Super Robot Wars X: Explore 30 years of Anime behind the new release!

Be prepared for your copy of Super Robot Wars X to arrive with our robot roundup featuring the classic mashup of mechs! The latest release in the long-running strategy RPG series is set in a fantasy world that brings together characters from well over 30 years of anime. SRWX is a stand-alone story, but one with a bit of background to catch up on, so let’s run down the robots you can expect to encounter in the PS4 and Vita’s latest entry – available now in English!

The Unchallengable Daitarn 3

In a nutshell: Anime James Bond fights in a cool giant robot.

As the sole representative of the ‘70s style of super robot shows, Daitarn is a giant that boasts an array of ridiculous special techniques. Whether it’s beating down enemies with fans, spears or the power of the sun, Daitarn’s improbable but powerful attacks are a mainstay of the series. The show’s ‘monster of the week’ plotlines aren’t too important; despite being featured in Super Robot Wars games since the Super Famicom, Daitarn’s own storyline is rarely featured. This is still true in Super Robot Wars X, but Daitarn’s goofy attacks and suave pilot are a welcome inclusion anyway.

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)

In a nutshell: A black history of recurring wars with Space Nazis in cool robots.

Surely everyone knows about this long-running franchise, which is credited with moving mecha shows towards more serious storylines and realistic robots.  Super Robot Wars X returns to Gundam’s “Universal Century” timeline, featuring return appearances from Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam and units from the Gundam Crossbone manga series. This title also brings back the cast of the movie Gundam F91, which hasn’t been seen in the series for some time. Also returning is the fan favourite Hi-Nu Gundam unit, which returns in HD with all the meticulously animated fin funnel attacks you’d expect.

Though some of the Gundam series from Super Robot Wars V are missing, this new release at least brings back the boys from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz. It’s far from the first time these series have appeared together, but Super Robot Wars X also adds Gundam: Reconguista in G, which takes place in the far future of the Universal Century. Could possible time travel shenanigans be at play? Whatever the reason, Reconguista in G should be getting plenty of focus as a new inclusion. It’s far from the most popular Gundam series but the leading Gundam gets a variety of different weaponry, there are some cool supporting robots and a fun cast that should fit with some of the lighter series appearing this time. Here’s hoping for the ability to kick things in a playable Mack Knife and a version of the plot that’s easier to follow.

Aura Battler Dunbine  (1983)

In a nutshell: Characters are transported to a fantasy world with magic and cool insect-like robots

Like Daitarn and most of the Gundam series featured, Aura Battler Dunbine was directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, so there’s a common thread between many of the older series here. Dunbine is no stranger to the series, either, but its fantasy setting has always stuck out. The series is set in Byston Well: a medieval-style parallel world full of fairies, unicorns and Aura Battlers – robots powered by “aura” energy. Since the original characters in Super Robot Wars X also wield magic, Dunbine should fit in well. Many of the Aura Battlers will return in HD and Super Robot Wars X also includes units from Dunbine’s 1988 OVA sequel and a killer arrangement of the show’s opening song. Sure, Dunbine has been in the series since the 16-bit days, but this is the first time we’ll be able to see the wonderfully bizarre character names like Shott Weapon and Marvel Frozen in English.

Mashin Hero Wataru

In a nutshell: It is the nineties and there is time for tiny, but cool robots wielding swords and other fantastical weapons.

Making its first appearance in the Super Robot Wars series, Wataru’s world of “Soukaizan” is central to the plot of Super Robot Wars X. As one of the first series encountered in the story, you’ll be seeing a lot of Wataru’s cast and lineup of cute little robots. The Super Robot Wars games have done a good job of adapting comedy series like Dai-Guard and Macross 7, so this goofy RPG parody should fit right in. Wataru is certainly getting a lot of love, with a large role in the story and some spectacular animations for his trademark Ryujinmaru robot. Ultimately it’s exciting to the series get translated in some way. This will the first time anything Wataru will be released in English since its Turbografx game was localize as Keith Courage in Alpha Zones!

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

In a nutshell: Old-school adventure series that takes after the 19th century stories of Jules Verne. Has a surprising lack of cool robots.

Nadia is another odd pick for the Super Robot Wars series. This Gainax show remains popular thanks to its breezy tone, comic relief characters and wonderfully catchy theme song, but it was never really considered a “mecha series”. Of course, there’s some precedent after Super Robot Wars V featured Space Battleship Yamato. Nadia brings in the battleships too, with the flying submarine Nautilus along with Grandis’ band of misfits and their goofy little tank. The mysteries of Blue Water could tie into the game in an interesting way, with the advanced Neo Atlantis civilization showing up as antagonists. And of course, you can’t very well include Nadia without the titular heroine appearing, right?

The Brave Express Mightgaine

In a nutshell: A billionaire teen and a cool robot that transforms into a train combine to fight crime.

Mightgaine is part of the ‘Brave’ series of super robot shows, which were big in the nineties. Like other entries, Mightgaine tells the story of heroic, sentient robots fighting evil alongside their human buddies. Think Transformers except… well Mightgaine even reuses some Transformers designs so you’re not too far off the mark. The show’s second appearance in Super Robot Wars brings back Black Mightgaine, which was previously a secret unit. Mightgaine’s story received a lot of attention in Super Robot Wars V, right down to silly subplots about natto, so the series might be pushed to the sidelines this time around. Still, there should be plenty of opportunities to strike a cool pose after unleashing epic attacks.

Gurren Lagann

In a nutshell: Cool super robots kick reason to the curb, using spiral energy to grow to galactic sizes. You know the drill.

Jumping ahead by a decade, Super Robot Wars X also brings back the popular series Gurren Lagann. As a throwback to ridiculous super robot shows, Gurren Lagann and its hot-blooded cast of characters take down beastmen and inter-dimensional “anti-spirals” alike with some gloriously gigantic drills. With its post-apocalyptic setting and massive scale, it will be interesting to see how Gurren Lagann’s story will fit into Super Robot Wars X, but more Giga Drill Breaks are never a bad thing. This time around the game is only following the anime’s second half, which led to a ludicrously epic conclusion with the cast flinging galaxies around. Will this entry somehow top the exceptional ending to Super Robot Wars Z3: Jigoku-hen? There’s only one way to find out.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2

In a nutshell: A teen prince gains the power to brainwash people and ends up inciting a revolution with an army of cool Japanese robots.

Code Geass is another popular pick, although the setting will be hard to fit together with the other series. The anime takes place in a world where Japan has been taken over by the Brittanian empire, with those gifted with magic “Geass” powers working in the shadows. This interpretation features familiar characters and units like Suzaku’s Lancelot and Jeremiah’s big orange Siegfried, but Super Robot Wars X looks to be breaking from Code Geass canon in a lot of ways. This second season was already infamous for its wild plot twists, so I for one am excited to see Super Robot Wars X take things even further.

Shin Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact!

In a nutshell: Classically cool super robots fight ancient Greek baddies with rocket punches and breast fire.

Along with the Gundam series, Mazinger is the only other show that has appeared in every Super Robot Wars game, so it’s no surprise that there are a lot of representatives from this classic mecha series this time around. Along with the anime Shin Mazinger series, this entry also features the absurdly powerful Shin Mazinger Zero and Mazin Emperor G, which both return from Super Robot Wars V. Super Robot Wars X will also bring back Mazinkaiser, which first appeared in Super Robot Wars and later got its own anime. Mazinkaiser’s appearance here will only be as a playable unit without much bearing on the plot, but it does at least come with its old theme music.

Buddy Complex

In a nutshell: School’s out and it’s time for cool robots coupling in a decidedly non-sexual way

This recent robot anime followed an ordinary high schooler who was warped to the year 2088, where giant robots are the weapon of choice. In Super Robot Wars X, the far future setting could work well, with the show’s time portals providing a convenient way for everyone to show up together. Buddy Complex itself uses a realistic style of robots that fight in pairs through “coupling”, which should lead to some fancy combination attacks. Buddy Complex was never particularly popular so the series wound up concluding a bit quickly. There’s definitely a chance to develop things a bit more here and hopefully the larger cast will bring out more of the characters’ personalities.

Cross Ange: Rondo of Angels and Dragons (2014)

In a nutshell: Nana Mizuki fights dragons in a cool mech and we don’t talk about the rest.

I don’t blame anyone who tried to avoid Cross Ange after the nasty turn at the end of its first episode, but its initial appearance in Super Robot Wars V softened its darker edges. Parts of the plot were rewritten and the characters were supported by a larger cast who all joined forces to dunk on the villain. The series already had a huge focus in Super Robot Wars V, so the girls of Cross Ange might not spend quite as long in the spotlight this time. That said, Cross Ange’s use of magic and fights against giant dragons fit in with the fantasy backdrops, not to mention the show’s wild twists and evil empire are straight out of Code Geass. Provided the plot is rewritten, fitting more female pilots in this Super Robot Sausagefest is hardly a bad thing.

That’s it for the series appearing in this instalment of the Super Robot Wars X for the PlayStation Vita and PS4. You can become even more familiar with the cast and colossal robots found in Super Robot Wars X by picking up a copy of the Asian English version of the game, which is out now with an exclusive Steelbook edition that won’t last forever!