us of seeing this match up last year. No one quite does mecha grunts like Okawara, it must be said. That pump-action, shell-fed punch is still one of the greatest mecha weapons of all time. I’d give my left kidney for a real life Last Red Shoulder Turbo Custom, even if the damn thing would blow up at the slightest provocation. REAL ROBOTS USE ROLLER SKATES.

Matt, I’m totally down to take possession of your old copy of SRW OG2 if you’re still cool to send it my way. I can’t find that thing anywhere, and Lord knows I’ve tried to find it. Do you have a Facebook account? I’m sure we can trust the other good folks on here to NOT SPAM OUR EMAIL INBOXES THE MOMENT WE TYPE THEM IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, RIIIIIIIIIGHT?

I will send it over forthwith! I can completely vouch for my first copy: I bought it used in very good condition off e-bay, and I’ve fiddled about with it multiple times to confirm the battery save system is intact. Never got very far with it though, I’m still replaying OG 1!

I sure do have a facebook account. Don’t use it much and I’m not sure how you’ll find me though. Send me a friend request or something? I can post the profile address here if it would help, or just post my g-mail account details here instead. Not like I use it much. You can send me a message through that and I’ll mail the game to your current adress. Sound like a plan?

No man, I don’t even have a profile picture. Not sure if the search function for my account says where I live, but it’s Canterbury, Kent, in the UK. Born in 1992. Hope that helps. Should I just post my google mail address instead?

10. Zudah (MS IGLOO)
The most beautiful piece of machinery to ever come out of the One Year War. Seriously. I think something’s wrong my head, LOL.

9. Strike Gundam (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED)
I’m going to get stoned for this… but come on, the Strike’s a fantastic piece of design! It’s modern, “real” (lol), streamlined, and… dare I say it, is to the RX-78-2 what the VF-25 is to the VF-1.

5. Dancouga (Super Beast Machine God Dancouga)
A ROBROFIST TO END ALL ROBROFISTS

4. Master Gundam (Mobile Fighter G Gundam)
I’d have voted for the God Gundam, but Master just looks way better. It’s visage is one of a mech born from the depths of hellish darkness.

3. ∀ Gundam (∀ Gundam)
It’s so out there. I hated it at first, but it looks better the more I look at it.

2. Mazinkaiser (Mazinkaiser, etc.)
The Mazinger was the granddaddy of Super Robots, and is the epitome of all thing awesome in a robot. Mazinkaiser is all that dialled up to 11. Everything else gets death by Kaiser Nova, except…

4. I prefer God Gundam because the pilot and the unit are inseperable, unlike Master which is completely outshone by the TOUHO FUHAI. Mechanical cape wings are tight though, as are the beam cloth projector and wire-guided rocket punches.

3. Century Colour, Million Colour…

2. “MORI MORI HAKASE!!!!” Two Mazingers on one list? You know your shit. So ridiculously invincible it shrugged off a magma bath and made head first re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere WITHOUT GETTING A SINGLE SCRATCH. KAISER BURADDOOO!!!

1. YOU BET YOUR ASS I SAID EVERYTHING. HOT DAMN I’M AWESOME. Seriously though, I spent an hour agonising over that paragraph, I’m flattered so many people enjoyed it. If Shin actually gets anywhere in this tournament I’ll beg Ghost to let me do a guest post on why people should vote for it to win. Awesome choices, and my personal thanks to everyone here who voted for Shin Getter. THIS YEAR BELONGS TO US. OH MY GOD THE GETTER IS EATING SAI-MECHA

10. Calling a Zudah beautiful is like calling a Zaku “beautiful”; neither of them are.
9. What the Strike can do, the YF-19 can do sooooo much better. And it’s a lot sexier. (And no, we’re not talking about Basara’s ride)
8. BUT DOES IT HAVE A HORSE MODE
7. Yes it is.
6. *brofist
5. *DOUBLE BROFIST
4. The FuunSaiki Gundam is so much better.
3. Syd Mead is pretty baller. SaiDesigner is the cancer killing Saimecha.
2. NIGGA YOU JUST GONE FULL KAISER
1. So does that mean your tears will evolve into wine when Getter loses in the final? EXCELLENT!

Hmm…if my sixth pick (Crossbone Skull Heart) won’t be allowed due to being a Manga exclusive then I know the perfect replacement for it. In fact, no one will ever stop ever think of acknowledging this and will probably shit all over me for it. But, I don’t give a crap since that pick is…

lets see how people react. Some of these are just childhood favourites that i still remember fondly that i feel should probably be featured on some list at some point on the internet.

1.Ryujin Maru (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru)

2.Super Grandzort (Madou King Granzort)

3.Daizengar (Super Robot Wars OG2)

4.Astray Red Frame (Gundam Seed Astray)

5.Gundam F91 (Gundam F91)

6.Shin Getter

7.Tauburn (Star Driver)

8.God Sigma (Space Emperor God Sigma)

9.Gold Lightan (Golden Warrior Gold Lightan)

10.Kyoryu Samuraiha-Oh (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger)

The last one is there because its so ridiculous that it must be mentioned to people who never touched a recent Sentai show before. I don’t know how anyone would think that this thing could even move, let alone fight monsters.

1. A better design than Master Gundam. That’s right, I said it.
2. REDUCE ALL TO ATOMS
3. All of my yes.
5. OBA(ri) KAISEEERR SWOOOORRRDDDOOO!!!
6. Uses the greatest power source in all of mecha… lesbians.
10. SONO NO WA GURRRREEEAATTT…

1. Vision’s crab/spider mecha from Bubblegum Crisis OVA #7 ‘Double Vision’, officially known as the GD-42 Battlemover. Yes, you’ve probably never heard of it, but it’s the first mecha that made me believe in it and think it was cool.

2. EVA-01 even though it’s not eligible (it’s in GARhalla), because it’s the first giant humanoid mecha that I actually liked. EVA-01 was humanoid but not at all human, simultaneously cool and disturbing even from the beginning.

3. Tachikoma. The Major rides around in them so this totally makes them count, right?

4. Tauburn, because you cannot get crazier than this if you try (well, okay, experts can probably name five crazier ones but indulge me). Tauburn is the endpoint of crazy, nonsensical, yet beautiful and stylish mecha.

5. Aquarion (EVOL version). The EVOL Aquarion is better than the original one because it has far more craziness, crazy combos, and weird powers. Also there are apparently at least two of them, maybe more, and if that doesn’t scare you it should.

6. Giant Robo, partly because the show is an extended love letter to all of those old classical giant robot shows of the past. How can I not nominate its titular mecha?

7. Godannar. I’m still not sure if Godannar is supposed to be serious or a straight faced over the top parody of the whole genre, but I’m choosing to view it as a love letter to the more Go Nagai-esque disturbingly excessively human giant robot shows of yesteryear. So I’m nominating its titular mecha for the same reason as Giant Robo.

To round out the list:
8. Gurren Lagann
9. Gunbuster
10. Takemikazuchi (Sora no Woto), because I can’t think of a tenth nominee that I like better once I was reminded that this is eligible.

Bonus 11th nominee to make up for EVA-01 not counting:
11. Uranus (Giant Robo). Uranus is the comedian to Giant Robo’s straight man.

Honorable ‘not nominated through lack of real enthusiasm’ mention: Big O, which seems to be everyone’s tenth nominee, but I don’t really like it that much; it would be an unimaginative default.

Honorable mention for ‘if I was forced to nominate something from Gundam or Macross’: the Zaku II, which is in many ways the ubiquitous Gundam mecha that everyone can recognize even if it’s brutally ugly and rather silly. Gundams come and go, but the Zaku II soldiers on forever. It’s in GARhalla anyways so I couldn’t nominate it even if I wanted to, but I’ll vote for it if it comes up against any lesser opponent (ie, not one of my nominees).

6. Being fat, slow, ugly, and in drag is still a classic cool look. I like Giant Robo, absurd blank face and all; there’s just something about it when it does things like take off on those rockets. Maybe it needs to be so ponderous to be so impressive when it does move.
7. Fair cop and maybe I should have left my list at nine. In retrospect the Godannar robot itself is somewhat less nice looking than I had remembered.