Posted: Monday, October 20th, 2014 We're very happy to announce that on top of our normal manga rotations, which may be a bit slow for now, we're going to be adding in the Zoids Zi manga series! We hope to update this one chapter at a time over the next few months, with translations by Chuang Yi and some editing work of our own.
Along with this update we're also launching our new manga reader! I cannot promise at this time that it'll be applied retroactively to all other mangas. We hope so, but that may be a very long process in the making, as we are not comfortable using jquery.
The reader launches into a different layout to maximize space. The header has a button in the center to return to the main site. Clicking the full size page will move you to the next, as well as being able to navigate a few pages at a time by using the thumbnails in the header. Clicking the fast forward buttons will take you to the next, or previous chapter start.
Right at the moment it is configured to handle pages of 900 and 1200 pixel widths, which is usually our standard for single pages or panorama shots.
Going forward the Manga Reader will also cover the Zoids SS Book publication! We have the first chapter of this already posted, which you can view by going to the Zoids SS Manga Directory.
You'll find another new page in the SS Directory for side by side comparisons of the book Vs. Magazine differences. We missed the first page in the original magazine scans and hope to fix this later. Most of the differences between the book and the magazine are the first 2 chapters. Changes in later parts of the manga are much more negligible.
Zoids Generations has updated with the rest of Chapter 1 Part 6, and the beginning of Part 7. There's a change in perspective part way threw that is marked in the translations, sorry if it's a bit confusing!
Kotobukiya has released the box art of the Blade Liger Leon Version rerelease, scheduled to be sent out this month! Mercy Rabbit has done a stunning job. You can view the whole image on Kotobukiya's website.
Kotobukiya has also announced that the Command Wolf LC & AC Brad Version will be rereleased in December. This is a limited kit so be sure to pick it up while you can!
The Zoids: Material Hunters youtube channel has uploaded more video, focused on boss combat which is in a more open battle field. The gameplay seems very simple, but we look forward to seeing more!
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Posted: Monday, September 22nd, 2014 Just a few small things today! First we'd like to say that we're continuing, in small steps the Zoids Generations art book! There's a little update on the first chapter page and we'll be updating half-pages here and there. We'll try to be sure that anything new is both placed below a small cut (like those in the news posts) and also have green font to differentiate them from the rest!
Along with this update the Books section has been brought up to speed with the rest of the site, using images instead of long paragraphs. Information on the individual stories will be contained within their respective pages from now on.
So forever ago we posted a page on Zoids Legacy but never moved from that point! We've now linked a Zoids page that is still a work in progress. It has (most) of the basic icons and at this point the Ligers section has linked images that'll take you to individual Zoid pages.
These page will have all of the color variations of the Zoid, and eventually, all of the extra icons too! Feel free to use these icons anywhere on the web, we only ask that you not direct link large numbers of them to help preserve our bandwidth. Thank you!
The Zoids: Material Hunters website has updated with reports from the Tokyo Hobby Show! These provided images of the large Shield Liger, some gameplay images, etc. At the event a pamphlette was handed out by the young ladies you see standing around the liger. It was a single 3-part fold out that contained images of brand new Zoids!
Video can be viewed on the G-Cluster Facebook page. The game style seems very reminiscent of those old 2D fighter plane games where you had to avoid the oncoming missiles. The event coverage is split into two pages, Part One and Part Two. The event also gave out some small metal pins of the shown Zoids. A small promo is shown below from the G-Cluster Youtube channel!
The Zoids Disc Media page has been dissolved and combined into the Zoids Anime section, so sorry if the navigation looks a little different! It consisted mostly of VHS so felt that this would be a fitting change anyway.
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Posted: Sunday, September 14th, 2014 Its been an exciting few days for Zoids! Lots of official updates. No new kits just yet, but still.
Its been a while since we last posted some reviews, so let's start with that. I've recently acquired the Revoltech Blade Liger Mirage, as well as a replacement for my blue Blade Liger which had formerly been missing parts when I got it. A review for the blue blade liger has been added to the Action Figures section, and I hope to get the Mirage review up soon!
A review has also been added for the Zoids Exhibition exclusive Clear Buster Eagle, which you can find in the model kits section. Since holotechs are fragile, just wanted to clear up that this one wasn't brittle!
I've expanded on the Zoids SS book page (found under the Zoids SS Manga Directory) to include some more details about what the book contains. I was surprised to discover a number of visual changes outlined in the page expansion, so I've ordered another book. Since it is quite thick I can't properly scan it but with a book I can chop up I'll be able to archive and upload all of the new visually modified pages!
In the last update we mentioned Zoids: Material Hunters, a new upcoming game scheduled to launch in 2015! They have added a brand new site for the game which includes details on the event and also a new screenshot of the game play. You can find the site here and in our links section! We've also updated the TT Banners article with the new banner.
The new Zoids Material Hunters website mentions the event at the Tokyo Game Show where they're planning to reveal a massive 180cm (5'8") concept Shield Liger at their booth! No, this isn't a for sale product but it has been a long time since we've seen large scale Zoids at conventions, so I can't wait for the reveal!
With the addition of the Zoids: Material Hunters website we were very surprised to find that the Zoids Official TT website is moving again! Not only have they replaced the Zoids: Bonds of Steel web page link with the Zoids: Material Hunters one but they've also posted a series of news!
While none of it relates to brand new kits Koto have continued to release recolors over the past few months and announced the upcoming Blade Liger Leon Version, but the official website has not reflected any news of any kind during the last 6 months. This makes it a very good sign that they're starting to update again and I am greatly looking forward to seing the changes.
In the mean time I'll list the news below.
* Zoids SS Book announced. This was released recently, so is already available. The page that's linked on their website lists an Amazon purchase link but foreign buyers can also find it easily on CD Japan.
* Zoids SS has begun to be posted on Comic Walker. The pages being posted are the book version. It already has several chapters and is scheduled to update again in a few weeks, so presumably on a monthly basis.
* Zoids Hobby Japan Solid Work Collections advertised. This book will include images from Hobby Japan of their model kit customs and diaromas over the last few years.
Koto has announced the Liger Zero Jager and Berserk Furher HMM kits to be rereleased in November! Pre-order links added to the upcoming release table.
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Posted: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014 Still alive! Still got a pulse. We've updated the Chaotic Century Manga section with Chapter 24, the second half of Volume 12. This chapter features the naked Liger Zero in action on the battle field! And some rather underhanded tricks on part of Hannah to ensure the victory of her Death Stinger.
We'll be working to resolve Chaotic Century soon, hopefully with more conviction than last time. We know this is one of the main things people wait for in updates, and apologize that it has taken so long.
A placeholder page has been added for the Zoids SS Book under the Zoids SS Manga section. We apologize for the lack of actual content here but we'll be working on getting some of the concept notes translated. It's mostly basic stuff that we already know, but still. In the mean time it contains info on what extras to expect.
In the future we'll be cutting down on translation updates. Having such large volumes done all at once, such as whole chapters or pages is part of what has caused the exceedingly long dry spell in updates. By setting smaller, more reasonable goals we hope to make more progress.
If visitors are interested in contributing to specific projects we have now add a new Translations page on the left menu, located in the middle section. This has several different pricing options for contributions with a text box for you to enter your preferred project. 100% of the money sent through this system will be applied to getting translations of the buyer-chosen media.
I do apologize if this seems like presumptuous pandering. Our translations are purchased from professionals who are marking a living off of their skill, they are not a charity. This option is only being presented for those that also share our enthusiasm about learning more of the Zoids World, most of which is unavailable to English-speaking fans. None of the money will be pocketed by the site, and I am more than glad to provide the source images of any translated media so that individuals can count the characters themselves! In most cases we'll pitch in a few extra dollars of our own to make sure we get a nice, rounded updated, instead of a very strict character limit.
The Fan Art page has received a bit of a facelift to make it less drab text. We are always looking for submissions, so if you're interested in helping expand our fan art gallery feel free to contact us!
Zoids: Bonds of Steel has officially closed down. Thankfully this game became accessible to overseas players early enough for the materials to be saved, and we're working on collaborating with multiple fans to try and build a comprehensive library. This game may be down, but it and its many beautiful art images won't be forgotten!
In the mean time we've added the following Zoid pages: Zabat, Rev Raptor, Maccurtis, Girafsworder, Gun Sniper Naomi, Helcat, Leostriker, Reelga, Molga. Most have multiple colors, and anything new is under a 'Recently Added' cut.
The Zoids Battle Card Game checklist has been updated with a number of Empire cards from Volume 6! As always, * mark extras in the card numbers. We're forever looking to trade for any cards we don't already have, from any of the Zoids card venues, so if you've got extras available please inquire!
On the heels of Zoid: Bonds of Steel shutting down a new interactive game has been announced! Zoids: Material Hunters (a working title) is said to encorporate a unique system that will allow the user to play on both the iOS and Android, and on television! The game will involve many mechanics including battling opponents (supposedly in a one click system) and hunting for materials and other resources, thus the title.
The first demo is expected to be shown at the Tokyo Game Show later this year. The game is ideally expected to launch in Spring of 2015. We look forward to seeing more about this news develope and you can view the page for it here!
A new book issued by Hobby Japan Magazine is being released, supposedly to cover all of the amazing customs that appeared in the publication of HMM Zoids materials throughout the past yaer or so! A pre-order link has been added down in the pre-orders section. Please note that it is a 'Tentative Pre-order', which means that while the site is taking pre-orders they have not yet procured the stock from the manufacturer. There are some cases where the manufacturer may not have enough stock to cover the full number of buying customers, in which case the item will be refunded.
The Kotobukiya Liger Zero Panzer is scheduled to be rereleased in late October! A pre-order link has been added to purchase this kit.
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Posted: Saturday, July 12th, 2014 A new review has been added to the Model Kits section for the Command Wolf RGC! This has slowly become my favorite original kit and I'm not even sure why. It's got a lot of neat features, though, and is the third of the series. At this point in time I don't own the FSV but I'll try to obtain one sometime in the foreseeable future and finish off the Originals section.
Our previous plans for this update have been pushed back to bring in something new! Thanks to the help of many Zoids Fans the Zoids: Bonds of Steel game has become reviewable! A page made from the collaborated effort of numerous people has been uploaded to the Zoids Games section, which includes translations of many promotional images.
Right at the moment we are working on archiving all Zoids, Pilots, and Weapons. This is because the game is scheduled to shut down on September 1st so it is crucial to gather this info before that happens! If you would like to contribute please review our game page for a checklist of things we're missing (located at the bottom) and how you can help!
Actually organizing the gathered data is a slower process. We've got a lot of it stored in messy files but are still working to match everything up. You can view our currently organized files in the Zoid and Pilot libraries. For future updates new content will be highlighted with a green border, but since this is our first update for it we didn't bother this time. Over the coming weeks we'll be continuing to expand on this section, including questing information and translations of the introduction.
Current Zoids include: Cannon Tortoise (Basic/Yellow), Godos (Basic/Red), Guysack (Basic/Purple), Gun Snipr (Basic/Black/Green), Pteras (White), Molga (Basic/Blue), Hien (Basic/Black), and Feelesworder (Red/Blue/Yellow/Green).
Current pilots include: Koi, Erma, Nina, Van, Fiona, and Moonbay.
We have split the Art Statues section up into different pages in anticipation for expanding the number of reviews there. Right at the moment there are no new ones but we should have updates on this soon! Previously each volume was contained in a single page but as we gather the colorless versions of each figure we feel that this will be way too much to fit into one page.
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Posted: Monday, July 7th, 2014 The Zoids Assorted Products section has been remodeled a little bit! It now includes thumbnails of some of the items you can expect to see in each area. I was originally going to do a thumbnail gallery like the Models and Action Figures but there are too many sections that will only have one or two items in them, so it really didn't look as good in the mock up. We'll be removing anything that doesn't actually have a page yet, except for things we expect to have done soon!
On this topic a page as been added to Assorted Products for the Akihabara Museum Zoid rings. These were silver rings sold at an event of which only 30 of each type exists. We only have the Shield Liger, but still! They're neat items.
The light-up keychains have also been removed from the Action Figures and put into Assorted instead, where they belong.
A review has been added for the HMM Cannon Tortoise! This currently includes box art but not instructions. Instructions will be added in the next update; we missed a couple pages the first time around. This kit is overall nice, aesthetically, but I feel like the quality lacks in a lot of parts. On the other hand it has some unique features worth checking out!
A review has been added to Model Kits for the HMM Gun Sniper Naomi with W2 Unit. This is another awesome kit that is tainted a bit by the huge quality issues; namely loose parts. Nonetheless Gun Snipers are still some of my favorite HMM Zoids, it's when weapons are added that they seem to have the most problems.
A link has been added for Zoids Evolution to the fan sites page! They're currently looking to expand their screen shot gallery on the forums so have a look around and contribute if you're able!
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Posted: Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014 Zoids Chaotic Century Chapter 23 has been added to the Manga section! I'll try to catch up some character and Zoid profiles before too long. I'd also like to note that to make the process of adding the rest of this manga easier we're only going to be adding it one chapter at a time. Chapter 24 will be coming soon, so don't worry about the half volume that it is now!
A review for the threezero Shield Liger has been added to the Action Figure section! At this point in time we don't have the batteries to test the electronic feature. I apologize! We've added all the box and instruction scans with it.
Kotobukiya has finally added a page for the HMM Blade Liger Leon. This was clarified as a new "Renewal Version" that which will be a seperate release from the original. It will come with a new pilot figure and decals. You can find more information about this release in the Upcoming Releases article!
A link for the HMM Z-Knight has been added to the pre-order section!
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Posted: Monday, June 16th, 2014 We updated a couple days ago, as well! I wouldn't normally clarify but since its been a long time since we updated regularly I thought people might miss the earlier one.
Four new Episode Summaries have been added to the Zoids Guardian Force section! This includes Blu-Ray quality screencaps as well as deleted scenes for Episodes 55 and Episodes 56. Episodes 57-58 do not contain any deleted scenes.
Similarly the Zoids Media Box has been updated with the deleted scenes included in these episodes. At least where applicable.
A review for the Blade Liger C & B Clear Yellow sprues has been added! They're in a single page since I didn't want to disassemble the Blade Liger to do this one sprue at a time.
The former Customize Parts section has made a come back! We didn't feel that it needed to be linked on the side bar so it was removed for a time. It is now under Model Kits, as a section at the bottom of the page. We've put up the HMM Customize Parts section from the Liger Zero page into seperate pages here.
A new article has been added for upcoming Zoids releases! We're hoping this will be optimistic in a time where Zoids releases are scarce. It will cover information on each new release that we can find, although it is not completely up to date yet.
This will also be a convenient place to add more store links without cluttering our release table down below. At the moment we're looking for more store options for the Zoids NC0 Blu-rays, so if you've got suggestions please contact us!
This article won't cover rereleases. It does contain one old article, the threezero Shield Liger which I had used as a test subject back when I first began toying with this idea. I hope to be able to add more as Kotobukiya announces more kits.
We have also added an article on auction sightings! Tracking current sales can be fun and since I tend to browse them every day I figured it was worth putting a page up here. I will also use it as a reference page for notable ending prices or rare Zoid sightings of the past. This was mainly added for personal reference but hopefully others will find it useful. For now this page will remain text only since updating with images every day would be a hassle.
Several new links have been added to the fan sites section including a semi-active website that people can check up on! All are worth viewing and you can distinguish new links by the green caps in the description.
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Posted: Friday, June 13th, 2014 It has been quite a while. I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that this lull in updates doesn't mean that the site is forgotten. Time has been strict and while we had hoped to have more translation work done by now unfortunately it will be a long while yet before we can start on them again. Likely, this will be after the end of August.
In the mean time we're going to continue with other updates, namely anime ones. We've found a nice new screencapping program that makes catching up on the Blu-Ray work a lot easier. We'll also try to get some new model or figure reviews up soon.
The Zoids Guardian Force section has been updated with Blu-Ray quality screen shots for episodes 41 through 45. This includes the deleted scenes for each respective episode, which can be found in both the anime section and in the Zoids Media Box under Chaotic Century.
In similar news we've updated the Zoids Chaotic Century Media Box. It now includes several new eye catches, including: Death Stinger, Geno Breaker, Godos Pit Crew, Lightning Saix, Psycho Geno Saurer, Sinker Moonbay Special, Ultrasaurus, and the White Helcat.
A review for the Zoids Customize Sticker Book has been uploaded to the Books section. This includes photos of two of the Zoids that have customize stickers included, but we unfortunately don't have the other Zoids. Someday!
The last two months the Zoids official websites have not been updating. There is no change to Original, MSS, or the central site. Not even a change in banners, even though the GREE site continues to update. Kotobukiya held a brief survey asking what people would like to see in new kits but so far there hasn't been any announcement of brand new molds besides the one Z-Knight we already know of.
They have, however, continued to announce recolors. The Liger Zero is scheduled to be released in a brand new set that will include the basic Liger Zero without any armor (so no basic Zero CAS) and will come with all three armors: Jager, Schneider, and Panzer. All will be clear cast like the Blu-Ray holotechs.
More photos of this awesome set can be seen on the Kotobukiya website. The set was originally listed on the blog as being sold for 12,800 Yen which would include the armorless Zero, Jager, Panzer, and Schneider. The actual web store, however, lists it for 13,824 Yen.
Nonetheless the set is now on sale through Kotobukiya Direct. It is limited to up to 6 units per house hold. You can obtain this set through various ordering services such as Celga or Jauce.
In anticipation of the clear armors Kotobukiya will also be rereleasing the Liger Zero in late August, the same month as the Blu-Ray release. Other upcoming rereleases include the HMM Geno Breaker RS in late July, then the HMM Shadow Fox and the HMM Lightning Saix in late August.
Zoids SS is up for a full book release scheduled for July 26th. You can pre-order this on a number of sites but for now we've stuck up a CD Japan link since they allow overseas buyers. There is no cover art yet revealed and no description of if the book will contain any kind of extras. More information as it becomes available.
Mr. Color is releasing a set of Zoids paints based on common Republican and Imperial colors. These should very closely match the shades used for kits and provide excellent touch up ability for flash marks. Available for order on Hobby Search.
Ok this update is getting long but I can't help but continue into the Fandom side of things. Lately some amazing events have been taking place including ZAOD (Zoids All Owners Discussion) which is a sizable event in Japan for Zoids owners to greet, show off fan works and customs, and discuss upcoming products. This is awesome to see since Wonder Festival is coming around the corner, making 3 events a year where Zoids are featured! Even if ZAOD is run by fans.
An event report can be found on Zoids Ignition. There are extensive photos of all the Zoids shown! Human Routinez has also hosted a good few photos of the event which includes awesome photography angles of some of the customs in close up detail.
Autocrat Islet is one of the sites we've linked in our Fan Section for some time but the past year they've made amazing strides with Zoids animation. I feel like this deserves a spotlight for the unique style of Zoid rendering that closely matches the anime. There have been two recent videos, a main introduction episode and an eye catch.
Please visit the Autocrat Islet website to show your support! The front page displays their twitter feed and you can also rate these videos on their Youtube channel. Don't close out the first video when the text starts rolling. Scenes continue through the end credits! Videos are embedded below!
Please continue to support these amazing Zoids artists across the web!
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Posted: Saturday, April 12th, 2014 This update is way later than it ever should have been. We meant to have it done ... at least a week and a half ago but well, time got away from us.
Zoids SS has been confirmed to be cancelled after the 3rd chapter of the FSV story, stating "END" at the last page rather than their normal "continued in next issue." This is a sad day, as the (supposedly) last Original Story was also posted online this previous month, leaving us to wonder if there will be any future updates on the Zoids Original website.
Fortunately (or unfortunately? I'm not sure-) we're behind on Zoids SS updates so there will still be a couple more chapters for us to post in the future! We've gone ahead and uploaded the first of the FSV stories to the Zoids SS Manga Directory.
The Zoids Original Story has also been updated with translations courtesy of Falcarius! Story 10 can be found in the Zoids Original section under books. It's the second story of the FSV sequence.
We're sorry that this update is so short, after such a long time. We'll try to get something more done soon, but in the mean time the TT Banner article has been updated. New banners for everyone but Zoids MSS.
It's sad that during these slow times we are down to only two months of proposed pre-orders. Hope is still held that MSS and HMM will be back on track soon. To keep us distracted Kotobukiya hosted a live viewing of the NC0 Blu-Ray set around the 6th, with interviews of the cast.
During these interviews and now on the HMM blog it has been announced that the HMM Blade Liger Leon Version will be rereleased with new decals and a Leon Toros pilot figure. If I'm not mistaken the original kit was released before Kotobukiya had really gotten into crafting custom pilots.
In less enthusiastic news the threezero Shield Liger which was meant to be released late last month has been delayed until April 21st.
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Posted: Thursday, March 16th, 2014 After being closed for a long time we've opened the Trading section again! Most items are available for a flat rate or for trading for other Zoids products. Just about anything, though kits are preferred MIB. We're especially looking to trade or sell game cards. Metal BLOX have been added to the page, along with Coli/Scramble/BCG Cards and the Mini Figure Collection Zeke.
The Games section has had the Colosseum and Scramble deck lists compiled into one page, listed beside the titles as a checklist. This will only include cards that I personally own, with a * for doubles that are available for resale or trading.
We've added a review for the Geno Ritter! This is the second Original kit and the review includes full translations of the box, box scans, and video of the motorized features (with random Zoidy audio thrown in). Instructions are also included.
In similar news the Mirage Fox review has been updated with a section for the motorized wind up features.
The Geno Ritter kit came with a clear file. Since we also have one from Kotobukiya we've added a page to the Assorted section for Zoids-based folders. The clear files are pretty useless, functionally, but the images certainly look nice.
The Zoids Guardian Force episode summaries for episodes 35-40 have been updated. They now include the blu-ray screenshots and have had the deleted scenes from each respective episode added. Deleted scenes have also been cross posted to the Guardian Force media box.
After months of silence the Zoids MSS site has announced a temporary pause in the line. During this pause the series will be rebuilt, and hopefully will be returning with more kits in the future. Salamander, which was previously being worked on has also been put on hold and will not be released, presumeably until the line continues. Below is a translation of the notice posted on their website.
(Notice of the end of the first series MSS Zoids)
We thank everyone for your patronage with the MSS Zoids, but the end of Zoid's 30th anniversary has come and we're bringing the current lineup of the first series to a close. As for the new products, including the already announced commercial product the Salamander, sales will be paused. While they're paused the products will be overhauled and the series will be reconstructed. We apologize for the very late notice. We sincerely hope that you continue to patronize our company's goods in the future.
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Posted: Thursday, March 6th, 2014 The Disc Media section has been remodeled to feature different tables for each of the versions of media released in a series. There are quite a few, and we're slowly collecting tidbits from each set so wanted to add a proper place for it. While this now includes VHS we'll be leaving it labeled as "Disc Media" for the time being, to avoid confusion with the Media Box. The DVDs that were previously all on one page have been split up into individual pages.
With this update we've added the content reviews of Zoids Chaotic Century Volumes 1-9 for the Sales VHS set. These included different box covers than the Rental or DVDs. They haven't yet been watched to see if any extras are included, such as commercials.
The Sales VHS set (but not the rentals) came with a Zoids Sticker Collection sheet in each box. You can see the corresponding sheet for each volume on their individual pages but if you wish to view them all at once, the section now has its own page in the "Assorted" category. It is listed under stickers.
A full translation of the Zoids Graphics 01 can be found in the Articles section. This now covers all of the prototype development information of Konig Wolf and Liger Zero X, as well as some battle story information on both of them. The product advertisements on the bottom of the back page is not translated, but is pretty straight forward and out of date/no longer relevant. Translations courtesy of Emeryl!
Zoids Original Story 9 has been translated and added to the Zoids Original section under Books. This opens the story for Storm Sworder FSV, introducing new pilots and a location for what could be the final show down. On a minor note, Ki's Mirage Fox has turned green! And changed weapons. Minty!
A page for the profiles has also been added, and includes a location profile, the first of its kind! Still no mention of Tys. Translations courtesy of Falcarius!
The TakaraTomy Banners article has been updated. This time there is no update for Zoids Original because, well, the line is ending. We've still got one more story left! Let's hope that it's an ending we can all be proud of.
The Takara Tomy website has been updated on February 25th! A new Mechanics File features the Shield Liger, Dimetrodon, and some of the primitive Zoids. The crystal clear pictures of the Shield Liger are nice as we have the threezero Shield Liger of the same design coming out this month! We're looking forward to seeing this Zoid in person.
A video has also been added to their archive which features an old advertisement of Gorem. This is a pretty seasoned Zoid but was always a compelling design. The video is definitely worth checking out.
In addition an archive page has been added to include the photo contest results. Nothing is actually different, I assume they just needed to put a proper page up for it before it got bumped off of the recent news bulletin.
Kotobukiya has announced that a rerelease of the Liger Zero Panzer will happen in April. You can find pre-order links below, and we'd just like to remind everyone that we do have a review up for this Zoid in the Model Kits section. More to the point we'd like to remind everyone to be careful with the pull out missile pods of their Panzers! These are very fragile!
The Zoids Original website has updated with both Zoids Original Story 10 and with profiles to accompany the update. The new story notes the existence of other aerial machines like Sinker and Redler. We are aware there has not been an SS update for a while; that's because we're trying to get our pre order slot for the Blu-rays paid off before ordering more cost-heavy translations. Thank you for your patience and hopefully things will pick up in a month or so again!
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Posted: Friday, February 21st, 2014 Oh no, the Blade Ligers are multiplying! We've added a ton of reviews for Blade Liger related items, starting with these bootlegs from STK and Dragon Momoko. Some of them include custom box art (simply recolored from the standard) and even custom colored instructions. Those that don't have had the box scans and instructions simply left out, since they're the same as the official blue D-Style Blade Liger.
We've also added a review for the official Blade Liger Limited. Version (Blue), which was a chrome D-Style Blade Liger. Rather poor quality, but awfully shiny!
To finish off the Blade Liger reviews we've added two reviews for the Tomica Blade Ligers, completing that section under Action Figures. The new reviews are the Blue Blade Liger and the Zoids Struggle Blade Liger Mirage. Neither have box scans yet, hopefully I'll find their boxes again.
In the Model Kit reviews the Zoids Monthly Graphics Lidier has been updated. It now contains scans of the Zoids Monthly Graphics Volume 10 book that came with the kit. This includes some awesome concept art of the video gmae Zoids, battle story info, and some snippits of other print media, all with compelling imagery.
The Zoids Battle Card game has been updated with some new figure reviews of the miniatures that came in the booster packs. Volume 5 has been updated with the clear Barigator chase figure and the Republican Stealth Viper. Volume 6 has been updated with the Republican Konig Wolf and its clear chase figure, as well as the Snipe Master.
A section has been added to articles for the Zoids Graphics. These were a series of pamphlets that were sold with Customize Parts and other model kit material. They include concept artwork of the Zoids and information on the Battle Story. Right now we have only posted a part of Volume 1, which is actually a bit out of order. We're working on the remainder of the pamphlet and will post it in proper order once we are able. Right now it includes concept art of the Konig Wolf.
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Posted: Thursday, February 6th, 2014 We have had quite a big update to the Zoids card games sections. A new page has been added for Zoids Scramble Vol. 1, which was previously unlinked. It includes examples of the holo foils, scans of the booster covers, and scans of the booster box that was released for the series. Currently it contains 77/99 of the cards.
New pages have also been added for Zoids Colosseum Second Version, Volume 5 and Volume 8. Volume 8 admittedly only has one card, but still! At least we know it exists. An extensive list of cards has been added to the other Colosseum pages as well. The new cards are:
In addition to the cards we've added a gold-plated text example to Volumes 1-4. There is confirmed to be gold-plated text in Volumes 5 and up but I don't have an example of the cards in the Second Version format with them (I only have a Battle Chance card). Volume 6 has also had a section added to the bottom for the Secret cards, which were alternative versions of other cards in the set.
While I'm aware there are lists of them in other series I have only personally confirmed it in 6, so for the time being that is the only page that contains such info.
The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with Volume 11. I personally find this to be a very interesting volume because of its explanation of the berserker system, the implication of illegal technology and the way it is used on the battlefield. It really gives a lot of depth to the creation of this wicked Zoid.
A page has also been linked for each model kit section, beside the series title (for example, Tomy Release: Information). You can still use the main model kit page as a directory but the individual pages contain information about each series, and pages of further viewing that are relevant to the model line.
A review has been added to the Model Kits section for the Leoshop Black & Gold Chrome Command Wolf. Leo-shop Zoids are only distinguished by a single sticker on the box, usually, which varies depending on what the Zoid was for. Since I find it necessary to distinguish the difference between illegal copies of Zoids and legal variations of Zoids, such as chrome or plated, I've renammed the Bootlegs section to 'Unofficial'.
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Posted: Friday, January 24th, 2014 (In case anyone missed it we posted another update just a day or so ago). The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with Volume 10 of the Viz Manga. This features Hannah, one of Prozen's soldiers, trying to stir up some trouble in the already-tense border between the two governing factions. This just leaves four more books to update before the CC section is entirely complete!
To be honest we will probably move on to book media after CC and Zoids SS. They will be our primary focus, but we'd still like to have the occasional manga update. Chances are that manga will continue to be the web comic presented in video format.
The TakaraTomy Banner article has been updated with this month's banners. It looks like there is again no update for the Zoids MSS site this month. Hopefully it'll twitch soon.
Today there is a lot of good and bad news. We will get the bad news out of the way first.
The Zoids Original series is coming to an end. A notice on the Line Up page says that the Storm Sworder FSV will be the last kit sold from this line. This means that the only running media for the Zoids franchise, the Zoids SS manga is also likely to end in only 1-3 months. It's a sad day, but let's not forget that for a brief moment in time we not only had new characters and media, stories, and comics, but the long-awaited revival of a motorized line, however short it may have been!
TakaraTomy is grateful for the continued support of the Zoids line, and have posted wall papers of the kits in this line. They have also posted the first part of the Storm Sworder FSV story. The profile page from the main page currently links to the Command Wolf RGC stats, but change the URL to 04 to get the FSV story characters.
The main TakaraTomy site has updated the Zoids Web Stories with some of the remaining profiles. These are more or less the same as those from the Concept Art Books.
A new Blu-Ray Box, this time for New Century /Zero has been announced! It is very exciting, as we've been hoping for this for a while now. The box set is scheduled for an early August release. Maybe we can assume the same time (August 2nd) as the CC Box set? Although that is purely speculation. Cheapest price I've seen so far is AmiAmi at 24,600 (Roughly $246) for the basic set and 30,100 yen (roughly $300) for the limited set. Both items require payment up front.
This set is sad to be 4 discs, which is impressively small considering the NC0 DVDs had 9 volumes. The previously released Chaotic Century box set gives us a better concept of what to expect.
Both regular and limited editions: - Original CG Illustration 3-sided case (the outter box of the set)
- Tadashi Sakazaki original illustration special digistack case (the box that contains the discs)
- ZOIDS encyclopedia special edition (36 pages) (likely a direct reprint of the NC0 section of the 2009 Encyclopedia)
Limited Edition Set: HMM Liger Zero 2014 Blu-Ray BOX Limited Ver. (All clear plastics)
This time around there is no mention of a special CG opening, so we can probably assume that it won't have the Liger Zero version of what the CC BR Box had. Nonetheless, NC0 in high quality is A+.
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Posted: Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014 The Zoids Chaotic Century manga directory has been updated with the Zoids XG pages. There are 22 pages added, which concludes this story, but also means that all of Ueyama's Zoids Manga has now been translated. There will be no more updates of manga from this artist, as we've completed them all! Translations courtesy of Emeryl!
With this finished we will be moving on to more progress with other medias. Our primary focus for now is the Bucks Vs. Maya web comic, then hopefully the others~ We also hope to get back to Zoids Generations soon!
On note of the web comic, we've added a new chapter from the Zoids Web Comic! This is "Story 1" of Bucks Vs. Maya, and features how Bucks and Celica came to work together. I just want to note that there are a lot of ways to work with Bucks' name. The original name (Bakusu) can be translated as either Bucks or Backs, but since Bucks is the more widely accepted version we've opted to go with that. Translations courtesy of Emeryl!
The second half of Story 7 and the entirety of Story 8 of the Zoids Original Story have been updated! They are the last of the Command Wolf RGC story, most likely, just as the comic was the last update for it. These translations are courtesy of Falcarius!
A more minor update, but we've changed the Action Figures page to show images similar to Model Kits. There are some different sizes which correlate with the number of reviews that'll eventually be in those categories. Hopefully when we've got some more action figures reviewed it'll look a little bit less random.
Kotobukiya's blog has updated with mention of news coming soon! Within the next few days there should be news on what their plans are and it is heavily implied that they will be posting announcements on 'Chapter 2'. Let's hope for the best!
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Posted: Tuesday, January 14th, 2014 Zoids SS Chapter 8 has been added to the manga directory. This means that we've finally caught up, and that the Command Wolf RGC story has been concluded. The issue being released next month will begin the start of the Storm Sworder FSV manga, which if it continues as scheduled, will conclude shortly after the release of the model kit.
Today is a day of Blade Liger reviews. We've added a review for the Blade Liger BE from the Zoids Fuzors line. Both the Fuzors and the Academy version of this release are exactly the same. I'll try to get box scans later but at the time they don't have them.
Another review for the D-Style Blade Liger Limited Red version has been added. This is the chrome kit. There are a lot of quality control issues but it's still a really nice color and a cute little figure.
Due to a recent run-in with AmiAmi I've been forced to ammend their otherwise glowing review in the Buying Zoids article, and wish to relay that story here. Please understand that this is by no means an attempt to slander the company, but that I believe in being wholely honest with people about what sort of service to expect with stores that I recommend on my website. I was saddened at the idea of having to go with another store and as bitter as I am over this, I will continue to use their store.
In December I ordered the HMM Gojulas, which ended up about $280 after shipping. I was shocked when the Zoid reached customs and was noted as 'returned to sender'. This occurred because the customs packet had been removed from the box, either forcably from mishandling or from simply not being attached securely.
When I contacted AmiAmi I was told that they would refund me the item cost when and only when the item got back to them. I expect similar responses from low feedback Ebay sellers, but I've never had a company refuse to refund the full item and shipping cost if I won't be getting any items for my money. Nonetheless they would ask me to pay shipping twice, which would have added over $100 onto the bill to get an item that I had already fully paid for. I was told I would not receive the item if I didn't pay this second shipping charge. Amiami's reasoning for this was that it was 'unfair' to ask them to repay me for shipping, or to ship it again without charging me. I can understand that, again, coming from an individual, but I consider it extremely poor customer service coming from a larger company.
Either way, the item packet had been lost, meaning it would never actually find its way back to AmiAmi. This meant that even though the tracking information confirmed that I hadn't received my item, AmiAmi would never refund me a penny of the $280 I spent at their store.
After days of back-and-forth with USPS I was told that I was unable to file a claim, or to file for a refund for the package because I was the buyer, not the sender. I told AmiAmi how to submit for a refund request, and was told they were unable to do so. They said that maybe after the holidays they'd contact Japan Post and ask them to do it,but that they felt that it was unfair that they even had to do that.
Basically, in summary, their store policy was "If something goes wrong the buyer is completely screwed, and we'll make no effort whatsoever to earn back our customer". As someone who has bought from their store every month for two or three years I was extremely offended to be treated this way. They wouldn't even make the most trivial effort (submitting a refund request to USPS) to get my money back. They just wanted me to pay double the shipping and eat the cost.
Unfortunately because AmiAmi fits my buying parameters much more than other stores, I'll likely continue to use them, but I think it's very important to know how a store will help you when something goes wrong. I've ordered for years without issue, but when I did have an issue, I was essentially out $300. I've recently gotten in better contact with USPS thanks to my sister, and will be getting my item, but at no help from AmiAmi. Even after the holidays they did NOT submit a request or inquiry for the item. So, buyers beware.
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Posted: Thursday, January 9th, 2014 A new chapter of Zoids SS has been added! In the next week or so we'll be fully caught up until the next issue of Dengeki Hobby Magazine is released. This time, the Geno Ritter is finally facing the Command Wolf RGC, as well as Kai and his Mirage Fox! What has happened to Tys, and her Mirage Fox, we wonder? Translations courtesy of Emeryl!
While we're speaking about manga, I could have sworn that we posted the final pages of Zoids Chaotic Century EX ages ago. They had been uploaded, at least, but when I went to look at the page they were missing. So, the end of Chapter 7 is now posted on the page! We apologize for however long these were missing.
A review for the HMM Great Sabre has been added. This is regarding the December 2013 reissue, and includes box scans, instructions, and a translated list of weapons. It includes a review for the customize parts that were relevant to it as well. We noticed that the Gold Saber Tiger was also missing the tail equipment in the weapons list. This has been fixed.
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Posted: Wednesday, January 1st, 2014 It's new years! Of course, everyone knows what by now. It has been a fantastic year for Zoids between the HMM kits, MSS, Original, and even some extras such as the Shield Liger girl. We are guaranteed to see all three lines continue forward into the new year, which is a wonderful sign for Zoids.
Although this site was created three years ago it was actually almost completely unused for those two first years, making this the first year full of actual updates for The Iron Bible! I never expected to get much traffic and it has been pleasantly surprising to have so many people that stop by, and even a few that write into the site with inquiries and compliments. Thanks to everyone who visits! It certainly makes this site worth the while. We hope that everyone has a great new year full of fun and Zoids!
The Iron Bible is alone in the Zoids fan world and we thought a great way to start the new year would be to link some of those other wonderful fan sites. We've added quite a few sites that can be recognized for the 'new' icon in the fan sites section. Most of them are even continuously updating sites!
We mentioned earlier that Zoids SS would be going on hiatus until the new year. We didn't expect to start off right away, but we have! A new chapter (Chapter 6) of the Zoids SS comic can be found in the manga directory. Translations are courtesy of Falcarius! There are two more chapters to catch up on but we'll have both of those done by the end of January.
Also in the Manga Directory we have begun work on the final Extra from Ueyama's Chaotic Century mangas. This is a crossover between Zoids Chaotic Century and Genesis, and has some compelling conversation between characters barring ethics that've never been recognized by official Zoids mangas before. Translations courtesy of Emeryl!
Scans for both Dengeki Hobby Magazine and Hobby Japan magazine have been uploaded! Both are geared towards Gojulas, with some amazing customs in Hobby Japan especially.
The TakaraTomy banners section has been updated with all of this month's site banners.
Kotobukiya will be re-releasing the Gun Sniper Leena Special in February. We've added a pre-order link to the list below.
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Posted: Saturday, December 28th, 2013 We've continued work on getting the Chaotic Century and Guardian Force files converted to Blu-Ray media. Five new episode summaries have been added, episodes 50 through 54. This includes deleted scenes (with the exception of Episode 50 which has none) and blu-ray quality screencaps for all of the episodes. As before, they are sized down from the full size.
If you want to skip directly to deleted scenes they are all cross posted to the Chaotic Century/Guardian Force Media Box.
A minor update but we've also added some fan art that was done over the past couple of months.
The Zoids Original website has updated with the second half of Story 7 and with Story 8. You can see the japanese pages for these here and here
The main Zoids Official Website has updated with a new video (Zoids World) seen here. They also added three new profiles for the Zoids in the Concept Art Books, seen here. Last but not least they've added a page for previous header images that they've used. You can see that page here!
Kotobukiya has posted images of the limited Berserk Furher Holo Tech on their blog! This is an extremely limited item that is being given away (raffled?) in extremely limited numbers to those who order from the Kotobukiya Direct store by the end of the year. Kotobukiya is raffling a ton of items, but this is the only one relevant to Zoids. It is part of the Kotobukiya Direct Renewel Campaign to celebrate the new year.
I normally wouldn't do updates for unofficial things, but I feel like this warrants it! Anomarokarintou published their in-progress Zoids GF/NC0 Crossover film on December 24th. It is a 28 minute long feature that includes a battle of the Blitz Team Vs. the Guardian Force team, and has some amazing effort and contributions. Many people collaborated on supplying Zoids for the opening sequence, and overall this is a very cool work of fan art. No doubt an incredible effort was needed for this.
Make sure that you have closed captioning on for English subtitles. Otherwise you will only see the Japanese subtitles that are embedded into the video.
For further viewing the artist has submitted a lot of their eye catch images to their blog, found here. They've also submitted photo galleries of the Zoid rigs used in the video to their Pixiv here, but pixiv does require an account for viewing.
Soon after this video was published, Ueyama who provided concept references for its creation published some new Zoids artwork on their twitter. This is as close to concept references as we'll ever have for these unique, manga-specific Zoids! Check out their twitter here for more.
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