History VideoGame / SuperRobotWarsZ

* EvenEvilHasStandards: About the time [[Anime/Zambot3 Butcher]] starts pulling out the "[[WhyAmITicking turn people into walking bombs and detonate them]]" scheme, a few members of the alliance, and for the most part it's usually [[Anime/UFORoboGrendizer Emperor Vega]], he's a part of wonder if taking over the Earth is really worth working with such a lunatic.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: About the time [[Anime/Zambot3 Butcher]] starts pulling out the "[[WhyAmITicking turn people into walking bombs and detonate them]]" scheme, a few members of the alliance he's a part of wonder if taking over the Earth is really worth working with such a lunatic.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: About the time [[Anime/{{Zambot3}} Butcher]] starts pulling out the "[[MoralEventHorizon turn people into walking bombs and detonate them]]" scheme, a few members of the alliance he's a part of wonder if taking over the Earth is really worth working with such a lunatic.

* ActorAllusion: In ''Z'', after [[spoiler:Löwen General was outed as a Chimera general, he gains a barrier that if your attack didn't pierce it, he might say "MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!!/USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS!!". During that time, his voice actor Creator/IsshinChiba was pretty much known as the most memetic voice actor of [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Dio Brando]], who popularized the phrase in [[VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture the fighting game made by Capcom]], and how psychotic Löwen turned out also matched with how psychotic Dio is (and has been).]]

* ActorAllusion: In ''Z'', after [[spoiler:Löwen General was outed as a Chimera general, he gains a barrier that if your attack didn't pierce it, he might say "MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!!/USELESS USELESS USELESS USELESS!!". During that time, his voice actor Creator/IsshinChiba was pretty much known as the most memetic voice actor of [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Dio Brando]], who popularized the phrase in [[VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture the fighting game made by Capcom.]]]]

* CharacterRerailment: ''Awakening of the Trailblazer''-era Setsuna's characterization, at least when compared to his {{Flanderization}} trend followed by several of the games he was previously featured in as those prefer to default his lines and behavior to those from when fighting the ELS, making him sound hesitant and pacifist towards any enemy he encounters. Here, Setsuna's character matches his post Season-2 side-stories and Movie appearances much more closely, especially because most of said movie's events take place during ''Tengoku-Hen'' and as such it gives Setsuna a whole game worth of screen time and development before that.

** If the player unlocks the [[spoiler:[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Byalant Custom]]]] in ''Jigoku-hen'', [[spoiler:[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Four Murasame]]]] will be its pilot. {{Irony}} abounds because [[spoiler:a [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Byalant]] is the very machine that kills her in the ''Zeta Gundam'' TV series]].

** When Amuro returns in ''Tengoku-hen'', AG references how the former addressed [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Sayla Mass]], dying to a random shot from a beam bazooka and [[spoiler:[[BreadEggsMilkSquick making a locket out of Sayla's pubic hair]]]]. All this comes from the original ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' novel.

** In the "Double Shine Spark" animation, the charge-up pose performed by [[Manga/GetterRobo Shin Dragon]] in ''Tengoku-hen'' is the same adopted by the [[Manga/GetterRobo Getter Dragon]] in the first game when the latter uses the "Shine Spark" attack.

** ''00 Qan[t]'s'' Seven Sword Combination is one of the biggest cases of this in the game. The name of the attack and its start up references Exia's attack of the same name, the first part of its animation references the last key scenes of the 00 Qan[T]'s from the movie, and the attack sequence that follows includes features exclusive to its kits and figures such as the beam blades on two of the GN Sword Bits from its ''Robot Damashii figurine'' or the combined blades from its ''Master Grade kit''.
* CruelTwistEnding: ''Hakai-Hen'' averts the DownerEnding of the first season of ''Gundam 00'' and the second episode of ''Getter Robo Armageddon'', and the end sequence plays out with it looking like everything's fine. The credits roll, until all the bad stuff starts to happen.

** Despite ''Hakai-hen'' FINALLY allowing [[Manga/GetterRobo Musashi Tomoe]] to use the [[Manga/GetterRobo Shin Getter 3]], he still plays this straight once ''Saisei-hen'' begins, as per the events of ''Getter Robo Armageddon'' (though not under the same circumstances), [[TheyKilledKenny as per the norm in SRW]].

* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Setsuna with the "Innovator" and [[Anime/CodeGeass Suzaku Kururugi]] with the "Curse of Geass" pilot skills, respectively. The "[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Zero System]]" unit ability, however, functions more as an AmplifierArtifact.

** In ''Tengoku-hen'', the [[Anime/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer ELS]] are just as hostile towards extraterrestrials and willing to absorb themren.

* WhatTheHellHero: In ''Z'', one of the greater highlights of ''Anime/GundamSEEDDestiny'' storyline by taking Setsuko's route is by having the one side of ZEUTH that Setsuko's in (who's with ZAFT) call out Kira Yamato's apparent OmniscientMoralityLicense and said that his unwillingness to kill people came off like not willing to dirty his hand to do what must be done. Indeed, the second time Kira and the Archangel appeared in Setsuko's route split, ''everyone'' has a battle quip calling him out for this.

** Scenario 54 in the "Don't Trust Zero" Route of ''Saisei-hen'' opens with a fleet of Anti-Spiral units. Once those are taken care of, enemy reinforcements arrive in the form of the Anti Gurren Lagann, Muge Zorbados with some of his own units and Zeravire. The final portion involves Team Dai-Gurren leading a small strike team inside the Cathedral Terra Lazengann to destroy the Anti Gurren Lagann and its {{Mook}}s.

** In ''Tengoku-hen'', [[spoiler:[[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ Tempti]], who takes the alias "Titi" to emotionally manipulate Hibiki, and Advent, who feigned his prior HeelFaceTurn and HeroicSacrifice in ''Jigoku-hen'' in order to summon the Supreme God]].

** Scenario 54 in the "Don't Trust Zero" Route of ''Saisei-hen'' opens with a fleet of Anti-Spiral units. Once those are taken care of, enemy reinforcements arrive in the form of the Anti-Spiral Gurren Lagann, Muge Zorbados with some of his own units and Zeravire. The final portion involves Team Dai-Gurren leading a small strike team inside the Cathedral Terra Lazengann to destroy the Anti-Spiral Gurren Lagann and its {{Mook}}s.

** BiggerBad: The "inevitable crisis" known as "Ba'al" that all the villains in the ADW are worried about, [[spoiler:and Gaiou's previous mission to fight against]]. The truth becomes more complicated in ''Tengoku-hen'' - [[spoiler:Ba'al are [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ The Four Angels]] who merely [[InventedIndividual created the rumor of the "Ba'al"]] to pit the Dimensional Generals against the heroes in order to collect the Spheres to resurrect the [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ Supreme God "Sol"]] and restart the universe. When Sol fails to return, [[Characters/SuperRobotWarsZ Advent]] sacrifices his comrades to create Supreme God "Z", in hopes of recreating the universe to his own means]].

** The "Double Shine Spark" performed by the [[Manga/GetterRobo Shin Dragon]] in ''Tengoku-hen'' looks like the same gesture the [[Manga/GetterRobo Getter Dragon]] in the first game when the latter uses the "Shine Spark" attack.

* EarWorm: [[InvokedTrope Invoked with]] the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KS6Rm9ctMY Seikan Hikou event]] in ''Hakaia-hen'' Scenario 34-B

* BigBrotherMentor: In ''Z'', Gainer invokes this towards Renton, but is set back since Renton is an outdoor-type of boy, being more interested in sports such as weightlifting than video games. Double subverted when Renton address Gainer as "niisan" after seeing his prowess in combat.

** A series of quit game skits has Misato doing the next episode preview, complete with "Service, service!" at the end. Rei does one too, in her usual emotionless voice. And then [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Shinji does it too]]...

* DarkerAndEdgier: Setsuko's route in spades for ''Z''; one of the reasons why some prefer her route to Rand's. It's like the game separates DarkerAndEdgier and LighterAndSofter into two concentrated masses of [[TearJerker suck]] and [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments fun]].
* DeadpanSnarker, LemonyNarrator: Whoever wrote the database entries for the various characters and units sure has a sense of humor. Highlights include wondering how [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny Neo Roanoke and his Windam]] [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat falls from high altitudes and does not explode]], Kira [[PlotArmor surviving a nuclear-powered Freedom's destruction at the hands of Shinn]] and poking fun at [[Anime/TheBigO Beck The Great RX-3]] for [[EpicFail getting destroyed in two seconds]] [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments after taking forever to combine and pose]] by pointing out "it was totalled within seconds thanks to the Big O's merciless onslaught with its O Thunder weapon". It also gives out nods to EpilepticTrees such as Banjou being a [[Anime/{{Daitarn 3}} Megaborg]] himself and has a very loving description of ''Mazinger Z'', which goes to detail its attacks and point out its impact on the SuperRobotGenre.

** Lelouch and Kamina in ''Hakai-hen''. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable will be able to spit out roast hams after that game is inserted. Turned UpToEleven when Kamina [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hijacks Sheryl's concert stage]].

* {{Retcon}}: ''Z'' completely writes out ''Char's Counterattack'' in favor of keeping Char in line with his ''Zeta Gundam'' persona. Still, it's odd since ''Char's Counterattack'' is only in ''Z'' to give Amuro the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterAttack Re-GZ]] and eventual Nu Gundam, while Char gets stuck with his Hyaku Shiki and doesn't get the Sazabi. Nevertheless, the moment where he and Amuro learn about the possible future and Char wholeheartedly declaring to stop it from happening is a SugarWiki/{{heartwarming|moments}}. Eventually this paves way to including ''Char's Counterattack'' but executing it differently that Char gets to keep his positive CharacterDevelopment.

** This results in an unnerving sequence where, even as it's getting blasted to bits, it continues to repeat its statements over and over, telling [[Anime/{{Zambot 3}} Kappei Jin]] his battle is empty and meaningless. Hell, the whole sequence is the stuff of nightmares starting from what it did to Kappei when it turns him into what a boy his age would be in such a situation, leading to him crying and begging to be saved [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome before he snaps at the insane AI and tells it to shove it, all the while speaking through his tears and declaring even as a scared little boy, he won't forgive its existence]].

** In ''Saisei-hen'', Wufei delivers this and TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the Black Knights if they decide to not trust Zero (see SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome header).

** When ''Hakai-hen'' was released, complaining about the inability to save [[spoiler:Kamina, Lockon and Euphemia]] was enough to release [[InternetBackdraft A LOT of heat]]. For a while, fans of old school ''Mazinger'', who has [[WolverinePublicity appeared in every SRW]], were upset ''Shin Mazinger'' is the one appearing in the ''Second Z''.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SuperRobotWarsZ2Hakai_9424.jpg]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SuperRobotWarsZ2Saisei_3592.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:''Anime/CodeGeass'' and ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' in the same game? Madness!]]

The first ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' title to be created under [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco Bandai]], ''Super Robot Wars Z'' broke certain precedents and traditions: for example, the number of new series is more than any previous [=SRW=]. Released in 2008, you play as either Rand Travis, a wandering repairman/mechanic, who's partnered with the young Mel Beater, or Setsuko Ohara, a member of "Glory Star", a small military squadron in the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Earth Federation]], alongside teammates Denzel Hammer and Toby Watson, as they are pulled through many conflicts.

** '''''The Big O: Season Two'''''

* ''[[Anime/{{Xabungle}} Combat Mecha Xabungle]]'' (Follows the movie's storyline, since Arthur is still alive)
* ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation]]'' (Movie compilation)

A UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable sequel entitled ''The Second Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-hen'' ("World Breaking Chapter") is the [[EpisodicGame first of a two-part release]], with ''Hakai-hen'' launched in April 2011, and the second called ''The Second Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen'' ("World Rebirth Chapter") released one year later in April 2012. The sequel features another merged world called "ADW", caused by a seemingly natural phenomena known as "Space-Time Quakes". Here, old members of ZEUTH from the UCW encounter new allies after arriving in the ADW, forming the group "ZEXIS" to combat the "Broken World Incident" (''Hakai-hen'') and the "War of the Revived World" (''Saisei-hen'').

* ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing New Mobile Report Gundam Wing]]'' (TV series)

* '''''[[Anime/{{Gigantor}} New Gigantor]] (AKA Messenger of the Sun Tetsujin 28)'''''
* '''Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (Second Season)'''

* '''Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2'''

** '''''Lagann-hen''''' (Includes an original story)

[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/02c3c02f184895e25200bc81351770ff.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:301: Make that [[{{Anime/Diebuster}} Four.]] ]]


''The Third Super Robot Wars Z'' is the final part of the series, in a simultaneous release for the UsefulNotes/{{Playstation 3}} and UsefulNotes/PlaystationVita. Like ''Hakai-hen'' and ''Saisei-hen'', it is also a two-parter, with the first half ''Jigoku-hen'' ("Time Prison Chapter"[[note]]''Jigoku'' also means "Hell", thus "Hell Chapter" could work[[/note]]) launched in April 2014 and the second half ''Tengoku-hen'' ("Celestial Prison Chapter") to be released a year after. Notably, the former drops most of the cast from ''Z'' (who were just hanging around by that point), [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam with]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack only]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny a]] [[Anime/TheBigO few]] [[Anime/SuperDimensionCenturyOrguss exceptions]], in favor of new series. The latter [[Anime/{{Zambot 3}} brings]] [[Anime/{{Daitarn 3}} back]] [[Anime/AfterWarGundamX a]] [[Anime/TurnAGundam few]] [[Anime/GenesisOfAquarion more]].

With peace returning to the world of ADW, members of ZEUTH travel through the "Abyss", the hole left between dimensions, to return to their world of UCW. Unfortunately, a new battle awaits them when ''both'' worlds and other {{Alternate Universe}}s are merged into one, leading old members to [[BagOfSpilling to lose their memories of their experiences and abilities]]. The members of this strange new universe band together to form "Z-BLUE" to combat the forces that threaten this new Earth and unravel mysteries concerning the entire saga.

!Series added in ''Jigoku-hen'' ('''Bold''' indicates debuting entries)

** '''''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic (original {{Light Novel}}s)'''''

Note that ''Z'' is designed around ''breaking'' the old tropes previous [=SRW=] installments had, so expect a lot of aversions, inversions, and subversions.

* PutOnABus: Justified by the Third Impact in ''Tengoku-hen'', with nearly all of Z-BLUE being sent back to their own dimensions, resulting in some series missing on the roster from the game.

* ''Invincible Robo Trider G7''

** Daitarn 3, Zambot 3, and Trider G7 are large robots with sturdy armour, powerful attacks, and no ability whatsoever to dodge attacks. They're also hampered by limited movement range and short range post-movement attacks.

* PostScriptSeason: ''Mazinger Z'', ''Great Mazinger'' and ''Anime/{{Xabungle}}'' in ''Z''. All series returning from the ''Z'' in ''Hakai-hen'' are this as well, along with ''Dancougar'' and ''Trider G7''. In ''Jigoku-hen'', Noriko informs Z-BLUE [[spoiler:she is from 12,000 years in the past from another dimension, meaning the events of ''Gunbuster'' have already passed, yet she has no idea how Kazumi disappeared after the detonation of Buster Machine #3]].

* ShoutOut: "[[strike:[[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Starlight Breaker]]]] The Glory Star! FULL BURST!!".

* LoopholeAbuse: Unusually, ''Jigoku-hen'' puts Heero and Chirico in Bonta-kun, despite [=SRW=] disallowing cross-franchise piloting]]note]]Cross-series piloting within the same franchise(such as between Gundam pilots) is usually okay[[/note]]. Since Bonta-kun's operator is ShapedLikeItself, complete with its own stats and Spirit Commands distinct from Sousuke, both characters appear in the same scenario using it. When Sousuke asks who its operator is, Heero or Chirico answers "I am".

** A series of quit game skits has Misato doing the next episode preview, complete with "Service, service!" at the end. Rei does one too, in her usual emotionless voice. And then [[FunnyMoments Shinji does it too]]...

* DarkerAndEdgier: Setsuko's route in spades for ''Z''; one of the reasons why some prefer her route to Rand's. It's like the game separates DarkerAndEdgier and LighterAndSofter into two concentrated masses of [[TearJerker suck]] and [[CrowningMomentOfFunny fun]].
* DeadpanSnarker, LemonyNarrator: Whoever wrote the database entries for the various characters and units sure has a sense of humor. Highlights include wondering how [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny Neo Roanoke and his Windam]] [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat falls from high altitudes and does not explode]], Kira [[PlotArmor surviving a nuclear-powered Freedom's destruction at the hands of Shinn]] and poking fun at [[Anime/TheBigO Beck The Great RX-3]] for [[EpicFail getting destroyed in two seconds]] [[CrowningMomentOfFunny after taking forever to combine and pose]] by pointing out "it was totalled within seconds thanks to the Big O's merciless onslaught with its O Thunder weapon". It also gives out nods to EpilepticTrees such as Banjou being a [[Anime/{{Daitarn 3}} Megaborg]] himself and has a very loving description of ''Mazinger Z'', which goes to detail its attacks and point out its impact on the SuperRobotGenre.

** Lelouch and Kamina in ''Hakai-hen''. The UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable will be able to spit out roast hams after that game is inserted. Turned UpToEleven when Kamina [[CrowningMomentOfFunny hijacks Sheryl's concert stage]].

* {{Retcon}}: ''Z'' completely writes out ''Char's Counterattack'' in favor of keeping Char in line with his ''Zeta Gundam'' persona. Still, it's odd since ''Char's Counterattack'' is only in ''Z'' to give Amuro the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterAttack Re-GZ]] and eventual Nu Gundam, while Char gets stuck with his Hyaku Shiki and doesn't get the Sazabi. Nevertheless, the moment where he and Amuro learn about the possible future and Char wholeheartedly declaring to stop it from happening is a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]]. Eventually this paves way to including ''Char's Counterattack'' but executing it differently that Char gets to keep his positive CharacterDevelopment.

** This results in an unnerving sequence where, even as it's getting blasted to bits, it continues to repeat its statements over and over, telling [[Anime/{{Zambot 3}} Kappei Jin]] his battle is empty and meaningless. Hell, the whole sequence is the stuff of nightmares starting from what it did to Kappei when it turns him into what a boy his age would be in such a situation, leading to him crying and begging to be saved [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome before he snaps at the insane AI and tells it to shove it, all the while speaking through his tears and declaring even as a scared little boy, he won't forgive its existence]].

** In ''Saisei-hen'', Wufei delivers this and TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to the Black Knights if they decide to not trust Zero (see CrowningMomentOfAwesome header).

* '''''[[Anime/EurekaSevenPocketFullOfRainbows Psalms of Planets Eureka Seven: Pocket Full of Rainbows]]'''''

** [[Anime/{{Gravion}} Klein Sandman]] and [[Anime/GenesisOfAquarion Gen Fudo]] are [[UpToEleven even more hammy than they were in their own series]]. The ham level of Gym and [[Anime/OvermanKingGainer Asuham Boone]] have also gone off the scale; they even try to out-ham each other in one of the save-quit intermission dialogues, and they're [[TakehitoKoyasu voiced by the same person]].