The Zoids Official twitter has posted a few of the profiles that air at the end of each episode of Zoids Wild Zero. So far they have posted the Gatling Fox, the Beast Liger, and the Stylaser.

    Chapter 3 of Zoids Generations is up! In this chapter Midori encounters a deadlier species of Bio Zoid, and is forced to reflect on the decisions shes made up until this point. I also went back and fixed the embarassing link issue of Chapter 2 linking to Chapter 1 instead, so if you missed out on that, you should be able to read it now!

- Geno Saurer Repackage Ver.

    The HMM Geno Saurer Repackage Ver. is now popping up for pre-order! The kit will be released in March 2020, with a retail price of 8,200 yen. There's an article up on Kotobukiya's blog detailing the changes. The mold is the same as the latest Geno molds, for the most part. So let's go over the minor changes!

    - Now has a peg hole to support flying bases/stands
    - The transparent parts come in both clear red and colorless clear plastic
    - It contains a large number of decals compared to the original
    - The Repackage comes with a standard pilot
    - It includes the Raven spec. changes, which means it can completely straigthen out for the CPC pose.

Bone Geno & Gun Sniper Release!

    The two bone Zoids, originally on pre-sale at Dino Expo 2019 in Japan hit Kotobukiya Direct today! 4,620 yen for the Gun Sniper and 9,020 yen for the Geno Saurer. Since they are a Koto Direct exclusive they won't be reaching stores like HLJ or AmiAmi. You can still get the kit by going through a middle man service, so let's take a look at the options. The fees are the service fee only, not the banking, domestic shipping, etc.

    Celga: $10 fee for each item, with unlimited free storage. Orders are stated to take up to 1 ~ 2 business days. In my past 10 purchases, all were placed within 24 hours.

    From Japan: $3 service fee (basic) or $7 protection plan fee (includes domestic shipping insurance, check item service, international shipping insurance). Free storage for up to 45 days. No paid extension, item is discarded after 45 days. Items are purchased within 24 hours.

    White Rabbit Express: $13.44 fee for Geno, $9.33 for Gun Sniper. 30 days free storage, $1 per day after that. Orders are processed within 24 hours, aside from weekends and holidays.

    People who have sent in orders for the items through White Rabbit Express have been courteous enough to give us the price they paid, for those who have trouble working out fees! This price is not including shipping costs.

    - Both kits ordered at the same time totaled $155.33 USD, or $230 AUD
    - Ordering just the Geno Saurer totaled $103.94

- 500th Issue Anniversary Geno Spino!

    In celebration for reaching their 500th issue, the December issue of CoroCoro will contain a massive raffle. A grand total of 1,000 winners will be selected to receive a variety of prizes, from different series that are covered by CoroCoro. Although we don't yet have an official name, one of these Zoids has been teased on CoroCoro's announcement. A Geno Spino with bright red armor.

- ZW33 Geno Spino!

    Geno Spino has popped up on the TakaraTomy Mall! The kit is scheduled to be released on November 16th for 7,700 yen retail, though you can find better prices ordering through the typical stores. Dengeki Hobby Online posted an article containing some additional pictures of it and the Gatling Fox. TT posted a Twitter video of the Wild Blast. CoroCoro has posted an early build video as well as their typical build/review video, seen below.



    CoroCoro posted a picture from the November issue, showing off the Geno Spino page. It seems this Zoid is being treated as a true swimmer! It'll be a cool new take on a bad guy Zoid. While some (Death Stinger, etc.) have traveled in the water in the past, it was hardly exemplified to be a notable gimmick of theirs. The November issue also included a 3D Art Box (seen in the same link), which they posted a video of here.

- ZW34 Gatling Fox!

    Gatling Fox is up on the TakaraTomy Mall! You can view the box art and images. It's scheduled for a November 23rd release, for 3,850 through their shop. Dengeki Hobby Online posted an article containing some additional pictures of the Gatling Fox as well as the geno. TT posted a Twitter video of the Wild Blast. CoroCoro/TT have posted mirrors of the same standard build/review video, but the TT version (seen below) includes weapon customization examples.

- Beast Liger Limited All Clear Ver.!

    CoroCoro has posted an article on their upcoming all clear Beast Liger kit. As usual, there are 100 being released through the November issue of CoroCoro. They also posted a video (seen below) showing it off in a diorama format! The builder shows how he made the giant ice sculptures behind it.

    With another chapter of Zoids Wild 2 appearing in the November issue, we have a wave of teasers from TT and Moritya! This sample page shows off the Omega Rex and Panther. There's also an awesome shot of the Spino coming out of the water and the Sniptera ready to fire! As well as the color page for this chapter.

    A huge amount of concept art has been posted for Zoids Wild Zero! First is Luc, who we saw in Episode 1 piloting a Cannon Bull. Next up is Buzz Cunningham, Leo's business partner. Next is Sally Land, the mysterious girl introduced in Episode 1. Last but not least for the current characters is our main character, Leo Conrad! We also have concepts of the city edge, showing a stark difference between the ruins and the glimmering city in the distance.

    We also have concepts for a couple of the upcoming characters! Aldridge is a Major in the Imperial Army, commanding Guiller and Luc. He pilots the Zoid "Stylaser" that specializes in laser attacks. He's voiced by Shinichiro Miki.

    Next up is Lieutenant Colonel Diaz, who pilots the Triceradogos Kai, and will be encountering Leo soon. He is voiced by Satoshi Mikami.

    On the Zoids front we have an early concept of the Spideath! This Zoid underwent radical design changes throughout the process, including a different color. It's neat seeing these variations! We also have a head and Mane Claw concept for the Beast Liger.

    With Vol. 3 released, the twitter acc has posted some of the Battle Card Game art. The third volume included this, art from the Zoids Core Box, and a special new chapter that was released earlier this year in CoroCoro Aniki. The manga artist, Ueyama also posted a Zoid Girl drawing of Liger Zero Caesar.

    The internet has been flooded with images of Zoids Wild kits from Hasbro. Fans have been waiting for this for a long time, and a lot has developed in the last few days. Where is this leak from, and what do we know? We'll go over everything below.




    We first learned about Hasbro's handling of Zoids Wild at Mipcom. We saw a brand new logo, which matches these boxes. The tag line was "Build Them To Life!", which has been changed to "Build Them To Battle". We also recently heard from TakaraTomy's 2019 financial report that they planned to see Zoids Wild aired on tv and toys distributed in the UK and US markets during fiscal 2019, which in Japan lasts until the end of March. So, this leak was released at a good moment to fit in with our current timeline.

    It originally surfaced from In Demand Toys on Facebook, a shop in the UK that sells a variety of products. They responded to inquiries about the source, answering that the images came from Hasbro itself. This likely means a mass dispatched catalog sent out to stores and distributors.


    What do we know about the toys themselves? Well, to start with, they'll be in plastic packaging with a small window, showing viewers that the kits come pre cut, with no hassle or sharp tools needed. The toys will also have some minor differences from the Japanese release.

    The first and most minor is that the bodies of the model kits appear to be split into two different colors. Black and a faint brown. The clear caps also seem to have different colors, shades, and transparencies from their overseas counterpart.

    Second, out of the five different kits we saw this week, two had significant mold changes. The most notable is the Gannontoise, which is a complete overhaul. Some fans have theorized this is due to the strict regulations of how gun toys must look in the US, but at this time that is only conjecture. We've color coded the changes below.

    Gannontoise Changes: See Image
    - Hinge joint on neck is changed (blue)
    - Gun barrel is changed (purple)
    - Gun attachment is changed (pink)
    - Back cover now attaches using a large hinge on the lower back (orange)
    - Spine no longer opens up with back shell (yellow)
    - Attachment for side armor is changed, may or may not still open up (green)
    - Caps have become a more solid color (cyan)

    Spideath Changes: See Image
    - Back armor plate now covers entire abdomen
    - This covers the black body underneath (red)
    - It also fuses the detail plate on the top (pink)
    - A weapon peg has been removed from both sides (green)
    - The caps have been changed to a less transparent purple (orange)

    These changes are hit or miss, and not all fans are happy. Especially those who have been waiting for Wild to come overseas so that they could buy the same kits without paying international shipping fees. On the other hand, people who want both versions will be happier knowing that they will have some differences between them.

    Aside from that, the renewed boxes are excellent. The amazingly detailed artwork will draw immediate attention to these toys, along with their crisp packaging design. It's a huge step up from what Hasbro has offered in the past. Even if some names are uh. Interesting.

    - Gannontoise --> Tanks
    - Gilraptor --> Ruin
    - Kuwaga --> Pincers
    - Raptor --> Rapterrix
    - Scorpear --> Needle
    - Spideath --> Phobia

    Perhaps most hyped about this announcement is the appearance of small pilot figures to ride on the Zoids. Though these are not 100% confirmed, they are present on the unpainted, unfinished product photos, which strongly implies that they'll be a part of the kit. Fans have wanted the individual pilots since Wild began, and if they are present, it's a big difference between domestic and international releases.

    It's important to remember that these aren't likely marketing product photos. They've not been painted or touched up, and some details may change between now and their final release.

    Zoids Wild: Battle Card Hunter will be holding its first "Great Treasure Excavation Competition" event! During this event you'll be able to find hidden excavation points, where you'll obtain an application ticket for the battle. Each ticket will have a unique number where participants can enter the code at the bottom of the campaign page. At the end of the event, the winners will be announced!

    150 lucky winners will receive the Wild Liger Crystal, a limited kit cast entirely in clear plastic. 1,000 other winners will receive the Assault Boost Unit Clear Ver., also cast in clear plastic. There will also be limited time cards of the campaign Zoids found during this period. We've not yet seen what these look like, but they'll probably feature the beautiful cover art.

    The Anime Zoids Wild Twitter has posted a couple new character concepts! First is Dr. Bowman, Sally's Grandfather. "A scientist who holds the key to Earth's regeneration. He's an important person who will influence the development of future stories."  His voice actor is Yoshito Yasuhara.

    The second is Sergeant Shell. "A Seargent in the Imperial Army. He pilots the weaponized Zoid, the Bazootle. Will the powerful firepower of the Bazootle stop Leo from moving forward!?"  His voice actor is Kenji Hamada.

    A popular customizer by the name of Catfish, known for their work in 3D modeling custom Zoids, started selling their own original kits at Wonder Fest. Though these kits aren't distinctly Zoids, they appeal to many Zoids fans. The worldwide fans of their work have wished for a way to obtain these kits, which fit nicely into the theme of this franchise. Catfish recently opened up their online shop. They're offering their previously limited Hydro Shark for sale! It's worth checking out if you're into Zoids.

    Although this is somewhat old news, TakaraTomy recently posted their Annual Report 2019, which had some interesting bits of information regarding Zoids. We're going to include all of the relevant info below.

    The Zoids Guide for Zoids Legacy (in Games) has been completed. This includes all Zoid stats, icons, and color variations. It also includes a few of the animations, but not many. We'll expand on it in the future.

    Three new Zoids have been added to the Zoids Index! The Gojulas, the Gordos, and the Saber Tiger. This includes some media appearances, brief segments on a part of their military history, and weapon specifics. The Saber Tiger includes color variations, for many of the different weapon assortments seen on the basic Saber Tiger.

- Anime Site Update!

    The anime-specific site for Zoids Wild Zero has updated! It now includes profiles for the characters and Zoids. Definitely check it out for the art images! We'll provide some google translations below (some details may not be accurate.) Since these translations have some spoilers, we'll be putting them under spoiler tags. Click the name to expand!

    Leo Conrad:

Second Generation Settlement
    A passionate person with a strong sense of justice. He operates a courier business along with his buddy Buzz. He's especially skilled at modifying Zoids, and the Liger that he rides around like a horse is also a Zoid that he found and repaired by himself. Due to the mysterious light of Sally's pendant, Leo himself has had segments on the left half of his body become metalized as the Liger evolves.
    Basically, while most Zoid Riders who are Wild Blasted can't control their Zoid without using a B-Proof Suit, Leo can ride without it. He has all-purpose armor and is good at close range warfare. He meets Sally, and with Liger, they go on a journey to save the planet.

    Sally Land

First Generation Settlement
    A gentle girl with a strong heart.

    Like her grandfather, Dr. Bowman, she hates Zoids being used as weapons of war, and has a strong sense of the mission to save the planet.

    Leo helped her when she was being chased by the Imperial Army.

    Usually, the First Generation isn't able to adapt to the Earth's environment, so it's necessary for them to wear masks that assist with breathing, but like Leo, she was able to adapt to the Earth's environment by bathing in the mysterious light of the pendant.

    Because of a long period of cold sleep, she appears younger than Leo even though she's First Generation.

    She decides to go look for her missing grandfather, traveling with Leo to save the planet.

    Buzz Cunningham:

Second Generation Settlement
    A courier, working as business partners with Leo. He's not a bad person, but his money making priorities sometimes clash with Leo.

    Because of his wide range of occupations he's a man of many faces, with good negotiation skills and the ability to get through military checkpoints with smooth talking.

    For Leo, who's more of a dreamer, the more realistic Buzz is a good big brother.

    He drives a repaired 21st century jeep as his means of transportation.

    Luc:

Second Generation Settlement
    Imperial Army: Captain

    His was tasked with capturing Sally, so he aims for Leo.

    He handles a remodeled Cannon Bull and charges for Leo and the Beast Liger.

    Beast Liger:

Leo Conrad's Zoid
    A legendary lion type Zoid with red and white armor.

    It boasts high combat and athletic skills. When it achieves evolution unlock during the Evo Blast, it expands the weapons from the back, and changes into a more aggressive form.

    The Mane Claws are characterized by their ability to be deployed in two stages, so that they can change their attack according to the reach. At the first stage, three huge red claws (the Red Mane Claw) appear, and at the second stage, the golden claws (Gold Mane Claw) appear, and the "Beast of Claw - Break" is used.

    Cannon Bull:

Luc's Zoid
    The Cannon Bull is a buffalo-type Zoid that specializes in medium-range artillery.

    It has thick armor and has been modified to attack using missiles and cannons.

    It has sturdy limbs and hooves, and is strong enough to withstand heavy armor and weaponry.

    When using the weapon release "Machine Blast", the bullet shield on its back is deployed, and the 9-Burst Cannon appears from within.

    The Nine Burst Cannon, which fires three shells at once from right to left, has an overwhelming firepower that will blow an enemy away.

- Zoids Wild Zero Ending!

    Voice Actress Hazuki Senda, who plays Sally Land in the new anime, will be making her singing debut with the ending theme to Zoids Wild Zero. The original Wild anime also worked with some new artists for some of the themes, so it's nice to see this trend continuing.

- Concept Art!

    The Anime twitter shared a small concept art sketch of Luc. They also shared some more detailed concept art of the Catalga. A variation of which appeared in a minor capacity in Episode 1 of Zero.

- Episode 1 Discussion!

    Episode 1 aired on Friday, and there was so much to take in! I'm going to take a few minutes to discuss the various details, and some translation bits from Falcarius. All discussion will be in spoiler tags out of respect for anyone who hasn't seen the episode yet. Translations from Falcarius will be in gray boxes.

    Series Introduction

    The series opened with a scene full of rampaging Zoids running through the city. Not only destroying buildings, but attacking each other. This set the stage for where the series began, and how things ended up the way that they are.

The cause of the large-scale tectonic shifts occurring frequently all over the world, as well as the unprecedented abnormal weather conditions, may have some connection to the huge flying object that fell from space one week ago...     Monsters! First the tectonic shifts, now monsters that look like machines have appeared in the heart of the city! Are they living creatures or are they mecha? The unknown monsters are destroying the city!     Due to the sudden appearance of Zoids and large-scale tectonic shifts, the Earth temporarily fell to ruin.

    Episode Storyline

    Our first introduction to Leo is a valiant leap across the Aegis Barrier, a vast chasm between the city and ruins that lay on the other side. The Liger's makeshift boosters fail, and he plummets to the bottom. Leo's grand goal is to create equipment that'll allow the Liger to leap over the chasm, shaving hours off of their commute to the ruins. A popular hunting ground for scrap.

    Leo's efforts are aimed at the eventual benefit of his business, a courier business that he runs with his friend, Buzz Cunningham. Buzz doesn't have much faith in Leo's antics, but he follows along, and drags him back to work when needed.

    Their scavenging expedition is interrupted by the scream of a young girl. They find her surrounded by the Jamming, broken down Zoids that have yet to be explained. These ferocious creatures are determined to kill her, and they're not the last of her problems. In the chaos she drops her mask, and has no time to go back for it.

    After Leo rescues her, he realizes that she's a First Generation. Beings who are unable to adapt to Earth's atmosphere, requiring a mask to properly breath. She's weak, and unable to run. Adding onto her problems, she's being persued by the Empire. Luc, pilot of the Cannon Bull is tasked with bringing her back. Although she tries to volunteer to return with Luc, to save Leo from the crossfire, Leo still intervenes and gets her out of the building.

Buzz: "A mask? [something I can't make out]?"     Leo: "I mean, look, she's having trouble breathing."     Buzz: "The only people who need masks on the surface are a generation older than us. No matter how you look at her, she's a teenage girl."

    With the rest of Luc's unit in hot pursuit, Leo calls for the Liger. Together they take out the pursuing Zoids. No sooner than they do, Luc appears with his Cannon Bull. This heavy artillery machine is too much for the Liger to handle, and it quickly loses its edge in the battle.

    Soon Sally realizes her pendant is glowing. She flings it at the Liger, who promptly transforms into the Beast Liger. This is the result of Dr. Bowman's, her grandfather's research. While Luc assumes Leo couldn't possibly use the Wild Blast, he turns the tables by using the "Evo Blast" instead. As the fight goes on, Leo realizes that parts of his body are becoming metalized, like the Liger.

Sally: "Are you going to use a Wild Blast?"     Leo: "Evolution Unleash! Evo Blast!"     Luc: "Idiot! As if you could withstand the shock of a Wild Blast without a B-Proof Suit! Nine Burst Cannon!"     Leo: "Heheh, your bullets look like they're standing still!"     Luc: "How is he okay? His cockpit should be under tremendous shock!"     Leo: "Beast Of Claw... Break!"     Luc: (after being defeated) "So those are the results of Doctor Bowman's research... No wonder the higher-ups are so obsessed."

    They win the fight, and make a hasty retreat, but the future is very uncertain for our group.

    Episode Impressions

Backgrounds and Effects:
    What really stands out about Wild Zero is the effect usage. It travels a careful line between just perfect, and a little too much. Tons of detail applied in the post processing stage that adds so much to how the series looks. Everything from the lighting, to the gradients, and subtle blurs. The explosions look great, and every single gun shot has a nice effect applied for the muzzle flashes.

    Even the backgrounds are amazing. Tons of detail squished into every frame. This series has really stepped up its development process compared to earlier ones, with a lot of additive detail to fully immerse Zoids into their environment.

Shout Outs:
    There are a lot of similarities to earlier series you might notice while watching Zero. In particular, I appreciated the title cards, which use the same rusty stone format as the title cards of CC, GF, and NC0. The Eye Catches are also incredibly similar to the ones seen in Zoids Chaotic Century and Guardian Force.

Story and Characters:
    While I haven't formed a distinct opinion of the characters yet, they're very riminiscent of earlier series. I don't know why, but Leo reminds me so much of Athle. The designs are nice and familiar.

    When it comes to story, this series introduced a lot of questions in the very first episode. It rivals CC in its balance of sci-fi and magic, and I look forward to seeing how this is handled. The B-Proof (Blast Proof, possibly?) suits are an interesting concept, separating the Zoid from their pilot, in a sense. With even the Wild Blast being treated as dangerous it's certainly a different atmosphere from Wild. What are the Jamming? Why did they end up that way? And what was Dr. Bowman's research?

    I sincerely hope that the series continues on this path, as so far, it has left us wanting so much more!

    Zoids Battle Card Hunter has added a new set! This time they've differentiated it as a new 'series' of sets, so we'll see what it beholds. You can view the current lineup on the official website. So far, the legendaries remain Blade Ligers.

- Wild Liger Crystal!

    TakaraTomy Arts has uploaded a commercial for the new arcade game set. Most interesting, it includes a Wild Liger Crystal, which will be obtainable by redeeming part of the Beast Liger card as a lottery ticket. There doesn't seem to be an official campaign page yet, but it should be coming up soon.

    The release date for the Shield Liger DCS-J has been pushed back to November. So those who are expecting to pay this month, remember to set that money aside!

    Some new details have surfaced about the Chaotic Century manga. In particular, Ueyama's tweets regarding why old fans won't be unhappy about purchasing the new release! He also drew a cute picture of Fine and Sally, from Zoids Wild Zero!

    #1: Volume 3 will include the brand new chapter "The Storm of Port Town", which was featured in CoroCoro Aniki earlier this year. This chapter was not part of the original publication.

    #2: The end of the volume will include color illustrations from the Battle Card Game as well as the Zoid Core Box, printed in high quality.

    #3: The cover features a full color illustration of Liger Zero Caesar the King! This is the first color illustration since it first appeared in 2001.

    #4: Because of the greater width of the book, pages now have a further cut off point. This means you'll see more details from the original artwork, as well as losing less to the page gutter. The comic is also printed in sharper detail.

    The second chapter of Zoids Wild 2 was just released in the October issue of CoroCoro! To spread the news, Zoids Official over on twitter has posted the color picture, as well as a couple of teaser pages. These pages introduce Shuuza's Zoid, the Gatling Fox!

    TakaraTomy has posted a new PV for Zoids Wild Zero! This video was originally shown at the C3AFA Tokyo event, where photography was not allowed. Now that it's posted online there's so much to take in! We see a lot of new colored Zoids or those with weapon customizations. Cockpits appear to materialize around pilots, with a much more complex user interface. We see two logos for the Republic and the Empire. The animation is amazingly detailed in all regards, and all in all, it's shaping up to be an excellent series!

- Preview Video

- Discussion

    So, with the trailer having so much interesting content, I thought it'd be fun to take a closer look at it. Everything in this discussion section is pure speculation. I've got no insider info, it's just random stuff observed while rewatching the trailer!


    As we enter the trailer we see a lot of beautiful background art. Some of the shots stand out as a prestine urban environment with carefully groomed grass, well kept streets, and a skyline made of glass. Yet, as you look to the background of Image 1, we see a devastated ruin environment. The city facing away from it. This ruin zone seems to be heavily policed by Zoids of the Empire.



    This ruin environment isn't just inhabited by the Empire, however. It seems skeletal Zoids, lacking in armor also roam the streets, exhibiting extreme aggression towards humans. This may very well be because of their tension with the Imperial army Zoids, but the animation for them is excellent. Even the raptor in the background seems to shy away, reluctant to attack as its allies get gunned down. We can certainly hope to see more of this in the show, with an animation style that seems to imply an overall budget increase for this second series. Furthermore, what is this green substance that seems to glow from inside the Zoids?



    We know from earlier interviews that the series will consist of two major groups, a Republic and an Empire. This power balance echoes earlier series, and the character designs definitely echoe a civilian Vs. Empire mind set. We catch a glimpse of their logo on the pilot interface, as well as an obscured shot of the Republic's logo behind the Republican Army text.



    In an interesting turn of events it seems as if pilots of the Empire, at least, link up to their Zoids to activate the Machine Blast. Not only do we see a suit diagram, but two large screws on the back of Luc's suit appearing to bolt in a cable that likely links to the Zoid. Upon the activation of the Machine Blast, the visor that covers the Zoid's natural eyes generates a glitchy graphic and the ability activates.



    This link setup seems to be absent for Leo, who pilots the Beast Liger. While he's left with basic controls, it seems that cockpits for both Zoids (regardless of alliance) are forged of energy and appear to generate around the pilot once the interface is activated. This open air look will provide a lot more immersion for the pilots.



    Last but not least, it's apparent through most of the trailer that Leo is piloting a customized Liger, featuring two large tanks on its back. How does this relate to the Beast Liger he's piloting later in the episode? Does it perhaps "evolt"? Is it a full customization? And why is Leo out in the ruin zone to begin with?


    There are a lot of things to look forward to with Zoids Wild Zero, and many unanswered questions. The environment looks interesting and engaging, especially to old time fans who often like these opposing environments. The Zoids are well animated, and post processing has taken a big step to better blend them with a dynamic environment. The character art is so reminescent of older series, and while I found the character designs underwhelming to begin with, this trailer makes them really grow on you. It's exciting to watch. Perhaps I'm way overhyping a simple trailer, but there are a lot of things for us older fans to love about this, and I hope people don't mind the long ramble here on the news page!

    Once again, the series is scheduled to start airing on October 4th! Let's look forward to seeing this exciting new development for the Zoids franchise!