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F-ZeroOne

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  1. F-ZeroOne
    Whatever you choose, read the book at some point, because you really don't want Alan Moore standing outside your house glaring at the windows until you do.
  2. F-ZeroOne
    AESA radars don't hold all the advantages; my understanding is that range can come at the expense of a narrower field-of-view; I believe the Eurofighter consortium decided that the technology wasn't quite mature enough at the time they decided to go with a mechanically operated array (though an AESA is a possibble future upgrade).
  3. F-ZeroOne
    I saw a magazine article with Raiders design concepts once. There were going to be Nazi rocket/jet fighter bases and even cyborg Nazis... Looking at that flying wing now - where was the landing gear supposed to go in-flight...?!
  4. F-ZeroOne
    GAH! I'm an idiot! Turn-A Gundam has a number of aircraft of 1930s-fantasy vintage. Its also well worth watching...
  5. F-ZeroOne
    Okay, now played the recently released H.A.W.X. demo through a couple of times. Graphics are pretty good, but they lack a bit of the sheen of Ace Combat 6. Mechanics are very similar to Ace Combat series, with some differences - I'm not convinced about the OFF system, it seems very difficult to keep on a straight heading to track a target (the Harrier, ironically, is very bad at this because its difficult to tell which way its pointed - just like the real thing) and the double-tap on the triggers to access is a bit iffy. Barely glanced at the radar, using the HUD tracking more; thats very different to Ace Combat, where the radar is an essential tool. I do like the bomb aiming reticule; it works like the semi-active AAMs in Ace Combat, a circle you keep the target in to guide the bomb. Theres an "ERS" system which involves flying through a series of triangles to track difficult targets like tanks near buildings or agile aerial targets. This does seem a bit pointless for aircraft as it takes an age to get into shooting position. Its also a bit fiddly to activate as you have to press "X". First go has you running all over the place reacting to instructions from controllers or ground troops - who will not shut the hell up - until you realise you have to eliminate a certain number of a certain kind of target to progress, again just like Ace Combat, and the frantic calls for air support are mostly window dressing. Earning XP is a nice touch but I think I prefer the Ace Combat credit system which allows you to choose which aircraft to buy. Music is one area where it really loses out to Ace Combat; the demo has rather muted, generic action music, compared to Ace Combats sweeping epic bombast. Slight oddity - your allies stand by and watch as enemy formations fly right over them without doing anything at all. Those look like AEGIS destroyers to me, surely they can handle a few landing craft? (in other words, theres - in the demo, anyway - no "Allied Force" help). Overall, its fun, especially if you've played and liked Ace Combat, with a few marks against and a few marks for. I think Ace Combat has the edge in presentation and overall charm (being, basically, an attempt to make Area 88: The Game), but HAWX is by no means bad going by the demo.
  6. F-ZeroOne
    While not exactly what you might be looking for, Porco Rosso is the only title I can think of at the moment.
  7. F-ZeroOne
    Uh... "Jettison canopy before triggering ejection seat"...?
  8. F-ZeroOne
    Vintage wise: Takatokus X-Bomber Big Dai-X toys have a high metal content, even the smaller ST version. They are, however, getting pricier. Its hard to go wrong with a Takatoku 1/40 Orguss Orgoid, if you don't mind a mix of metal and plastic. My experience, though not recent, is that they tend to be cheaper than the Takatoku Valkyries from the same era. Takaras 1/72 Dougram toys are also pretty darn good: http://www.toyboxdx.com/datafiles/data/dougram/ Takaras "Dual Model" VOTOMs re-releases would probably interest a serious 80s mecha fan, but I'm not sure if they have any die-cast content...? A few years back, Bandai released several classic chogokin toys in a smaller size, under "THE CHOGOKIN" label. More recent: Another vote for the CMs Corp Patlabor Ingrams. Or, Soul of Chogokins Mazinger Angels - blinged up versions of classic Mazinger fembot designs. Because chrome goes with anything, dear. Incidentally, can I be your friend too?!
  9. F-ZeroOne
    Being dead makes you wake up next to nekkid babes? Screw everything else, I'll take the Ideon, thanks!
  10. F-ZeroOne
    Today being the day where I got my Star Fleet DVD set, I have to say Big Dai-X.
  11. F-ZeroOne
    I'd tend to agree, but on the other hand if Yoshiyuki Tomino can't state what is "canon" in Gundam, who can? (though having said that, of course, his own Gundam novels don't follow the animated continuity either...!).
  12. F-ZeroOne
    Turn-A is a bit of an odd case; it was Tominos attempt to tie all the then-current Gundam series together, so from Turn-As point of view, all Gundam series are Universal Century (or put another way, all Gundam eras are the same era). Yes, even the ones with the boy band Gundam pilots. I think the "official" view is that it is an alternate timeline, but on the other hand, its also possibly Tominos most personal take on Gundam. So, er. Yes. And no. Maybe.
  13. F-ZeroOne
    One place the translators (of the official release, anyway) tripped up: Wales is not in England.
  14. F-ZeroOne
    We'll have to move on to making closing comments for the next episode previews in the style of Gundam SEED: "Rise on the burning winds of fatal fate to your shining destined destiny, Gundam!".
  15. F-ZeroOne
    Cecily Fairchild - Gundams other[/] redhead. So far, our title is Turn-Sentinel-Crossbone-War-In-The-Stardust, right?
  16. F-ZeroOne
    Oh, I'm sure they weren't - but its like imprinting, the first thing you see colours your thinking.
  17. F-ZeroOne
    Of course, continuity messing is not exactly new to Gundam. Gundam Sentinel, for example, was originally a standalone series designed to promote some really cool model kits but was later incorporated into the time-line officially. And Bandai recently made a big effort to "harmonise" the names of the various organisations and characters across the timeline, presumably to ease international marketing. When I were a lad, it were a "ZAK" (Zion Air Kommand), not "Zaku"... [1] And you could take your pick between Zion, Zeon (the "official" one now, but which always reminds me of a cheap digital watch), Jion, Gion... I wonder if what sometimes bugs us old-time Gundam fans is a perception that the new shows lack an "integrity" of sorts. I'm not sure if thats the right word for it, but I think its the closest I can get to explaining that, whilst having enjoyed a number of the spin-offs, they sometimes make me itchy. [1] As explained in a comprehensive article in Anime UK magazine by Dafydd Neal Dyar, who stated he got this from a Japanese source. That article used a number of translations that, AFAIK, were unique to the article and sometimes causes me to think, "Jaburo? Wait, thats not right... " Link to Dafydds on-line Gundam articles, mainly about life in a Space Island Development Envelope: http://www.dyarstraights.com/msgundam/frontier.html
  18. F-ZeroOne
    I remember reading once that the original line of model kits, "Mobile SUIT Variation" (which featured things like tank Zakus and recon Zakus) was originally Tominos idea, after a request from Bandai to expand their range of model kits. I suspect the trend for multiple variations of recent mecha can be traced back to that.
  19. F-ZeroOne
    Wheres my cow? Oh, there is is - inside the Turn-A! Its not just the TV series, either - theres also the spin-offs, like Gundam Sentinel, Crossbone Gundam (IIRC?), Flash of Hathaway etc etc...
  20. F-ZeroOne
    I'd see Victory first. Turn-A will seem like a dancing ray of sunshine in a world of fluffy bunny wabbits after that. There is actually nothing wrong with V-Gundam (well, certain mecha designs aside... ), but the very high rate of character attrition does get to you after a while. The music is actually pretty good and the lead character is one of the most likeable in the saga. Hmm, wonder where he might get his charisma from...? It also has a... ahem... nice surprise for those who stick with it. Way back, I read an article on Gundam that asked why they don't just remake the original series with modern techniques. SEED pretty much seemed to be that to start with. Of course, there'd be trouble with the original castings... maybe no-one just wants to risk the WRATH OF TOMINO...
  21. F-ZeroOne
    Got 'tache? Got Turn-A Gundam. More seriously, possibly one of the most misunderstood anime series of the past decade or so, and mostly based on static images. Believe me, it all works much, much better when you see it moving, even seemingly bizarre creations like the Mobile FLAT. It also conveys the seriousness of the conflict without being depressing, has very likeable characters, Tomino shows that he actually can do comic touches without lapsing into slapstick, the music and background design is simply excellent, and the ending is possibly the best Tomino has ever done since Ideon: Be Invoked. Possibly the most amazing thing about it is that everything that was perceived as a potential weakness when the series first appeared actually turn out to be the series greatest strengths. I would actually recommend it to anyone who wants to see a well-done science-fiction anime, not just a Gundam anime. It does have a few flaws - Tominos characteristic narrative jumpiness, and the story relies on a really huge coincidence - but if you treat it like an Indiana Jones story (all daring escapes and unlikely events and derring-do) you'll forgive it.
  22. F-ZeroOne
    I've always felt that the first Gundams success is not so much to do with whether it counts as a "Super" robot show or now (though its worth pointing out that it was the first show to focus on the difficulties of military resupply in the field and the like) but because of the setting, which was rather more thought out than shows previous to it.
  23. F-ZeroOne
    Regards NGE - several of the characters are named after Japanese aircraft carriers from World War II (most of them sunk aircraft carriers), Asuka divides her name with at least three American aircraft carriers and a spacecraft, Rei is Japanese for "Zero" (and also possibly a WWII reference) and a number of the school girls are named after Japanese shinkansen (bullet train) services. Make of that what you will.
  24. F-ZeroOne
    I bet Bright keeps "ZZ" off his resume every time he has to apply for a job as a shuttle pilot.
  25. F-ZeroOne
    You really need to play Xenogears. I can't say its ever really bothered me. Like everyone else, I've gone "What the...?!" on occasion, but its all part of the rich tapestry of the medium. I'm pretty sure the Japanese probably look on things like Teen Titans (which I liked a lot) in the same way.
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