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A Gundam is a gigantic, human controlled, fighting robot and the stuff dreams are made of for many Japanese men. I teach Japanese high school boys, and they can’t get enough Gundam. You can’t say Gundam’s are big in Japan. They’re huge! A recent ad on Japanese television (YouTube Link) shows just how big they are, literally and figuratively.

Gundams have been around since 1979 and are still going strong. Apart from animated stories on television and as movies, they have appeared as toys, collectable figures, model figures, card games, TV games and what ever else the marketing guru’s can throw into the mix (I am the proud owner of a Gundam head towel).

Okay, so why talk about Gundams on a role-playing blog? Well, Gundams are awesome of course, and we’re all about the awesome. I once ran a campaign featuring a giant moving statue of dwarven construction; not a stone golem, a stone Gundam. Besides, a Gundam by any other name is just a Mech, and Battle Tech has its own role-playing game.

I wanted to know how to include Gundams into a campaign, particularly a fantasy one, and my search brought me to DragonMech, a D20 treatment of Mech mayhem from Goodman Games, specifically for fantasy. You can read more about the book on the publisher’s home page: www.goodman-games.com.

You see, there are many reasons why guys enjoy machines battling it out; the same reason guys love fast cars: technology and power. Try adding a Gundam to your campaign and see what kind of reaction you get.

So, for a parting shot, more Gundam goodness from YouTube:

So that’s why Gundam’s are cool…lightsabers.

By the way, I don’t own any of these video’s or claim any type of ownership. They’re all hosted by third party sites, thanks YouTube! If you have more to add on just how cool Gundams are, leave a comment below… or I’ll send a machine after you!