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I certainly do invite the input of any Gundam fan here, whether die-hard or casual, but the main focus of this thread is on the time when Gundam graced our shores as a regular thing in the late nineties and early 2000's. Back when you could go into any Y'all-Mart, Target, K-Mart or TRU and find the pegs bristling with Mobile Suit goodness.

I recently have been going through my "closet that time forgot, which contains toys that I haven't been able to display yet. Many I haven't seen in a very long time. I pulled out five computer paper boxes full of my Gundams and going through them, I was reminded of why I collected them and how much fun I had building the collection. Despite the bendy "Bandai Putty" that they were mostly made of they were pretty well made and detailed. The PVC used back then was heavier and harder than that used on say, today's GI Joe figures, so they held up remarkably well over time being packed together like sardines in storage. And unlike the toys of today, they came with a TON of optional parts.

It started with Gundam Wing, but gradually encompassed a great many of the generations and time lines in the Gundam series. I found them every bit as addicting as Transformers at the time, and would hunt from store to store looking for a specific 3.5 mobile suit figure.

I always had a preference for the Zeon suits because of the extremely stylized look they had and the menace of that single piercing eye that glared out. Suits like the Zaku 2, the Gouf, and even odder models like the Gogg, Kampher, and the Z-Gok are some of my favorites. I even have some of the larger mobile armors that had fairly decent lights and sounds as well as bonus figures to boot. We got a lot more for our money then for sure. G-Gundam tends to be one of my all time favorites for the sheer amount and diversity of the mobile suits. The designs went from traditional to downright freaky. The large 12 inch figures were practically works of art IMO; the Wing Gundam, Shining Gundam, Dragon, and GP 01 and 02 are fantastic display pieces.

The crowning items in my collection, though, are the huge interactive figures of Gundam rx-78 and Char's red Zaku 2. The battle between the two when you connect them is just awesome to behold.

I stopped collecting Gundam figs when Gundam Seed toys came out, mainly because the Suits didn't really offer anything new over the standard design and I was getting bored with it by then. The series shriveled up and died in America after that. But I'm glad I took the time and money to get what I did back then.

What were your favorite toys, what specific story or time line did you like the toys from best, and what is the status of your collection today? What got you into the franchise back then? Are you still into collecting Gundam now as a result to our brief yet satisfying exposure back then?
Come on! I know my Neo Shifters thread was a flop, but I think THIS is something we can all discuss!

Back then I was all over Gundam Heavy Arms. 1/100, 1/144 ect, had em all! Never really strayed far from Gundam Wing until much later.

The first ones I got were the Japanese versions of Deathscythe, Heavyarms, and Shenlong. I was about 12 so I didn't have the option of going looking for them as I could now.

My grail from my figures is the Tallgeese. That is one of two I still have displayed, along with a Space Leo.

As it stands, the last figure I added was Zeta, which is still MISB. I really want to open it though.

I have 32 total, spanning Gundam to Gundam Wing. I was not into SEED at all. By the way, I've been trying to keep up with the OO series on SciFi, but I started about 8 episodes in.

Pacifista wrote:The first ones I got were the Japanese versions of Deathscythe, Heavyarms, and Shenlong. I was about 12 so I didn't have the option of going looking for them as I could now.

My grail from my figures is the Tallgeese. That is one of two I still have displayed, along with a Space Leo.

As it stands, the last figure I added was Zeta, which is still MISB. I really want to open it though.

I have 32 total, spanning Gundam to Gundam Wing. I was not into SEED at all. By the way, I've been trying to keep up with the OO series on SciFi, but I started about 8 episodes in.

00 is a pretty good series, It was a nice change from the SEED Destiny BS. Right now, I'm very tempted to buy a Gundam Fix Figuration "Deep Striker". Does anyone have any thoughts on this figure?

Jesterhead wrote:Back then I was all over Gundam Heavy Arms. 1/100, 1/144 ect, had em all! Never really strayed far from Gundam Wing until much later.

Heavy Arms rocked, and was one of the few suits that I purchased the larger model kits for. I especially like the Heavy Arms Custom from the Endless Waltz movie, despite the radical color change over the original.
I even ponied up the cash for the American re-release of the original Heavy Arms simply because it had the opening missile pods on the legs.
Ah, the economy was lovely back then!

Pacifista wrote:My grail from my figures is the Tallgeese. That is one of two I still have displayed, along with a Space Leo.

I have 32 total, spanning Gundam to Gundam Wing. I was not into SEED at all. By the way, I've been trying to keep up with the OO series on SciFi, but I started about 8 episodes in.

Ah, the venerable Talgeese, the Mobile Suit that would pulp your insides if you piloted it, unless you happened to be Zechs Marquis! I enjoyed all three 3.5 versions of it, but unfortunately missed out on the 7 inch version that came out with Wing Zero custom.

00 is a fairly decent series and has kept my interest, despite missing an episode here and there. The diversity of the Mobile Suits appeals to me and I would have collected that series if Gundam was still going in the U.S.
Of course, we'd be paying about ten bucks for them these days, seeing as the piddly movie Joes are going for eight!

I've been into gundam models since HighS chool. Started wiht the HG 1/100 Wing Zero and DeathscytheHell and went through most of Wing and Endless Waltz. It tried nmy hand at Tallgeese but the fact that you must paint the model for proper coloring rather than having additonal colored parts was it's biggest flaw. It's definately one of those models that deserves a remake on par with todays HG's heck even a Master grade. I mainly go for Master Grades now with two Perfect grades. I would have more but they're just so expensive and my one to get has for years been PG Wing Zero. I have some Seed models and four destiny models, 3/4 of them Master grade.

I just got and completed my MG Exia Ignition mode. I never bothered to get batteries since I really don't have the drive to waste money one two overpriced batteries to have the GN drive light up. I have heard 00 Gundam is getting a PG but I can imagine we will see a Master grade somewhere down the line this year or next. And if not 00 Gundam, then it's upcoming movie successor the Gundam 00 Quanta.

Roadbuster wrote:
I just got and completed my MG Exia Ignition mode. I never bothered to get batteries since I really don't have the drive to waste money one two overpriced batteries to have the GN drive light up. I have heard 00 Gundam is getting a PG but I can imagine we will see a Master grade somewhere down the line this year or next. And if not 00 Gundam, then it's upcoming movie successor the Gundam 00 Quanta.

I've seen photos of designs for a PG Gundam 00 w/ 0-Raiser. Looked very very nice, might be my first PG purchase lol!

I still have a ton of Gundam models in boxes waiting to be built. My favorite is a High Grade 1/100 U Gundam kit from the early 90's that I snapped up way before Gundam became known in the U.S. It was the suit Amuro piloted in Char's Counter attack. It has metal parts in its endo-frame and came in a really big box. I have 1/100 versions of Altron, Shenlong, Wing, Heavyarms, Gerbera Tetra, as well as the complete set of Gundam X models in 1/144 scale to name a few. Actually getting around to the building part is the trick!

I used to love how many vehicles and playsets were offered here back in the late 90's-early 2000 era. Everything from drop ships to mobile armors to micro playsets and battleships with tiny 1 inch mobile suits that rounded off the actual figure selection and added a nice touch of variety. The battle damaged series was nice as well with the burnt, scorched, and mutilated look of the figures. They put just as much effort into the damage as they did to the suit detail itself, making it look like the figure really came through a massive fire fight.

I'm with you guys, I was in the Gundam wave too, and I also let it go when the well went dry too.

Yes, it started with Gundam Wing. Such an interesting show. Complex, and at times, I didn't understand parts because I would miss an episode here or there.

I think the first I had were model kits. I saw the Heavy Arms model from Endless waltz in my local comic shop, done up just right and I had to have one. Those freakin' guns are awesome.

I got a few of the models, but rarely found myself with the patience to saw/file down the stupid plastic connectors for the sprews, so mine were lacking.

I really enjoyed the series that came after Gundam Wing...G Gundam with all the slick and twisted mechs that they came up with like Lumberjack Gundam, Cobra Gundam, etc. THe designs were insane, but fun. The storyline was alright, but again, when you miss days, it gets hard to know what it going on.

So I went and watched Mobile Suit Gundam, and then the horrible SD Gundam.


I really enjoyed practically all the mech designs, but I was more on the Zaku-hate club...going for the more traditional Gundam designs, although I can say some of the ideas that came with the other battlesuits were cool too.

I think I really liked Epyon because it was, as I remember, more magical than the others, it had 'special powers' that made it similar to a living thing, I think.

I also liked the Tallgeese, Sandrock, and Deathscythe Gundams. BUt can you really beat the Wing Gundam from Endless Waltz? Oh man that was one sweet robot design.

I do like a lot of mech though. I find THE BIG O to be a fun show, as well as, enjoying ZOIDS, although the series that was not about game play, and was more about survival was the one I preferred.

Pics.