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-Z- (z@gundam.com)
Thu, 9 Nov 2000 20:21:17 -0800
Four new books just in from Asahiya:
PlayStation 2 Guidebook Special G-Saviour (2000.10.15, Keibunsha,
ISBN4-7669-3642-6) 80 color digest-sized pages for Y950.
Set in Space Century Year 224, it says here, in English no less. I assume that
means UC 0224, a year after the events in the movie. The G-Saviour Special
Guide is divided into eight parts. The Story is brief -- it's all on page 002,
really. MS Assemble showcases the mecha from page 005 to 018. Page 019 is some
kind of RPG ranking chart, pages 020 and 021 correlation between the MS and the
pilot characters, and page 023 is about something called Super Animational
Motion (SAM) that I've yet to decipher. Pages 024 through 027 are a Technique
Guide -- play strategy, with familiarity with the game controls apparently
assumed. Pages 028 through 078 are the meat of the book, walkthroughs of the
various "chapters" with Battle Stage maps, ending with another SAM. Page 079
advertises G-Saviour "figures" from GameSoft.
Although no detailed specs or model numbers are given for them, just RPG style
Speed, Shield and Armor ratings and armament, the book profiles the various
mecha in the MS Assemble. The Good Guys are the G-Saviour, G3-Saviour,
G3-Saviour Intensive-Attack-Mode, G3-Saviour Ground-Attack-Mode, J-Saviour, and
G-Saviour Terrain Mode, the latter two labeled SECRET. The Bad Guys are the
Bugu, Bugu 2, Raid, Spear Head, Spear Head B, Spear Head C, and Raiven [sic],
which is actually an MA and is apparently the central figure in the story, which
revolves around Project Raiven. The Raiven is big and black and has wings, very
badass.
The Good Guys appear to go by the name Illuminati and include Race Patrick, Reed
Fox (or, maybe, Focus), Ben Bolt, and Asaki Field. The Bad Guys are are
Gremliship (Gremly Ship?), who represent the Settlement (Space Colony), and
include Kraus Harlord, Kite Goldman, Rysus (pilot of the Raiven), Richard
Wright, and Base Hashing (not sure if that's a person or a place).
-----
SD Gundam G Generation-F Databook 2 MS Collection (2000.9.11, Sony Magazines,
ISBN4-7897-1604-X) 496 color digest-sized pages for Y1,800.
If I have a complaint with this, it's that all of the CGI is way dark and the
illustrations are tiny. Combined with lots of fine print, this makes the book
extremely frustrating for anyone with eyesight as poor as mine. The plus side
is that this is a veritable encyclopedia of every Gundam show from First Gundam
to Turn A, with character as well as mecha profiles.
Now if only I could just READ the damn thing...!
-----
Gakken Mook Animedia Special Gundam Illustration Memory The Eternal Partners Of
My Youthful Days (2000.11.1, Gakken, ISBN4-05-602424-3) 188 pages (102 in color)
for Y2,000.
Gundam Illustration Mempry appears to be a collection of every Gundam
illustration published by Animedia in the last 20 years. I know that I've seen
them all and, in fact, probably have the source books packed away somewhere.
The cover illustration, replicated on the foldout poster, is an original drawing
by Keichi Sato colored by Tomoe Nakazato, but it appears to be a composite of
three famous illustrations by Yasuhiro Yoshikazu -- an homage, not a swipe. B&W
pages 103 to 113 are the Animedia History With Gundam, breaking down the sources
chronologically. B&W pages 114 and 115 are the Gundam Main Character's Profile,
with literally thumbnail sized sketches (well, to be honest, they look like
clips from animation cels) of 73 of Gundam characters from 13 Gundam shows.
This book was as easy on my eyes as the SD G Generation-F was hard.
-----
Mobile Suit Gundam Character Encylopedia 2000 (2000.10.5, Mediaworks,
ISBN4-8402-1523-5) 438 pages (54 in color) for Y2,800.
Every character in every Gundam show from First Gundam to Turn A, even if
they're only identified as Officer A or Pilot H. This book is the perfect
companion to the MS Encylopedia and, in my estimation, a must-have for the
serious Gundam fan. It's chock full of good information and easy on the eyes,
too. Recommended!
-Z-
-
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