Latest news with #SuperRobotWars
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Kris Kwok On ‘Mecha Break' And His Team's Enduring Love Of Mecha
'Mecha Break's' journey to release has been a long and challenging one. With Mecha Break's release imminent, it felt entirely necessary to sit down with Kris Kwok and discuss the game in detail. Kris is the CEO of Amazing Seasun Games and has headed up Mecha Break since its precarious inception. However, Kris and his team have stuck it out, and it looks like all their hard work on Mecha Break is about to finally pay off. Before that, I wanted to know a bit more about Kris' background and how he ended up where he is now. 'I majored in Computer Science at university, but it didn't take long for me to realize that making games was far more exciting than playing them. By my junior year, I was already experimenting with game design, using the Warcraft III editor to build mini-RPGs. On weekends, my classmates tested the dungeons I created, and that's when I discovered something fascinating: you can gauge a game's success just by watching players' faces. Their focus, excitement, and engagement are all there, written in their expressions. That's when it dawned on me: great games are all about the players. If they're not enjoying it, the game will end up dead in the water. 'After graduating in 2003, I joined Seasun and eventually produced the JX3 series. The game has been running successfully for over 16 years, with 120 million registered players in China. 'As for my favorite games, aside from Super Robot Wars and Armored Core, I'm a huge fan of Apex Legends and the Call of Duty series. I hope that once Mecha Break launches, it can earn the same kind of love from players. But if I had to pick an all-time favorite, it's got to be World of Warcraft.' One of the more interesting things about Mecha Break is that the studio has been very up front about its rocky development process, and that this game has been in development for a long time, as Kris explains. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder 'The idea for our latest project sparked nine years ago. Growing up in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, I was captivated by mecha anime, just like so many kids. I dreamed of growing up and racing cars, flying planes, and piloting mechs. Luckily, entering the game industry gave me the chance to turn that dream into a reality. 'Our team shares this deep connection to mecha, their precision, movement, and intricate design. When creating new mechs, we dig into what makes them so captivating and bring those ideas to life. From concept art down to each mech joint, every detail sparks creative collision and countless refinements within the team. I've been hands-on at every step, designing models, balancing weapon systems, shaping gameplay mechanics, and building an immersive world. 'For me, the magic of mecha lies in their raw power, incredible speed, and overwhelming firepower. These are the core elements showcased in Mecha Break. The goal was to recreate those jaw-dropping, adrenaline-pumping battle scenes that define mecha anime. When we launched the first playable demo, the feedback was phenomenal; it confirmed we were on the right track. Over the past four years, we've refined every detail to amplify that sense of power, speed, and firepower. Player feedback has been clear: piloting a mecha in Mecha Break feels amazing. 'But creating a high-quality mecha game isn't just about our team's passion; it's about fulfilling mecha fans' dreams worldwide. Watching this dream materialize and knowing it's about to reach a global audience fills me with excitement and pride. 'Mecha Break' will be released this July. 'The journey hasn't been smooth. We started the Mecha Break project in 2015. We've faced four complete reboots, team shakeups, and countless challenges. Honestly, it's a game that failed many times but kept going because our passion refused to let it die. That passion carried us through, and today, here we are.' Mecha Break also has a lot of modes and other aspects to its gameplay that make it an involved and complex game, something Kris was happy to elaborate on. 'To meet the high expectations of mecha enthusiasts worldwide, we collaborated with renowned designers like Takayuki Yanase, celebrated for his work on Gundam and Armored Core, to create original concept art. Our team also delved deep into industrial design, studying armor plating techniques and mecha skeleton structures to balance realism and style. By incorporating advanced 'hard surface modelling', we achieved precise articulation in mech joints, rotating seamlessly without clipping, to make every design feel grounded and functional. With advanced tech and multi-functional development, we've crafted stunning combat effects, intricately detailed models, and precise real-time projectile calculations, all to deliver a premium mech gaming experience. 'Mecha Break also redefines mecha combat with maps and gameplay mechanics that go beyond traditional hero shooters. Battles unfold across large-scale environments that seamlessly integrate ground and air combat, giving players the freedom to maneuver, dodge, and enjoy thrilling, fast-paced gameplay. 'To keep the action fresh, Mecha Break offers three distinct modes: 3v3 and 6v6 modes, which emphasize tactical coordination, and Mashmak mode, a PvPvE extraction shooter. Since the Open Beta, Mashmak has seen significant upgrades. The official release adds new bosses, optional PvE instances, and three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Extreme. Each features distinct loadout options and air-drop mechanics. These additions expand the variety of gameplay and make Mashmak more accessible to casual and new players while keeping it exciting for veterans. 'The game also offers extensive customization. Players can unleash their creativity by designing their ideal pilot outfits using free-to-edit sets and accessories, all of which can be adjusted anytime. Each Striker is divided into over ten paint zones, and every zone has more than 120 colors and textures to choose from. Add to that a huge library of patterns, insignias, and accents, and players can truly build a mecha that's uniquely theirs. 'The Base isn't just where players can display their Strikers, it doubles as a living space for pilots. Players can explore the base, get up close and personal with their mecha using boarding platforms, unlock new areas with in-game items, and interact with NPCs to learn more about the lore. You can even invite friends to visit your base, strike custom poses, and take photos. For the release, we're adding more interactive spaces like a gym, cafeteria, and bar, all designed to enhance the immersive experience of life as a mecha pilot. 'With Mecha Break, our goal is simple: combine the thrill of mech combat with the intensity of the shooting genre, while making the dream of piloting a mecha, straight out of anime, a reality. That's the heart of why we created this game. 'We want Mecha Break to immerse players in the world of mecha, delivering explosive action the moment you jump in. 'At launch, we're introducing five new maps and two Strikers, with plenty more on the way. As a live-service game, we'll roll out updates every three months, with four seasons per year. The first two seasons alone will bring three new Strikers each, with six already in balance testing. But we're not stopping there. The Mecha Break universe is expanding with plans for an animated series, collectible mech models, and more.' Mecha Break is released on July 1 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, via Steam. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Super Robot Wars Y' Reveals Full Series Roster And August Release
In the latest and more detailed trailer for Super Robot Wars Y, we now know all the series included and that it will be released this August. As per previous Super Robot Wars games, the initial teaser trailer doesn't tend to reveal the full roster of series involved in each game. These are normally announced properly in a longer and more detailed trailer that follows the initial teaser. This new and longer trailer (shown below) is the one that reveals the full roster, and there are some interesting additions. One of the bigger surprises is the inclusion of Godzilla Singular Point and its version of the robot Jet Jaguar. This is definitely a cool addition to the series, but I do miss the crazy battleship additions from previous entries. While this game has its own OG battleship, much like Super Robot Wars 30, I had hoped we'd have seen something from an anime like Outlaw Star or something similar, but oh well, it seems that tradition was short-lived. The other big thing is the inclusion of Dunbine again (show above), and the fact that the game will also have units from the 1988 OVA. My guess is that we will see even more Aura Phantasm designs this time around, following the recent and massive increase in popularity for Dunbine as a whole. The Gundam roster of units is also pretty strong and definitely feels more catered to a Western audience, which is no bad thing. The big and welcome addition is that of Reideen, which hasn't been included in the games for a good while. Originally released back in 1975, Reideen is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. As for the rest, we have a bunch of DLC units that will be from Super Robot Wars V, X, and T, and the addition of Cybuster. The latter being the Super Robot Wars series equivalent of 'we have Dunbine at home' and originated from the spin-off Maso Kishin games. The other nice bit of news is that one of the OG mecha for the game will also be getting a Robot Damashii toy. Super Robot Wars Y will be released on August 28 for Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Reideen The Brave' Is Getting One Of The Most Expensive Toys Possible
With Reideen the Brave celebrating its 50th anniversary, the classic super robot anime is getting a suitably golden celebrative toy. Specifically, U-Treasure is making two gold statues of the titular Reideen. The first is made of pure gold and is priced at 3,520,000 yen (or around $24,000 at the current exchange rate), only five of these will be made. The second and more affordable option is made from silver and coated in gold and costs 352,000 yen (or around $2,400 at the current exchange rate). The reason why this is in any way an actual thing, is because the dormant version of Reideen in the anime is colored gold. Only once it is activated and controlled by its pilot does it change color. Reideen the Brave is also a very important anime on a number of counts. It was technically the first anime to feature transforming mecha, with the Reideen transforming into its flight form of God Bird. It also had many of the production team that would go on to make Mobile Suit Gundam. From Yoshiyuki Tomino as its chief director to Yoshikazu Yasuhiko for its character and mecha design. The latter mecha design was also helped along by the team at Studio Nue, just like the original Mobile Suit Gundam, most notably by that of Kazutaka Miyatake. Reideen the Brave also helped to inspire the creation of RahXephon, which is something various Super Robot Wars games have referenced over the years by having the mecha team up. Even Yutaka Izubuchi, the writer, director and mecha designer for RahXephon referenced Reideen the Brave in its creation. Not to mention the premise of Reideen the Brave, that of ancient mecha being brought back to life by one of its descendants, also inspired shows like Giant Gorg, which also involved the creative talent of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. This is why Reideen the Brave is something of a cultural icon, and its ongoing popularity has finally necessitated an actual gold toy. In any case, pre-orders for both versions of this toy started yesterday in Japan. However, if you want a more affordable and articulated toy, you should check out the various releases from Bandai Spirits. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
