Gundam's finally getting the Lego treatment

[gerwalk25]

I just happened to look on the Mecha section of Brickshelf and came across this.

What do you guys think? They look cool IMHO I just hope the bricks hold together unlike other megablock sets. Discuss!

Original link to pics

Gundam Megablocks Website

[gerwalk25]

Coincidently I found an excellent Lego rendition of the RX-78.

Link to original pics

[GRAND CANNON]

Great examples!

FoundryDX has had some Gundams/Zakus for a bunch of years now:

http://www.foundrydx.com/works.html

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I wonder how big the megabloks gundams are, BBTS is charging $100 for each of them. They look VERY cool, I have slim hope they will domesticate them in the US but still, if they did it would be cool!

[Fort Max]

HLJ has both of these at 8'???yen a piece. Not a bad price considering their size and the Amuro/Char figures are quite nice too.

[JELEINEN]

Man, I almost had my hopes up there. Megablocks are a steaming pile of feces and you couldn't pay me to get them.

[Excillon]

Anyone that remotely knows me on here, or bothers reading my posts knows I am ALL about the Gundam stuff. It's my real passion out of the big three (Gundam, Macross, and TF). Figs, models, anything. But I wouldn't touch these with a 10 foot pole. I've seen better lego customs. I think these look terrible, and even worse is the price! And they're mother%$#@%#@ Mega blocks!!! Not even real legos!!!!!!!!!!!

[Graham]

So is it Lego or Megablocks? The thread title mentions Lego, but the first post mentions Megablocks............confused!

I really hate the RX-78 with it's silly red clown feet.........Mwahahaha!

Graham

[Excillon]

So is it Lego or Megablocks? The thread title mentions Lego, but the first post mentions Megablocks............confused!

I really hate the RX-78 with it's silly red clown feet.........Mwahahaha!

Graham

It's mega blocks (ugh)...but leave the good old 78 alone! It's the true gundam! The father to the gundam universe! Bow and show your respect to the lord and master of all modern mecha, from Gundam to Macross to Transformers and beyond! Let the streets flow with the blood of the non-believer!!!!!!!!!!

[nightmareB4macross]

Pretty nice builds.

I'd sure like to see a Sazabi come to fruition.

[gerwalk25]

So is it Lego or Megablocks? The thread title mentions Lego, but the first post mentions Megablocks............confused!

I really hate the RX-78 with it's silly red clown feet.........Mwahahaha!

Graham

Megablocks. And since they are I hope they don't compromise on the quality of their bricks.

Edited December 12, 2006 by gerwalk25

[Phyrox]

Someone explain this one to me.

I thought the point of legos was to create something with your imagination and some simple blocks...not to build a "kit" out of a pre-selected box of blocks.

What makes this doubly confusing is that for the same price, a Gundam-lover could buy a Master Grade gundam kit. Why would someone pay the same, or more, for a gundam that looks like he stepped out of an Atari game?

The way I imagine it is that Lego-lovers wouldn't want to build simply a pre-arranged "kit," and Gundam-lovers would want a better looking gundam.

Now obviously I must be wrong...but I don't understand why. Someone who likes these things (for either reason) please explain yourself.

[mister_e]

I'm a huge Lego fan. Have been since my early childhood. Lego has been selling themed (castle, town, space) sets since the 80's. I think people enjoy it because, while it might not look as good as an actual model kit, you still get the satisfying feeling that comes from building something but, unlike a traditional model, you can disassemble it and build something completely different. I can't explain it better than that

[JELEINEN]

Someone explain this one to me.

I thought the point of legos was to create something with your imagination and some simple blocks...not to build a "kit" out of a pre-selected box of blocks.

What makes this doubly confusing is that for the same price, a Gundam-lover could buy a Master Grade gundam kit. Why would someone pay the same, or more, for a gundam that looks like he stepped out of an Atari game?

The way I imagine it is that Lego-lovers wouldn't want to build simply a pre-arranged "kit," and Gundam-lovers would want a better looking gundam.

Now obviously I must be wrong...but I don't understand why. Someone who likes these things (for either reason) please explain yourself.

When I buy a LEGO set, I'll build the model that the set is for then I'll part it out (the only exceptions so far have been the Batmobile and the Batplane, which were actually very good builds). LEGO has always had "kits." I guess there are people who don't have the imagination to make their own designs. For me building to the instructions serves as practice and to give me ideas on new ways to fit the bricks together for my own stuff.

The Megablock sets I have bought in the past were bad. The QC is non-existant and a lot of the bricks simply did not fit together correctly.

[Graham]

It's mega blocks (ugh)...but leave the good old 78 alone! It's the true gundam! The father to the gundam universe! Bow and show your respect to the lord and master of all modern mecha, from Gundam to Macross to Transformers and beyond! Let the streets flow with the blood of the non-believer!!!!!!!!!!

Never liked Gundam much and always thought the RX-78 is a hideous looking design. Never understood why the anime is so popular also.

Give me Macross over Gundam anyday.

Graham

[Apollo Leader]

Okay people, a show of hands for who wants to see the Gundam hater known as Graham banned from all future Gundam threads?

[aaajin]

gundam lego? but the "lego buttons" all over a gundam just dont suit my taste....blergh..

[Excillon]

Okay people, a show of hands for who wants to see the Gundam hater known as Graham banned from all future Gundam threads?

I second that motion

Seriously though. I love Macross (why else would I be here) but Gundam is my first love. There's more variety, and while every one almost has the same fundamental headsculpt, clown feet, etc. I find the mech designs far more appealing. The only thing that comes close to a Gundam is an EVA.

And besides, no valk could take down a Gundam. It's twice the size and packs a lot more firepower. And as for the SDF, I'd bet the Dendrobium could blast that thing in two!

[yellowlightman]

Those dumb Katoki feet look horrible on that lego custom.

These Megablocks kits look okay but really I can think of other toys that'd look a lot better for the money. These really aren't all that impressive.

[Graham]

And besides, no valk could take down a Gundam. It's twice the size and packs a lot more firepower.

I disagree. One of the issues I have with many Mobile Suit designs is that despite their huge size, they actually have extremely limited armament and often limited mobility as well, especially the early U.C. era MS.

Take the RX-78 for example, it can't fly, only walk, run and jump, so has to have a mother ship or other transport vehicle to transport it from location to location, unlike Valks, which with their high Mach speeds have far more useful stategic mobility. Not to mention far better manuverability.

Many MS, the RX-78 included also carry a tiny weapon load for their size. Head Vulcans with limted ammo, a beam rifle with limited ammo that usually has to be discarded after 20 shots or less and no spare ammo! beam sabers that are only useful if the enemy gets within range.

While I'm not going to get into a Valk vs MS discussion, I'd take any VF over any pre-Victory (UC153) era MS anytime. Valks generally have the upper hand in armament, speed and manuverabilty. Valk armor and pin point barriers on later VFs is nothing to sneeze at either.

Not even going to get into the whole G-Gundam, Wing Gundam, SEED/SEED Destiny thing as they are more super robots than real robots IMO.

Graham

[Graham]

find the mech designs far more appealing. The only thing that comes close to a Gundam is an EVA.

Each to his own I guess. Our tastes definitely differ though. I've always found Gundams and Evas to be very asthetically unappealing mecha designs.

I do like some of the Zion designs though.

Graham

[Excillon]

I disagree. One of the issues I have with many Mobile Suit designs is that despite their huge size, they actually have extremely limited armament and often limited mobility as well, especially the early U.C. era MS.

Take the RX-78 for example, it can't fly, only walk, run and jump, so has to have a mother ship or other transport vehicle to transport it from location to location, unlike Valks, which with their high Mach speeds have far more useful stategic mobility. Not to mention far better manuverability.

Many MS, the RX-78 included also carry a tiny weapon load for their size. Head Vulcans with limted ammo, a beam rifle with limited ammo that usually has to be discarded after 20 shots or less and no spare ammo! beam sabers that are only useful if the enemy gets within range.

While I'm not going to get into a Valk vs MS discussion, I'd take any VF over any pre-Victory (UC153) era MS anytime. Valks generally have the upper hand in armament, speed and manuverabilty. Valk armor and pin point barriers on later VFs is nothing to sneeze at either.

Not even going to get into the whole G-Gundam, Wing Gundam, SEED/SEED Destiny thing as they are more super robots than real robots IMO.

Graham

I know you don't want to get into a hypothetical battle but I disagree completely on these points:

A valk is NOT more equipped than the F91 (especially) or a Zeta (including the Sentinels). Not to mention the GP's.

Pin point barriers wouldn't hold up against that big cannon the GP02 has. And bullets/missles would be useless against Gundam armor.

I love Macross like I said, but I'd give the battle to the Gundams. Of course, I'd rather see them team up and kick the crap out of the Transformers, not like they'd need to as either one alone could do that. Only other thing they have in common is they'd both get slaughtered by the EVA's.

[Graham]

A valk is NOT more equipped than the F91 (especially) or a Zeta (including the Sentinels). Not to mention the GP's.

I'd happily put a VF-19 or VF-22 up against an F91 anyday. I'd feel quite comfortable putting an earlier generation Valk (VF-1, VF-4, VF-11, VF-17) up against any mark of Zeta, which has the aerodynamics of a flying brick!

Pin point barriers wouldn't hold up against that big cannon the GP02 has. And bullets/missles would be useless against Gundam armor.

GP02 would have to hit the Valk first. In the original Gundam One Year War TV series, Gundam armour was IMO shown as being overly unrealistic in it's ability to stop the shells's from the Zaku's guns. Later Gundam anime, seemed to revise down the protective ability of Gundam armor to the point where it could be penetrated by cannon shells. And there are cannon shells and there are cannon shells! IIRC, wasn't it once calculated in another thread on these forums that the kinetic energy produced by a shot from the RX-78's beam rifle was actually similar to that of a 55mm round from the VF-1's GU-11?

Graham

[Excillon]

I'd happily put a VF-19 or VF-22 up against an F91 anyday. I'd feel quite comfortable putting an earlier generation Valk (VF-1, VF-4, VF-11, VF-17) up against any mark of Zeta, which has the aerodynamics of a flying brick!

GP02 would have to hit the Valk first. In the original Gundam One Year War TV series, Gundam armour was IMO shown as being overly unrealistic in it's ability to stop the shells's from the Zaku's guns. Later Gundam anime, seemed to revise down the protective ability of Gundam armor to the point where it could be penetrated by cannon shells. And there are cannon shells and there are cannon shells! IIRC, wasn't it once calculated in another thread on these forums that the kinetic energy produced by a shot from the RX-78's beam rifle was actually similar to that of a 55mm round from the VF-1's GU-11?

Graham

Well, I guess we could probably argue forever about this, but it would be pointless. One thing though, how could you miss with the GP02 gun?! Anyhow, you got your opinions and I have mine. One thing though, if it wasn't for that ugly ass RX-78, you wouldn't have your Macross today and you can't deny that. You'd have ended up collecting He-man toys without Mobile suit Gundam!

[Chronocidal]

Oy. Megabloks. >___<

I've personally never been a fan of "specialized" pieces, ones made to fill a specific need... like the Star Wars laser gun pieces they introduced, or any number of other things (Most of the SW Legos I've bought were never assembled, and the parts went to building my own set of SW ships in Technic's scale ) But Megabloks is infinitely worse. They just model outright whole sections of vehicles, giving you a piece that'll be nigh unusable on anything else.

But for that price, these things are pathetic. Normally, MB sets are huge bargains comparitively to Legos.. Legos seem to tend toward 10 cents per piece on average, while MB tend to offer a much lower price... but the quality shows the difference.

Now, this is a lego mech.

The design is a custom, but it's completely self supported, geared, balanced, etc. Not to mention it's ginormous. What it would cost to produce, I don't even want to know.

The real challenge for Lego mechs is the support system they need to stand up (when you build them big anyway). Which is what makes a large scale Lego transformer incredibly hard...still got a transforming 1/18th VF-1S up in my closet with no legs.. been sitting there for 3 years now, while I try to find a joint system strong enough for the hips/knees, and find a way to reduce the weight of the main body while keeping it looking decent.

[Ishimaru]

The real challenge for Lego mechs is the support system they need to stand up (when you build them big anyway). Which is what makes a large scale Lego transformer incredibly hard...still got a transforming 1/18th VF-1S up in my closet with no legs.. been sitting there for 3 years now, while I try to find a joint system strong enough for the hips/knees, and find a way to reduce the weight of the main body while keeping it looking decent.

The real challenge is that you have to transform it, thats something you don't ever have to worry about in building a Gundam.

[yellowlightman]

Zeta Gundam....?

[Excillon]

Zeta Gundam....?

Looks sort of like the Strike to me. Face would be perfect if it had the red tongue piece.

[yellowlightman]

Looks sort of like the Strike to me. Face would be perfect if it had the red tongue piece.

Er, no, I was referring to the previous comment about transformation never being an issue when building Gundams.

[CF18]

If you want to see official comparision between Gundams and Valks, just play SRW Alpha.

In Alpha, Valks's main strengths are speed and small size. So they almost never get hit, but they have very low armour and HP so they can be killed by just one hit. They have good fire power, especially after getting the reaction weapons. However VF-1 only have one weak melee weapon, so you need to be careful with the ammo count.

And a big 'meh' to those Megablok Gundam. Same old cheape Megablok plastic don't worth half the price they are charging. It is cheaper to just build your own with high quality LEGO like this one:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=194600