Topic: Favorite Mechs

What are your Favorite Mechs? It can be from a Video Game, a TV Show, A drawing you randomly found on the Internet, anything.

Real Robots:

Madcat from Mechwarrior
VF-1 Valkyrie from RoboTech
Pretty much everything from Gundam SEED, specifically the Freedom Gundam
Gundam Alex,
Kampfer,
Gundam Astray Red, Blue, and Gold. Not to mention the piece de resistance(Pardon my non-existant french):

Super Robots:

The Very first Megazord from Power Rangers
Mazinkaiser,
Dancougar,
Gunbuster,
Big O
Ideon From Space Runaway Ideon
Gaiking

I'm not a big anime fan, but I prefer the looks of mechs that haven't seen too much anthropomorphizing. Something big and hulking looks better to me than slender and lithe.

In other words, something like the Mechwarrior example you put up rather than something from Gundam is what I prefer.

I'm not surprised, really. That seems to be a preferace among the western world. I read in an article once that the East and West have different ideas of what a Mech is supposed to be. The East usually sees them as extensions of the self, like a big suit of armor. The West sees them as more like strategic tools. You're more likely to see something, big, bulky, and realistic in a western game or movie, where as they're more human-like in most eastern works.

Grendizer is probably my favorite as that is the first mech I can remember seeing back in my youth.
I'm also a big fan of the Shadow Valkyrie in Robotech (was it the VBR-2?). The one with the protoculture cloaking system.
I also like the Warhammer in Mechwarrior (there's probably a Robotech equivalent as there was a lot of design "sharing" between the two).

My second favorite is the Cyclone in Robotech. (if that can be considered a mech)

Cool, you saw Grendizer? I didn't even know they showed it in the U.S. Though I'm guessing you mean the toy?

And I love the Warhammer, although it is pretty much a rip off of a RoboTech Mech, the Destroid Tomahawk to be precise.

Yeap I saw the cartoon, but I believe (wouldn't stake my life on it) that I saw it when my dad was stationed in Germany. We were stationed a little bit of everywhere so it's tough to remember exactly where I was living at the time.

I wouldn't be surprised, I hear it was somewhat popular in Europe.

Well just to muddy the waters of my memory a little bit more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Five

This would explain why I initially want to spell it GrAndizer. I was also pretty darned close to the San Jose, CA television market around the time it was televised. Ahhhh memory...getting old sucks. x.x

Heh, yeah, I read about the Force Five. Sounds pretty cool. We even got Gaiking thanks to that.

I always liked the Mechs in Full Metal Panic. WHich is one of my favorite Mech series.

Speaking of Gaiking, I just watched the first 5 episodes of it on Hulu. Good stuff, although it's obviously for the youngins. Totally reminded me how BA Gaiking is and why he was my Number One Super Robot in Shin Super Robot Wars.

I liked the mechs in FMP, too. Main reason why I got the whole series on DVD. Too bad I haven't watched it yet.

Well coming from a Mechwarrior fan I would say the Novacat. I used to put dual ERPPC lazers and run around destroying on online play.

I don't remember the Novacat, but it looks INSANE! Love it.

Pretty much this. Robotech Battlecry was fun.

I have the first series, Fumoffu and the second raid. I didnt like Fumoffu as much as the FMP and I have yet to watch the Second raid. But thats cause my anime backlog is almost as bad as my video game one lol.

Yeah, I loved Battlecry, too, though I did find the camera controls a bit problematic.

I know what you mean, my backlogs getting pretty big, and I got a to watch list that's even bigger. I'm trying not to let it get too big, though, I don't want it to get as bad as my video game backlog.

I think I'd like Second Raid more, it's got more drama to it. I'm not sure I'd like Fumoffu at all. Too comedic for me, while I fear that the first season may be too boring with not enough action.

Watching some older Mecha Anime reminded me of this thread.

Did you guys know that many designs from BattleTech, which seems to have heavily infuenced modern western interpretations of mechs, with their bulkier and more rugged appearances, were based on mecha designs from old Japanese anime? Specifically Macross, Dougram, and others?

For instance, BT's Stinger and Warhammer were based on Macross' VF-A1 and MBR-04-Mk VI Tomahawk Main Battle Destroid, respecitively. And they didn't even bother to rename the Valkyrie.

From Dougram, they renamed the titular mech to the Shadow Hawk, and the T10B Blockhead to the Wolverine.

There are plenty of others, but those ones stand out the most to me. While plagerising isn't a good thing by any means, it's very interesting to see how Japanese designs have influenced western ones, and it shows just how much Japanese mechs have changed over the years. The one who designed Dougram's mechs I believe also did the mecha designs for the original Gundam, and Gundam alone has evolved greatly since its inception. I miss the older designs, actually, and it seems that the forerunners of mecha do to.

I should also mention that they have the rights to use these designs now. I wonder if any more of Macross' or Dougram's designs will end up in Mechwarrior Online?

My favorite mech is back on NL!

ED-209 from robocop is the meanest looking SoB. i also think the mecha in applseed remake are cool too.

Not sure if this counts, but I'm just gonna go for it.

Welcome back @Mickeymac!