What's the word - the following is the latest scoop we've been able to uncover. If you know something we don't, drop us a line and let us in on the secret! Wherever possible, we try to get you images to accompany our news to show you what's happening on the mecha modeling horizon.

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

NO MORE GOUFING AROUND, IT'S HERE

The 1/100 Mastergrade Gouf custom, from the "Gundam the 8th Mobilesuit Team" anime OVA series! Oh yeah!

It comes with all the detail and gimmicks that we've come to expect from the mastergrade series. The only discouraging thing I can say about the MG Gouf Custom, is my same beef with the regular MG Gouf, the proportions of the feet! They look silly and overly squared off. The feet on the 8th MS Team HG 1/144 Gouf Custom kit are much nicer, with a footprint much closer to a teardrop shape. It's not a major beef for those that'll just alter the feet, or for those that like the feet the way they there!

Price has been set to be ¥ 3000 JPY (about $25 USD). It is slated to be released some time in Feburary!   (1/25)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

CATCHING KÄMPFER FEVER

Holy frijoles! Bandai is going to release a 1/100 Mastergrade Kämpfer! Hot Dog! From all the pictures it looks really sweet! Cannot wait to get my hands on it!

Price has been set to be ¥ 4000 JPY (about $34 USD). It is slated to be released some time in January, that's right soooonnn!!!   (12/29)

FROM KOREA WITH LOVE

The BIG rumor in the gunpla circles of Korea is that after the MG Kampfer is released, Bandai will release a... (wait for it! this is good!)

Yeah, you read that right! Then ("WHAT!?! There's a then???"), they'll follow that up with a...

It makes my heart quiver that this betters the chance of seeing HGUC versions of the never before released Gundam Sentinel kits! Xeku Zwei and Xeku Eins, anyone?

Though rumor this may be, it sure is a juicy one. Here's hoping that it turns out to be gospel!   (12/11)

RUMOR MILL-- GRIND GOOOOOD...

The pretty solid 1/144 HGUC rumors that are circulating the Gundam Mailing List and rec.arts.anime.models are as follows:

• GP02A  Physalis
• GP03S  Dendrobium Stamen
• MS-06F2  Zaku II F2
• MSN-02  Zeong

And one last thing, there's a lot of talk about the fact that a lot of mobile armors are being released as part of the Generation-G super-deformed kitline possibly as part of a gear up for a release of non-SD mobile armors, possibly as part of the HGUC kitline, is so what scale? 1/220? 1/500? Your guess is as good as mine. But they would sure be a welcome.   (12/05)

I LIKE MY ZUGOCK CHARRED & MY GOUF CUSTOM MASTERGRADE RARE

Yeah, that headline is stretching it right into the territory of lameness, but you try writing it better! I'll post it if I agree! :-)

After the MG Gouf was released recently, quite a few people were gravid with the anticipation that the MG Gouf Custom was soon to follow... wow, they were right!

Also, the much expected and maybe overdue, the HGUC version of Char's Z'gok, but as someone on raam pointed out, they released a lot of original HGUC kits when they could have chucked this out instead, which was mighty nice of them. How long before Char's Rick Dias shows up?

Price of the MG Gouf Custom has been set at ¥ 3000 JPY (about $25 USD), and the HGUC Char's Z'gok is set at ¥ 700 JPY (about $6 USD). They're both due in February.   (12/05)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

IF IT'S ALL "NU" THEN IT'S ALL GOOD

After releasing the gargantuan Mastergrade Sazabi this summer, they just had to release the gargantuan main goodguy mech from Char's Counterattack. Will the MasterGrade 1/100 Nu-Gundam prove to really be better, all-around, than the original 1/100 kit?

Man, this thing will be big, if I remember correctly, at 1/100 it is just over 11 inches tall (height to highest Fin-Funnel).

Price is slated to be ¥ 5000 JPY (about $42 USD). It is expected to be released in early January.   (11/29)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

THE MIGHTY ZEPHYR

Bandai has released the HGUC 1/144 GP01-fb Gundam Zephyranthes Full Vernian, Gundam 0083, as a follow-up to the HGUC GP01 Gundam Zephyranthes that they released two months ago. Seperate core fighter, nice touch that. Full Burner? Full Burnier? Full Vernier? Full Vernian? Whatever it is, it does look sharp.

Rife rumor is that the GP02A Physalis and GP03S Dendrobium Stamen are soon to follow. Here's hoping that that is true, and further still that Bandai will go completely happy (read as: loony) and release a model of the GP04G Gerbera as well!

Price is ¥ 1500 JPY (about $13 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

THE BIG ZERO, OR NOT

The Gundam Wing kit to end all GW kits! Geez, 1/60 scale... what is that, about 15 to 19 inches tall when completed. There's been a lot of conflicting opinions about this kit, especially with the structure of the uppermost set of wings; their internal structure, and the rubbery material that the wings made out of. (There's a fear that they will not hold paint very well, like the notorious vinyl joint sleeves on the Patlabor models.)

This is the sort of model that you get to marvel at the technical complexity of its design, rather than the sort of kit you get to just build, customize/modify and paint.

Price is ¥ 15,000 JPY (about $129 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)

BLACK RYVIUS... OBSCURA

Aoshima has released two 1/4000 kits of the the ship Black Ryvius from the current anime tv series: Ryvius. One plain black plastic (pictured at left), and a special metallic black plated version. When completed it is about 10 inches long (25cm).

Unfortunately, I do not know a thing about the anime, but the ship is interesting. It has a sort of submarine turned space vessel look that reminds me of the DY-100 sleeper ship from Star Trek TOS. And the BFGs that detach from the sides of the ship, for the included mech to hold, are nice.

Price is ¥ 2500 JPY (about $22 USD), the plated version is ¥ 3000 JPY (about $25 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

HOVERING DOMINATION

Bandai, fulfilling the dreams of many fanboys, has released the Dom Tropen as part of the expanding 1/144 HGUC kit series. It looks mighty sweet! Even the soles of the feet are quite detailed.

Will they add other Dom variants to the HGUC line? Well either way, the Dom Tropen is a very welcome release and can also serve as the basis for kitbash/conversions of the older Dom-variant kits.

Price is ¥ 1500 JPY (about $13 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)

I m a g e :  3 views of the Swordfish II

BEBOP A'REBOP, SWORDFISH POD

Bandai has released a really nice very detailed kit of the Swordfish II space pod, in 1/72 scale, from the anime tv series: Cowboy Bebop.

Folding wings; attachable missles; working landing gear; three figures of the main characters in a larger scale and a 1/72 scale pilot figure. The spherical pilot pod is even removable. Very nice. Though the rumors are rife that this will be the only kit bandai releases for Cowboy Bebop, here's hoping that they'll release 1/72 models of the Red Tail and the Hammerhead as well.

Price is ¥ 1500 JPY (about $13 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)

L i n k :  go here for more pictures

SWEET GELGOOG GOODNESS

Gundam 0083 has been getting a lot of 1/144 HGUC coverage lately, fine by me! According to reviews the Gelgoog Marine is very close to being a scale-down of the 1/100 MG Gelgoog. It comes with a very nice 0080-0083 era MMP-80 gun which will come in very handy as an accessory to other 1/144 kits.

Cannot wait to get my paws on this kit! Will they put out a HGUC ZZ ReGelg (Re-Gelgoog)? Or even just a Gelgoog Cannon? Oh... a mechaphile can only hope!

Can you say... Wicked Googly? I knew you could!  :-)

Price is ¥ 1500 JPY (about $13 USD). It is available online from Rainbow Ten Hobby or HobbyLink Japan.   (11/29)