In the latest issue of Famitsu it’s been revealed that the next Gundam Versus arcade iteration set for release will be called Gundam Extreme Versus Full Boost. Interestingly the new “full boost” name also refers to what sounds like a new boost cancelling mechanic, somewhat similar to the next dash but instead with the ability to counter an enemy’s attack. The timing and the requirements to successfully pull this off sound as though they are suitably tricky, so it shouldn’t be a game breaking mechanic at least. It’s also worth doubly clarifying that this is another arcade iteration, not a console game (as yet at least). Still no word on what sort of architecture the game will run on but we’re guessing it will stick to Namco’s System 357 board, as that’s basically a PS3 in a box (hence ease of porting) and what the last game used.

4Gamer has a new update about the forthcoming Lord of Elemental II: Revelation of Evil God. Showing all manner of units featured in the game, it also hammers home after the recent promo how pretty this game will look. This is especially true of the new maps, as these appear to have had quite a large amount of work poured into them (at least as much as the combat animations). This is quite a surprise as the environments in these games often take a back seat visually.

There’s now a new promo video for Gundam Mokubo no Kiseki out. Apart from showing some rather dated FMV footage, the video does actually show a fair bit of gameplay. It’s very clear that the game’s two modes of battle will work out to be pretty interesting but what’s especially refreshing is how fluid the full battle mode appears. Basically, this looks like it could be a proper little hand-held RTS. The full video is below.

What with the home port of Gundam Extreme Versus literally around the corner, it should come as no surprise then that Bandai Namco are already thinking about the next arcade iteration. Specifically at this year’s Winter New Product Sales Meeting in December the next title in the Gundam Versus may be revealed. Whether this stays as the full fat “every Gundam ever” mobile suit roster or go back to being series specific again remains to be seen. In any case, it gives us an excuse to show the Hi-Nu Gundam again. So at least we’re thankful for that. Seriously, if anyone wants to get us a Christmas present then this would be obviously welcomed.

For those who haven’t heard the news, Capcom is accepting emblem designs for the upcoming Xbox 360 pseudo-sequel. The deadline is November 15th, 11:59pm, which depending on where you live, is either a little less than 24 hours away, or a little over.

Capcom of America, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan (naturally) are all taking part. Each region has it’s own preferred method of accepting submissions; because I live in the US, I’ll simply pass along Capcom Unity’s blog post on the matter, which can redirect all interested parties to his or her local branch of Capcom.

Though what’s being asked is fairly consistent across the board: 512×512 pixels, preferably a layered Photoshop file, though jpegs, pngs, tiffs, and bitmaps are also accepted. Hopefully one of our fine readers will create a distinctly Mecha Damashii-ish design on everyone’s behalf!

Now with Gundam Extreme Versus a little over two weeks from release, the PR machine has gone into NT-D mode. Below is a lovely shiny new TV advert for the game. Whilst it shows snippets of fresh footage, it doesn’t really reveal anything earth shattering (but it is in HD). Plus, it also gives us an excuse to show the Hi-Nu Gundam yet again, though this time violating a Geara Doga. If you haven’t pre-ordered the game already, then you really need to do so here.

We first saw threeA‘s gorgeous looking Metal Gear Rex exactly two years ago today. But virtually nothing been said or seen ever since. To the point that those who still remember it have naturally assumed that the statue was quietly cancelled. Then earlier this year, threeA passed along a blog post of what looked to be a rail gun, one similar to what Rex was sporting, but which also lights up. A feature that no one knew about, at least based upon the prototype pics.

No further information was given, but at least it was evidence that Rex was still alive. And just a few days ago, another update was provided, with concrete info at long last. Aside from looking better than ever, we can also see that the cockpit and its “eyes” also lights up. A timeframe in which all interested parties was also given: this upcoming January. No word how much it will weigh, but it sure looks heavy, especially since we do know its height: 42 cm, or 16.5 inches.

And according to Ashley Wood, who is not only Hideo Kokjima’s go to illustrator for all things Metal Gear these days (aside from Yoji Shinkawa, of course), but is one of folks who runs the threeA empire: because every part is ABS and requires injection molds, the price tag will be steep. It’s also worth noting that he still considers Rex a toy and simply a statue, which given its size and cost is what most of us were viewing it as. The rumoured price is somewhere between $400-500.

Famitsu has a new update on the forthcoming PSP Gundam strategy game Mokuba no Kiseki. Specifically it covers some of the game’s commands and in part explains the two battle modes present. In terms of the latter, it seems there is not only a wider battle mode but also a localised battle mode too. The wider battle mode allows the player to move squads of units around, whereas the localised mode allows for micro management of each pilot. Subsequently the commands are broken down between these modes. The wider battle mode commands are as follows; hidden enemy search, accelerating to cover more distance (similar to SRW) and the ability to spread Minovsky particles to cover your squad’s movements (this is what the prior “hidden enemy search” ties into as well). It’s interesting that unlike older RTS games, where the player has to investigate unknown areas this game will allow players to blanket out their presence at will. This is a really nice touch as something that’s always been missing in Gundam games is the whole way the Minovsky particle effectively rendered contemporary warfare obsolete within the context of the narrative. As for the localised commands, these are; supporting nearby allies and evacuate nearby danger. Overall, this is sounding like an interesting little strategy game and one we’ll be keeping a close eye on.

It’s been reported that From Software are around 70% through production on a PS3 exclusive Gundam Unicorn game. Set for release sometime in spring next year, the game apparently has supremely detailed mobile suit models (to the extent that the Sunrise representatives were apparently blinded by their sheer majesty) as well as a large emphasis on using the voice talent from the series with each of the main characters receiving their own chapter. In addition the game will only cover the first three episodes of the animated series, which begs the question as to whether there will be enough content. In terms of actual gameplay there are references to ACE but not which ones specifically, as the newer PS3 entry really wasn’t that great. To be honest, we’re on the fence with this one. As From Software’s ACE series has taken a bit of a functional nosedive and, despite the supposed aesthetic wonders present here, if it plays like manky balls we’ll have yet another Gundam game that will prop up the false meme that they’re all crap.

Relic Entertainment recently added the Tau Commander to their survival-style mode “The Last Stand” in Dawn of War II: Retribution. This development came out of left field, since the original game didn’t include the Tau race in the first place, and while only a single hero unit represents them here, it’s still very nice to have a frequent fan request added, especially this late in the game’s lifecycle.

The Tau Commander plays much like veterans of the Tau’s previous appearance in Dark Crusade expect: amazing at ranged combat, but defenseless up close. The Commander actually deals no damage in melee, so keeping him out of stand-up fights is imperative, and to aid him in that he has a very effective jetpack which allows him to boost around the battlefield. Keep him out of harms way, though, and he’ll light up enemies with gatling lasers or a minor Itano Circus of missiles.

There are two points of contention regarding the fellow, however. First, there’s the perennial “Tau Are Too Anime” debate which always crops up, and while you cannot deny that the Tau were designed with at least some Asian influence, their vehicles and armor are a far cry from anything an anime fan would remark as traditional mecha design. Their humanoid (Tauoid?) mecha look more like a particularly blocky MT from Armored Core than they do even the most Real of Real Robots. Second, the price for this single new character in a single mode of the game costs $9.99, a full third of what the whole of Retribution originally launched for. While this seems like it could be the beginning of a DLC nightmare, Relic has done an exemplary job with keeping patches coming to their games and even adding new content (including the original Last Stand!) for free to their games, and they’re likely just trying to earn back their investment by charging what hardcore fans are willing to pay.