As we suspected the White Dingo variant of the GM Sniper II is now available for pre-order as a Tamashii Web special purchase. Fear ye not though, as places like Tokyo Hunter are stocking the toy on your behalf (as Tamashii Web specials are Japan only purchases unfortunately). Considering how much we loved the recent GM Sniper II toy, we literally cannot wait for the White Dingo version as the Dreamcast game that birthed it is very close to our heart.

Well, Artdink’s wondrous new Carnage Heart EXA has finally been released. Whilst we’ll be getting a copy we may abstain from a review, on account of the somewhat epic language barrier. That said, if people want a review then by all means say so (as we’d be happy to oblige). To commemorate the release 4Gamer have done a pretty epic breakdown of the game. Don’t forget that you can still also order the boxed version here, though we are cautiously hopeful that a Western publisher may pick up EXA for a digital release.

One of the most renowned mecha series in gaming has to be that of Front Mission, as it has endured the test of time and indelibly made its mark on the genre. It’s practically a beloved heirloom these days and Square Enix had the right idea, or at least the semblance of one, when they tried to bring the saga into the present day. On paper, you’d think that hiring a Western developer to helm a standard third-person-shooter would be a no brainer but Front Mission, like any mecha based gaming series, isn’t one that can slot neatly into a functionally standardised niche.

Ignoring the functional and cultural heritage of mecha is going to get you into trouble when you deal with a series like Front Mission and unsurprisingly that’s where Double Helix have landed themselves; up trouble creek without a wanzer to help them out.

Proving that cool robots fly away from explosions, G.rev have announced a new XBLA shooter by the name of Seisou Kouki Strania. Interestingly, the protagonist craft is that of a sprightly bi-pedal mecha. From the somewhat radiant sword-esque beam sabre it wields to the multi lock-on attacks, a few comparisons with Treasure’s much loved Radiant Silvergun have already been made. Considering that G.rev and Treasure have quite a close relationship, in terms of sharing their staff, this is hardly surprising. Though considering that Radiant Silvergun is already getting an XBLA port, G.rev’s timing is a little unfortunate maybe. Along with 2 player offline play, the game also boasts the same setup online too – which is pretty impressive for a game of this scope and with such a small team behind it (as G.rev isn’t exactly brimming with staff to begin with). In addition, to weapon switching between three main weapons the game will also have an “Over Dose” (or O/D) setup, that gives the player limited invulnerability for a short time as well as act as a score multiplier. Strania is set for a release late next year and no word on whether it will be a global release as yet, but considering the nature of XBLA this is pretty likely. We’ve linked the promo video below and 4Gamer has some nice screenshots of the game too.

4Gamer has a pretty epic breakdown of the upcoming Border Break Airburst update set for release at the end of November. Whilst Airburst is basically “Ver 2.0” of the original Border Break, the game has a considerable amount of improvements over its precursor. Notably the new dropships that can carry multiple blast runners across a map to invade heavily fortified sections. The dropship even packs some quite notable firepower too, though at the expense of a suitably “shoot the core” weakspot in its rear. We’ve also linked a video of the new dropship setup below, though it kicks in about halfway through in case you’re wondering.

The moderately fourth wall breaking Mokei Senshi Gunpla Builders Beginning G OVA has finally had its first few episodes released. Despite being a bit “we put a Gundam show in a Gundam show so you can watch your Gundam show while you watch a Gundam show” the slightly awesome sight of seeing a pimped out Senjou no Kizuna cabinet used as a full blown linear seat is rather impressive. In terms of the show’s narrative setup, the arcade cabinets are the means by which Gunpla builders spar with one another. Using a Haro styled 3D imager, the tech then attributes abilities based off the kit. It’s a bit like Barcode Battlers in a way but with Gundam kits and insane arcade gaming production values. To be fair we’re not far off making an arcade game that works like this, but if the 3D imager could also detect colour I reckon we’d see a lot more red painted Gunpla – for the obvious stat boost. The first episode is shown below (unsubbed) and you can buy the kit of the Beginning Gundam, featured in the show, here. It’s also worth pointing out that the area where most of the combat scenes are set is actually around Shizuoka, where the full scale Gundam is based.

It seems that Artdink have finally decided to release Carnage Heart EXA online via the PlayStation Store. This doesn’t preclude the boxed version of the game though, as that will also come packaged with the game’s soundtrack. This download version, minus the soundtrack obviously, is also a fair bit cheaper than the boxed variant too; coming in at a very reasonable 4,700 yen (1,100 yen cheaper than the boxed copy). Both versions of the game will be released October 28th and there’s still no word on a Western release as yet.

We meant to cover this earlier, but the much anticipated Gundam Extreme Versus was released a few weeks ago in Japan. Following up on its success, the game will also have a Gundam Vs Mobile element that will allow players to theme the HUD of the game. In addition, on the 27th October, a new EX Scene level will become available featuring the GF13-001NHII Master Gundam as an antagonist and subsequently as a playable unit too. 4Gamer has some nice shots of these updates in case you’re curious. No word on a console release as yet but expect something in the New Year in terms of an announcement apparently.

What with the release of Super Robot Wars L very near now, the longer and more interesting promo videos start getting distributed to Japanese stores. Thankfully, these also get uploaded online. This latest promo for the game goes through many of the notable signature attacks from the various series the game features. From the pretty bloody amazing Great Mazinger and Mazinkaiser cutscenes, to the less great Gundam Wing Endless Waltz re-hashes, the game covers the gamut in terms of animation quality (or lack thereof). Of all the units we’re most interested in though, it would have to be those from Iczer-1 and Iczer 3; as they warm the cockles of our 80’s heart. The full promo is shown below and you can pre-order the game here.

There’s now a full size FF-X7 Core Fighter from the first Mobile Suit Gundam anime series and movies, as the 9 metre model is part of the Hobby Museum at the Shizuoka Hobby Fair (which runs until March 27th in case you’re wondering). Unsurprisingly, this core fighter is meant as a companion piece of sorts to the full scale RX-78-2 Gundam nearby (the one we visited not that long ago in case you’re wondering). This version of the core fighter is the one from the end of the series and movies, which is why it’s so battered. The video of it at the Hobby Fair is shown below.