Zillion On Dvd

[bryce74]

Sorry to interrupt current debate with an obscure question, but I was hoping to connect with a fan of the 84 TV series Zillion. In the varied anime dvd releases of recent years it is a series that seems to have slipped through the cracks. It was created by some of the minds behind Macross or Mospeada, I can't remember exactly, and it is in that familiar style of anime that I grew up with, so I figure it'd be worth a look. I believe an English Dub existed on VHS but it only went as far as about eight or nine episodes. I am interested in any info or opinions on the show but specifically I want to know if the japanese DVD release has English subtitles. It is in two parts and they are going at around 16,000JY each so I was hoping maybe someone out there knows if it has subtitles or not

[JB0]

To add some alternate angle interest.... the Sega Master System's light gun was based on the Zillion gun(if I recall, the gun carried the Zillion label in Japan).

[Sdf-1]

Wasn't there a Zillion game also on Master system? Not a light gun one though. You know, this is the first time I hear it's actually an anime. I just still remember the title from back then.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Sdf-1

[bsu legato]

Wasn't there a Zillion game also on Master system? Not a light gun one though. You know, this is the first time I hear it's actually an anime. I just still remember the title from back then.

371978[/snapback]

Yeah I played it. I remember it being fun (mainly from the "thrill" of playing a game based on some sort of anime) but frustrating as hell. One of those side scrollers where you have to navigate a maze, based entirely on guesswork and memorization.

[Ginrai]

There's actually two Zillion games on Master System. IIRC the anime is based on the Japanese Lazer Tag ripoff off game (not video game), and then the Master System games are based on the anime, I think? Maybe not exactly that order, but the Lazer Tag thing came first.

The people that worked on Zillion were mostly Tatsunoko people, specifically the Ohkura design group, so mostly Southern Cross and Robotech II: The Sentinels people. Actually a number of Sentinels designs ended up in Zillion, including the transforming tricycle you seen in the opening credits, and the purple Noza robots, which are obviously just Invid Inorganics from Sentinels recolored purple.

I have all of the tapes that Carl Macek's Streamline Pictures dubbed into English and release here. The show is on DVD in Japan, but it's pretty damn expensive, and I don't like Zillion enough to pay like $200 for it. If it were released here or if there were a cheap HK version I'd probably get it, but $200, no way.

I'll have to check for sure at home, but IIRC there are six Streamline Zillion VHS tapes, the first five episodes of the show, plus an OAV made after the show ended. Note that the show didn't even get far enough in the US release to introduce the transforming tricycle that's in the opening credits and is basically the showpiece mecha. Nice, huh?

Note that it's not like the series was unpopular and was cancelled. The first tape claims it's a five episode mini series. I have no idea why they tried to pretend the show ended at episode 5. I mean, it's the end of the first story arc, but come on!

There was also a four issue US comic book adaptation from Malibu's Eternity line by some of the people that were associated with the Robotech comics at that time. The back of a couple of issues of the comic has some Japanese production line art that's pretty interesting.

I wonder if there's a This Is Animation Zillion or something somewhere? I've certainly never seen any Japanese Zillion books for sale.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Ginrai

[JB0]

There's actually two Zillion games on Master System. IIRC the anime is based on the Japanese Lazer Tag ripoff off game (not video game), and then the Master System games are based on the anime, I think? Maybe not exactly that order, but the Lazer Tag thing came first.

The games are based on the anime.

As I understand it, it was a HUGE cross-promotion gimmick in Japan. Though I haven't heard of the Lazer Tag side before, it makes more sense with it added in(and when explicitly looking for it, it DOES come up).

Sega was making the Lazer Tag clone, so they had free access to the gun design(which answers the big question mark the usual story leaves, since Sega's no longer PAYING Tatsunoko for the privelige of making a light gun that looks like a Zillion gun).

Tatsunoko licensed the Lazer Tag stuff for the cartoon, and Sega capitalized on it by packing a Zillion gun in with their game hardware AND making games based on Tatsunoko's cartoon.

So they had MASSIVE cross-promotion in Japan.

Zillion toys were advertised by the cartoon and SMS.

The Master System was advertised by the cartoon and toys.

The cartoon was advertised by the toys and SMS.

Of course, Sega was footing the bill for the toys and games, but Tatsunoko paid for the cartoon, which was the biggest ad.

Note that it's not like the series was unpopular and was cancelled. The first tape claims it's a five episode mini series. I have no idea why they tried to pretend the show ended at episode 5. I mean, it's the end of the first story arc, but come on!

Translation: Macek is the enemy of all anime.

[Skullsixx]

Translation: Macek is the enemy of all anime.

Dude... this guy is the anti-christ of anime!!!

[Ginrai]

Well, I wouldn't go that far. Streamline was a -lot- better than what Harmony Gold did to Macross, SC, and Mospeada in the 80's, and what it did to Queen Millennia and Captain Harlock for that matter.

Streamline's dubs were not the most accurate, nor were they the best acted, but at least the anime was uncut, right? I mean, their Akira is not how I'd prefer to watch it, but at least it's not Celebrity's Just For Kids, you know? I totally prefer Streamline to Clash of the Bionoids.

[armentage]

Two things...

1) I once met Macek at an anime con. He seemed like a decent fella. Not a fanboy at all. Contrast this to the ADV guys, who at the time, were a bunch of fat bearded losers who smelled bad.

2) There was Zillion-2 "The Tri-formation" on the Master system. It was actually a lot of fun. You played in 3 forms:

A guy jumping around mario-style

A motor cycle

A Mospeada flying about (in humanoid form)

When I was a kid I basically thought it was the Robotech game. I TOTALLY loved it. The game was fast paced and had a decent sound track (to my 9 year old ears). The motorcyle levels actually had you transforming, side-scrolling like a shooter. The scenes where you were out of your suit, you stayed out of your suit and it was a lot like mega-man. It was pretty frustrating, but a lot of fun when you beat a level.

I never played the first Zillion game, but I remember hearing it wasn't as good (less action oriented).

[JB0]

Two things...

1) I once met Macek at an anime con.  He seemed like a decent fella.  Not a fanboy at all.  Contrast this to the ADV guys, who at the time, were a bunch of fat bearded losers who smelled bad.

2)  There was Zillion-2 "The Tri-formation" on the Master system.  It was actually a lot of fun.  You played in 3 forms:

    A guy jumping around mario-style

    A motor cycle

 

    A Mospeada flying about (in humanoid form)

When I was a kid I basically thought it was the Robotech game.  I TOTALLY loved it.  The game was fast paced and had a decent sound track (to my 9 year old ears).  The motorcyle levels actually had you transforming, side-scrolling like a shooter.  The scenes where you were out of your suit, you stayed out of your suit and it was a lot like mega-man.  It was pretty frustrating, but a lot of fun when you beat a level.

I never played the first Zillion game, but I remember hearing it wasn't as good (less action oriented).

372138[/snapback]

Having emu'd it, Zillion 1 IS less action-based.

It's sort of like the SMS version of Metroid. Only with computers to hack.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

The premise of the first Zillion game was similar to an old Atari game where you had to memorize codes and input them in trap infested rooms to advance through an enemy installation. Once the last room is reached, an self destruct code is entered and you had to get out of the whole maze quickly...after fighting a huge boss. Good times. That was my first exposure to Zillion, and it was a surprise to find out one of the main characters was female (The instruction book referred to Apple as a dude).

As for the anime, I remember Mr. Macek saying the whole series would eventually be released. Pffft.

[Ginrai]

The first Zillion game is basically a ripoff of Impossible Mission, which I always played on Commodore 64, but I remember there being an NES version of it. So yeah, Impossible Mission with a SLIGHT Metroid influence.

I doubt very much Macek said the entire series would be released. The box of the first video calls it a five part miniseries. The sixth VHS tape, the Burning Night OAV, was a surprise.

[JB0]

The first Zillion game is basically a ripoff of Impossible Mission, which I always played on Commodore 64, but I remember there being an NES version of it. So yeah, Impossible Mission with a SLIGHT Metroid influence.

There was a 7800 version of Impossible Mission as well. And unlike the others, there wasn't any false advertising. Due to a programming bug, the game really WAS impossible.

Edited February 21, 2006 by JB0

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I doubt very much Macek said the entire series would be released. The box of the first video calls it a five part miniseries. The sixth VHS tape, the Burning Night OAV, was a surprise.

372446[/snapback]

Yep, that's what he said. It was long ago at one of the early AnimeExpos when they were still in the Santa Clara Valley. He was at a booth with his wife promoting all the Streamline releases and I asked about Zillion. He actually sounded quite excited about it, saying that all episodes will eventually be released and even some music videos. Maybe he was trying to get this dumb kid to buy his tapes. But hey, you don't have to believe me

[bsu legato]

Hey Zillion...er, fans. The first episode of the Zillion anime is now out there on your favorite anime torrent site. I'm going to snag it when I get home, to see if it lives up to my vague and somewhat frustrated memories of the Sega game.