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Post by XX Century Zoid on Nov 9, 2019 14:32:12 GMT -5
Could someone please point me to a complete checklist of the HMM zoids released so far? I've been focusing on the vintage and never delved in this branch of the brand. I'll answer to the topic after I study about them a little.
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Post by dchan on Nov 9, 2019 18:37:59 GMT -5
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Post by XX Century Zoid on Nov 9, 2019 20:35:13 GMT -5
Veeery nice, thank you! I see a lot of repaints and little love for older sets, tho. I would like to see HMM renditions of the first five, Giant ZRK and the like.
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JES
Lance Corporal
Posts: 64
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Post by JES on Feb 6, 2021 11:01:49 GMT -5
Okay, I know that this thread is a bit old, but I've been thinking about this while working out, and I guess I'd like to what others think of my opinion on the matter. These are Zoids that I know have very little chance of being reinterpreted as HMMs, but think that they are nonetheless deserving.
Hammer Rock: Why this design never showed up in the anime even once is beyond me. Probably part of the reason that it also never saw a NAR release. Hopefully, that wouldn't stop Kotobukiya from using this very well-armed design. Of course, considering that even a small kit can cost over 60 USD (wonder if they would cost less if Kotobukiya found a model company like Revell to produce them domestically? It's not like there isn't a market), there is probably a reason why Kotobukiya is so slow to come out with new kits, and choose which of those that do very carefully. It is still my opinion that Hammer Rock is still a very cool and very classic Zoid design that has never been allowed to shine as it should have.
Snipe Master: The Gun Sniper successor that should have showed up in Fuzors or a sequel to Zero Century that should have happened instead, but in the end never did. This cool little Zoid also has potential for creating countless variants, and providing a relatively cheap entry for those new to HMMs. It also helps that this little guy is surprisingly sturdy, and I love my Snipe Master. It is possible that if Hasbro released him and the CPs, he might have become popular like Gun Sniper among the Western Fandom, while Asian fans will definitely recognize him.
Twinhorn: A sturdy, nicely designed little Mammoth type that for reasons unknown to me was never reissued as part of the NJR, and thus was never given a chance to show up in the anime. It could be a small study to preview a future Elefander release, while there are also some cool variants for Kotobukiya to play with releasing as well.
Cannonfort: One of my favorite Medium-sized Zoids that I do not own. The molding reportedly met an accident, and was thus not reissued until Genesis. And even then, they didn't appear once in the anime. A shame, since it appears to be a rather sturdy design, which while well-detailed, still has room for plenty of Kotobukiya's brand of interpretation. I'm interested in how they would do the Beam Horns or the Assault Cannons. Maybe they'd add bayonets to the sides of the horns? Would the Assault Cannons be their own mini-Zoid like the Dibision? The possibilities are vast!
Lidier: Why this one was never sold as part of the NJR or NAR release is beyoud me. It's a handsomely designed and well-armed medium sized Zoid, with potential for modifications for further variants not unlike the Command Wolf. As an HMM, it would be breath of fresh air from all of the usual Ligers.
Rhimos: The smaller horned Zoid that NEVER got a proper NJR release, or even appeared in Genesis, and is one of my favorites that I do not own. This guy is bulky, well armed, and just all around awesome. He also comes in a variety of colors, while also having a sturdy enough frame that makes him perfect for countless variants like his older brother. Not just the Heavy Rhimos, but also potentially a variant that replaces the EM Cannons with a pair of Beam Gatlings similar to Leena's Gunsniper. And potentially around the same price as a Command Wolf. It would be a crime against humanity and Zoids for Rhimos not to see an HMM release!
Gravity Saurer, Wolf, & Saix: These American-designed Zoids are sturdily designed, and aren't aesthetically displeasing. They lack a lot of detail, making them open to interpretation. Maybe Gravity Saix could be given a mechanism similar to Rez Tiger and Liger Blue Souga, while making Gravity Wolf's bike mechanism would make it unique. Hopefully, only Gravity Saurer would keep it's Panzer Faustmissiles, while the other two would have their arsenals overhauled and expanded upon.
Descat: The final design of the Original Japanese Release, which has never seen a release ever since (even though I'm convinced that Takara Tomy planned to reissue it as a part of Rebirth Century if the line had lasted long enough). With a number of features open to interpretation: from the Super-Dense Matter Cannon, to the Reflective Metal Ice Armor, it almost seems to have "Kotobukiya" written all over it, while finally giving this neglected design some much needed love.
Gunbluster: This another wild card, seeing as how it's never had an anime appearance, and it is somewhat big, and the Tomy model's cannons have a tendency to break. But I still want to see this happen, especially after the outstanding job they did with Dibison. All those posable cannons would be fantastic. And Maethius would have so much cannon fodder, he might just pass out from happiness! I also cannot help but picture possible AAA and Charged Particle Cannon variants. Best of all, it's not too big, unlike many non-anime favorites.
Aero Liger, Proto Saber, and Liger Zero Caesar the King: These already mostly use frames already in existence, so it would be a relatively low-investment, low risk way to increase Kotobukiya's lineup. The never-released designs would have that novel factor, Kotobukiya has the potential to expand on the Proto Saber's CAS abilities, while I like the idea of perhaps even turning the manga version of Chaotic Century, which follows the Original Battle Story more closely, into a future anime if they start to run out of ideas for Wild.
Trinity Liger & Blitz Tiger: I love Zoids Saga II/Legacy, and I'd love to see these main character Zoids finally given model form. The main features of the Trinity Liger and Blitz Tiger would create interesting challenges for the designers to bring into model form.
The Berserk Fuhrer CAS armors: regretfully never released as Tomy focused on their Blox line. These would take full advantage of the Berserk Fuhrer's customizability (and potentially increase sales). The fact that Liger Zero X is seeing a release is giving me some faint hope that Kotobukiya will take Berserk Fuhrer to it's full potential at long last.
Honorable Mentions:
Deadborder: Genosaurer before Genosaurer was a thing, and fortunately didn't appear in the anime, because if it did, it'd probably kick even Fuhrer's ass. This black bastard even threw an freaking ULTRASAURUS for a loop, literally!!! If I had to sum up this very well-armed and operational battle Zoid in one word, it would be "badass". The bad news is that it is still around the same size as a Gojulas or Genosaurer, which is close to $140 if you get the basic version. Which I guess is nowhere as bad as Gojulas, which somehow costs 2-3 times as much (WTF?!). Maybe if Genosaurer sells, so will this guy, so this actually might be doable...
Salamander: A great design open to a more aerodynamic reinterpretation, in need of a lot of love, and with multiple variants from the Battle Story. Too bad it's a big kit that would cost at least as much as a typical Liger without any anime appearances. Bigasauru Death Saurer Gilvader/Dragon Mad Thunder Seismosaurus Ultrasaurus Okay, sure these guys are popular. But considering that the Tomy models cost ~$80 on a good day when they first came out, and Kotobukiya usually charges 2-4 times that much for their kits, answer this honestly: how many of you would actually buy any of them, let alone all of them? How many of you could actually afford a likely $300+ kit? Now times that with every Zoid fan in the world. That is why Kotobukiya will never make any of these, unless it's on a smaller scale (ex. 1/114).
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Post by dchan on Feb 18, 2021 10:56:54 GMT -5
Quite a comprehensive list! I think some of the smaller ones would be great in the Kotobukiya style-- Rhimos and Hammer Rock especially.
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Post by Maethius on Feb 19, 2021 14:49:20 GMT -5
My HMM dream machine, when I consider every Zoid ever made, would still be an HMM Ultrasaurus. Yes, it would cost as much as a small car, but I would save up and drop $500 USD on a well designed Ultra kit.
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JES
Lance Corporal
Posts: 64
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Post by JES on Feb 19, 2021 15:35:23 GMT -5
Fantastic. Now find 999 other people, make a petition, and send it to Kotobukiya. Perhaps by then, I'll have an actual E-trade account, and be making enough to actually afford one. If this actually happens, I'm going to also need a large display case, ink, and black and blue modeling paint. Because I'm going to paint the thing in blue, like Gairyuki, or Ultrasaurus the Nest. zoiders.net/xe/index.php?mid=waz_create&page=2&document_srl=93003
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Post by Maethius on Mar 1, 2021 15:47:00 GMT -5
It would be fantastic, wouldn't it? ^_^
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bill
Lieutenant
Posts: 307
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Post by bill on Sept 24, 2022 6:47:56 GMT -5
Natually it would be my favorite zoid! Gungyrados! (Spelling I still go with my 1st finding of it's name) Maybe the HMM version would fix the fragile wing issues! Plus give it even more posabilty. When he was reissued I bought 5. I'd likely buy extras of HMM's if ever released! Regardless of cost!
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Post by Phenotype on Jul 17, 2023 14:52:25 GMT -5
Seeing as I've gotten back into Zoids a bit recently I thought I'd chime in here. These are my most-wanted HMM's: - Energy Liger: This is my absolute most-wanted HMM Zoid. As long as they nailed the proportions I think it would look incredible. I also think there's a decent chance of it actually getting released since it was featured in the anime and also released in the US.
- Hammerhead: Hammerhead was a Zoid I got early on in my collecting days and I've always had a strong affinity for it. It's a great size too, I have limited shelf-space these days and I prefer the smaller to mid-sized HMM's.
- Elephander: Such a creative and aesthetically pleasing design. I personally feel that Koto struck out on the design of Dibison, the proportions are way off, and I could see that easily happening to Elephander. They'd probably make the legs way too thick and the body too wide.
- Cannon Fort: I love this little guy. They did a Molga in Genesis colors so you never know *shrugs*
- Brastle Tiger: Another really creative and modern design that would translate really well into HMM's design language.
- Hammer Rock: Another fun small Zoid which deserves the HMM treatment.
- Gunblaster: I'm on the fence about this one. It's such a visually stunning design and was always a favorite of mine, but without the motor it would basically have no articulation, reducing it to a brick. It would still be a nice display piece but for the reason I just outlined I feel the chances of it getting released are slim.
- Snipe Master: There are other Zoids I'd like to see first but eventually I'd like to see a Snipe Master. I just built the HMM Gun Sniper and I was kind of wishing it was a Sniper Master instead as SM has cooler features.
This is obviously a rhetorical question but I wonder how long the HMM line will continue for? I was pretty surprised when I realized it's already been 17 years. I think there's a good chance we'll see at least a few of the Zoids on my list, maybe over the next 10 years lol
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Post by Maethius on Jul 19, 2023 14:33:17 GMT -5
Definitely have my faves on there, Pheno! I would love to see if the HMM treatment could be applied to some really old, unusual kits in a cool way... Serpent, Tank, Godkaiser, Descat...
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bill
Lieutenant
Posts: 307
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Post by bill on Jul 19, 2023 18:42:41 GMT -5
Definitely have my faves on there, Pheno! I would love to see if the HMM treatment could be applied to some really old, unusual kits in a cool way... Serpent, Tank, Godkaiser, Descat... I'd be down big time for that descat! It was one that Tomy seems to have forgotten! Those others would be shocking as well to see get an hmm treatment.
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Post by Leon35 on Jul 23, 2023 16:17:07 GMT -5
This is obviously a rhetorical question but I wonder how long the HMM line will continue for? I was pretty surprised when I realized it's already been 17 years. I think there's a good chance we'll see at least a few of the Zoids on my list, maybe over the next 10 years lol I think Koto Zoids has almost hit a point where its a pretty standard thing for a model kit shop to carry. I hope the line is still profitable for Koto. New kits dont come often but clearly the re-issued kits keep selling. If Koto is confident that they can keep dipping into their backlog and doing new stuff every now and again, I think its a good sign.
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Post by Fulano on Aug 9, 2023 9:34:26 GMT -5
Here are my most-wanted Zoids and predictions for what we're getting next: Most Wanted:- Raynos: I think the NC0 Jamie's Raynos was a great missed opportunity by Koto and I'd love to see them add more flying Zoids to complement the Storm Sworder and Redler. Raynos seems like the obvious choice
- Elephander: I think the Elephander would be the perfect HMM platform, though I do think if Koto made one they should consider sizing it up to NC0 scale (slightly larger). Even if it isn't TOMY-model kit accurate, IMO Elephander deserves to be large and in charge, and I'd get one in a heartbeat if it was released as an HMM. I also think the accessories that are included in the motorized Elephander model would be perfect as a gimmick for an HMM Elephander.
- Demantis, Maccurtis, Grounchar, Diloforce: I dream of being able to buy a set of micro-HMMs like the Eisen Dragoon force listed here. It'd be cool if they all came together in one box, like the Molga set.
- Zabat: To round out the lopsided-ness of aerial Republican Zoids being produced (since Sally was announced as the next HMM after Guysack), I think Zabat would be a great addition to the HMM line.
- Hammerhead: We haven't yet seen any aquatic HMMs, but Hammerhead seems like the perfect candidate if we ever do get one. Lots of opportunities to make missile pod hatches, extra cockpit/command center spaces, torpedo rooms, etc - the Hammerhead would give Koto a lot of freedom to experiment and enhance the design the way they like to do it.
- Seismosaurus: if we ever get late NJR Zoids/Fuzors, I think Seismo would be the one I'd most like to see as an HMM. There are a few awesome flexible/ball-joint conversion Seismos floating around on Japanese twitter that really show off how awesome an HMM Seismo would be. In terms of Neo Zenebas Zoids of the late NJR, I also think Seismo most perfectly serves as the intersection of the motorized Zoids and Zoids blox lines. If Koto wanted to do blox (maybe using those MSG cubes you can get from one of the Koto MSG joint sets) then Seismo would be perfect to kick it off (alongside Gairyuki, which would be an easy conversion of the HMM Fury).
Predictions:- Death Saurer: I think this one is all but guaranteed - it's just a matter of timing. The most iconic baddie in Zoids is due an HMM kit, and would pair with the already-released Death Stinger very well. I am curious to see if we ever get an anime-version of the Death Saurer HMM - given the rumors of Shopro being super hard to work with and having a role in killing Koto's release of the other HMM anime kits, perhaps the Death Saurer is currently stuck in limbo while Koto, Tomy, and Shopro work out how to divide profits for a Deathy.
- Dark Spiner: Given we were in the throes of a late-mid NJR release train with the Liger Zero X releasing and being followed up by the Konig Wolf, I predict that after Guysack and Salamander, we might get an HMM Dark Spiner. I think customers would jump at the opportunity to add another big Dino to their bad-guys display alongside the Fury and Geno models everyone has ample copies of. The sea-green/purple color scheme is also one that would draw some attention.
- Killer Dome: I don't think Dark Spiner will be released without the Killer Dome also being released soon after.
- Gordos: Depending on how Koto decides to do the Salamander, I could see them also producing the Gordos soon after. I'm not sure this model is really an attractive option for Koto, considering it'd require considerable redesign to show off the HMM standard of Zoids design, but it can host the Republican Super Cannons (which already exist).
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Post by Maethius on Aug 10, 2023 11:31:00 GMT -5
There are some real insights there. I can certainly see Dark Spiner/Killer Dome being made, probably prior to Deathsaurer due to the costs involved. I would love to see the old Whiteheads made into HMM kits. Hell, you could almost make them like Blox due to the repeat parts! They could be excellent for entry level kits as well, being some of the most affordable HMM Zoids; the command Zoid level would also be quite cool. Also, HMM versions of the old diorama kits would be a smart move for Koto because they could be used with virtually any 1:72 scale sci-fi kits.
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