Troperville
Editing Help
Tools
Toys
|
That wasn't there yesterday...
Things have just heated up in your giant robot series. The battleground has shifted to space, the hero's mentor/father figure has revealed himself to be The Dragon, The Rival's Morality Pet has become a Dead Little Sister in a tragic accident… things are only going to get more intense from here, and it's only appropriate that the heroes should be properly prepared with a Mid Season Upgrade…
What? You can't do the Mid Season Upgrade yet because the current merchandise is selling/you don't have a Mid Season Upgrade? Then just strap an expansion pack on the giant robot and call it a brand new version!
The Mecha Expansion Pack is often used to add new powers to an existing robot when scrapping the old design altogether and bringing in a shiny new one is inconvenient. Adding a flight mode to a previously land-bound machine is a favorite. Sometimes this add-on will be a separate vehicle that is piloted by another character, combining (pun originally accidental but we're keeping it) this with Combining Mecha. Since most Real Robots are modular and reconfigurable to begin with (just like the expensive model kits they're hawking,) this is pretty much standard operating procedure for them.
Meta Mecha is an extreme example of this. Compare Frills Of Justice, the Magical Girl equivalent.
Examples:
- Mazinger Z is probably the originator of this trope: its Scrander is basically a giant robot-sized jetpack.
- One variant on the G-Armor in Mobile Suit Gundam basically allowed the Gundam to ride in it, converting it into an impromptu fighter jet. Axed in the movie versions, like the infamous Gundam Hammer.
- On a more realistic note is the G-Defensor in Zeta Gundam, which combined with the Gundam Mk. II.
- The GP03 Dendrobium from Gundam 0083 is somewhere in-between this and Mid Season Upgrade, with a generous helping of Cool Ship. The GP01Fb plays it straight, though.
- And the G-Falcon of Gundam X. A better example appears earlier though, the Gundam X Divider which adds the "Beam Harmonica" Divider shield, a double barreled beam machine gun, a second beam sword, and better thrusters.
- The Strike Gundam from Gundam Seed also has three expansion packs, converting it into Aile ("wing"), Sword or Launcher Strike Gundam (Five if you count the IWSP and Lighting Striker packs). The Impulse Gundam from Gundam Seed Destiny used a similar mechanic.
- The Red and Blue Frames in Gundam SEED Astray both went through a surprising number of expansion packs, notably because them getting destroyed was a bit of a running gag for the series. Taken to an extreme with the Red Frame's Power Loader, which is basically it riding a humongous exoskeleton. And carrying an even bigger sword.
- Play straight with Freedom and Justice in Gundam Seed, Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice in Gundam Seed Destiny with their METEOR weapon systems. It's pretty much the same in both series, but their destruction in the finale of Seed lets them bring them out again for the finale of Destiny.
- The trend continued in Gundam 00 with G.N. Arms and 0-Raiser for Exia and 00 Gundam, respectively.
- Don't forget Arios' GN Archer, which is both a Mecha Expansion Pack & a Transforming Mecha. Also strange in that they only combine in jet mode. Think Dreadwing from Transformers.
- Played straight one more time towards the end of the series, long after the Mid Season Upgrade. Most of the Gundams received addon weapon and equipment packs (the 00 just got a new sword and the 0 got a new battery pack) in time for their swansong.
- When not fully combined as Gao Gai Gar, GaiGar could also equip Stealth Gao as a jetpack or Drill Gao for extra punching power. Arguably, Final Fusion itself counts, as well as for any other Combining Mecha who combine in this way. Also, when the Goldion Hammer is introduced, another robot is introduced with the express purpose of being Gao Gai Gar's hand when he's using it.
- The Mid Season Upgrade (as it were) was pretty much sticking giant rockets onto StealthGao, adding some extras to the Rocket Punch and Protect Shade and changing their names. A new mecha (and toy) would have to wait for FINAL's GaoFighGar. Genesic Gao Gai Gar is also effectively this, as it primarily adds the original Gao Machines to GaiGar.
- This is the defining characteristic of Liger Zero in Zoids Zero: it has three different such expansion packs, in addition to its base state.
- Don't forget the Zero X expansion, which only appeared in a couple of continuities, and let's not mention the Fire Phoenix and Jet Falcon, separate Zoids that combined with the Zero.
- Other Zoids can be modified in various ways- Leena has her Gunsniper modified with twin gatling guns and missile pods, for example!
- Leena is mentioned by her two prior teammates as being very gun happy, with a tendency to expend all her ammo very quickly. Her previous Zoid also had similar weapons.
- While not technically an expansion pack, KOS-MOS' Tertiary Weapons System in the Xenosaga series strongly resembles this trope.
- Nearly every unique mecha in Code Geass eventually gains flight capability thanks to a bulky "Float Unit". The Lancelot later receives a shoulder-mounted "hadron cannon" as well - referred to as "Conquista formation".
- Code Geass R2 eventually stops doing this though - the Lancelot is replaced by the Lancelot Albion, which uses a lightweight "Energy Wing System". The Guren is completely rebuilt (as the Guren SEITEN) with the same system a few episodes before this.
- Though R2 also shows how you can make adding such an expansion as awesome as possilbe: The Guren gets ist float unit and a new radiation wave arm while falling from the sky down to the sea.
- Using missles to carry the parts.
- Numerous Power Rangers and Super Sentai series use this mechanic when a Sixth Ranger joins up. The Dragonzord can either be combined with the Mammoth, Saber-Toothed Tiger and Triceratops Zords to make a new humanoid machine, or truer to the trope, combine with the completed Megazord as an extra weapons pack. The Falconzord from the later seasons can also combine with the Ninja Megazord as a jetpack, or the Shogun Megazord as a set of chest-mounted guns.
- Some seasons go a bit crazier with it, and numerous new Zords are introduced, each attaching to the standard formation in a way that adds one or two new capabilities. Eventually enough show up for the new ones to make their own formation, but that usually waits until near-midseason. Lightspeed and Overdrive didn't stop bringing out new formations until near the end of the series, and the greatest criticism about Wild Force is that it was more about its Mecha Expansion Packs than its story or characters.
- Engine Sentai Go-onger (aka Power Rangers RPM) sets the new record, though, with EngineOh G12, the series' largest combining mecha yet in terms of individual components—as the name suggests, it's formed by combining 12 Engines (that can form four entire separate robots!) into what this troper has heard described as a member of Team Hilarious Overkill.
- This troper has heard it called the "Clusterf*** Megazord."
- The Collection DX reviews for the Japanese versions considered the 9-point combo a level of insanity.
- The F-Type Equipment from the Neon Genesis Evangelion Expanded Universe is a set of armor and weapons for the EVA-01(!).
- What about the D-Type Equipment from the original? Probably counts as a subversion, considering how goofy it looks.
- Somewhat naturally, the fanfic gets into this as well: Shinji And Warhammer 40 K has Titan modules, while Thousand Shinji has L-Type Equipment.
- Also, the S-Type Equipment for Unit-02 in Rebuild of Evangelion, which gives it flight capabilities.
- Assault Suits Valken had three shooter levels where the player's mecha is outfitted with a rocket pack.
- Fafner has an unusual case: the eponymous mecha has its air upgrade not so much attached to it as vice versa.
- The FAST Pack System/Super Veritech gives the Valkyrie fighters improved maneuverability in space and increased weapon loadouts. There was also the Armored Valkrie/Veritech which added armor and a whole lotta missile launchers, but rendered the mecha unable to transform out of battloid mode until it was jettisoned.
- The VF-25 Messiah fixed that problem with Armour Pack in Macross Frontier, allowing it to transform into fighter and GERWALK modes while still using it. The VF-171's also wind up picking up special anti-Vajra modules late in the series run.
- In Macross 7 Fire Bomber eventually picked up booster units for the their custom fighters, enhancing their effect against the Protodevlin.
- In several Transformers series, Optimus Prime is able to combine with his trailer, either turning him into an even bigger robot, or giving him extra firepower. See also the Generation 1 version of Ultra Magnus, who the toy reveals to be a robot that looks just like Optimus Prime inside some very heavy-duty armor. This is actually shown and used in the Dreamwave comic.
- Once Dreamwave used this idea, Hasbro jumped onto it as well, with a number of white Optimus repaints named Ultra Magnus. The demand for a "real" Ultra Magnus brought about the creation of City Commander: a 3rd party add-on that serves as both trailer and armor for Classics Magnus. And later, matching repaints for Nemesis and Optimus Prime too.
- Transformers Armada takes this a step further, with Jetfire transforming into a pair of legs in place of Optimus' trailer. (the toy-only Ultra Magnus could also combine at the same time, turning into a huge pair of shoulder cannons) The second series, Transformers: Energon, provides even more "Powerlinks". This is different from other combinations such as the Gestalts of Generation 1 in that one member of the link (the top half) is completely in control, while the lower half Autobot is effectively dormant.
- The next movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, has Optimus combine with Jetfire again, with Jetfire turning into, basically, a jetpack.
- Super Robot Wars is fond of busting this out whenever possible (especially the Evangelion example above, since it involves an Eva-sized katana). Examples in Original Generation mechs include the Huckebein Boxer frame from Alpha, the various Excellence frames from R, and the G-Thundergate in Original Generation Gaiden.
- Gurren Lagann picks up the ability to fly in episode 13, although this is a unique case in that rather than having a flight unit designed for it, Gurren Lagann commandeers a flying enemy Gunmen and assimilates it (which is really how Lagann combines with everything).
- Don't forget the Space Gunmen, giant robots FOR the giant robots, which are basically the same machines but much larger.
- Appears in Armored Core: For Answer, after a fashion, with the VOB system, although the reasons are different.
- To explain, all Armored Cores have a special booster system called Over Boost, which lets the mech go really fast, but sometimes this isn't enough. The VOB stands for Vanguard Over Boost, and it basically amounts to a few Space Shuttle SR Bs bolted together and duct-taped to the back of the AC for when they need to get into a combat area really goddamn fast.
- The VOB's average speed is around 2500 kph. It's possible to build a mech that has a normal OB faster than that, and actually get slowed down by missions that require the VOB. Many optimized OB Lancer and Twin Blade builds can accomplish this with ease, especially when you turn on the Unlimited Energy Regulation.
- Part of the whole point behind the "Hecatonchires" system in the Appleseed Manga. With it, a cyborg can have several attachments hooked up directly to his body, and control them as easily as his own arms and legs. Reportedly, a 'Borg with the system could run an entire Aircraft Carrier by himself.
|
|
