Banpresto Originals

Banpresto Originals... covers a lot.

Rather than a single series in its own right, "Banpresto Originals" covers the unique characters introduced in the Super Robot Wars series of games. These characters are usually created with an eye toward gluing the series in their debut games together; many are then repurposed for use in the Original Generation series, which includes only Banpresto Originals characters.

Integration Notes

People like Original Generation a lot, but Original Generation comes with a lot of setting assumptions and often relegates characters who were primary, major movers in their own games to secondary roles. We've chosen to track most characters back to their debut games, and lean more heavily on those. Where OG has greater cultural penetration or more exciting hooks than the usual timelines, however, OG has been used to fill gaps or add interest. As such, we'll be listing these integration notes in groups.

Specific trumps general regarding integration. While we have generally erred on the side of not integrating series piecemeal, Banpresto content behaves in a somewhat unusual manner that makes piecemeal integration almost a de facto assumption.

Super War Machine SRX/Time Diver

• This is a Non-Balmar timeline. While having SRX without Balmar may be surprising, most of the characters therein were initially introduced without it! Balmar was also done extremely comprehensively at SRT MUSH, and we'd like to take a different tack for the long-run approach to our game.
• Ingram and Viletta's situation is fairly flexible. Ingram is not obligated by fate to play the antagonist this go-round, especially in a no-Balmar timeline, and may actually get the chance to be the hero again. Ingram has partial access to his void memories.
• Euzeth Gozzo/Alteur Steinbeck's circumstances at birth are yet again different.
• Unsurprisingly given both of the above, Mai Kobayashi's circumstances will change significantly. She will become a playable character during Phase 2.

Masoukishin THE LORD OF ELEMENTAL

• Masoukishin content is not integrated. Lune Zoldak, who debuted prior to Masoukishin and ended up shuffled into it primarily as a fun reappearance/cameo that spiraled into being character-defining, is an exception to this general rule.

Hero Chronicle

• There are elements of this universe that are recognizable to Gilliam. A Gilliam apper will be made aware of the details of this fact.

Original Generation Debuts

• The School is a Federation project whose operators remain in the Federation, as in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2, rather than one which has defected to another organization, as in Original Generation.
• The School's protagonist characters have been moved to the Shuffle Alliance/Mithril infrastructure, as its interest in protecting and rescuing exploited metahumans makes it a natural fit for this story.
• The Gespenst was not available during the Gryps Conflict, when most of the Aggressors got their start; the Aggressors piloted GM II variants during the Gryps Conflict, after defecting from the Titans to the Anti Earth-Union Group.
• The Lion line has, for the most part, been shifted to Britannian use, as have many of the command vessels used by the Divine Crusaders and other Isurugi Industries-supplied factions.

Classic Timeline (2, 3, 4/F+FF)

• Information about the Originals from 4/F+FF is extremely thin on the ground in English (other than Irm and Ring), though we'd welcome applicants with interesting pitches. Irm and Ring are in their Alpha/OG states, so keep that in mind when developing!
• The Hückebein and Grungust are Federation/Mao Industries projects rather than Tesla-Reich Institute projects.
• More information about the integration of the Zuvorg will be made available during subsequent Phases.

Alpha Timeline (Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Alpha 2, Alpha 3)

• We have no strong intention of doing Garden of Baral-centric content, as it overlaps in an exclusionary way with the way we've chosen to integrate several themes, including Martian Successor Nadesico, Macross Series, Mazinger Series, Evangelion Series, and Kotetsushin Jeeg. The origins of RyuKoOh and KoRyuOh are different (and in line with this design mode). Apps for other Garden of Baral characters will be entertained, and we'll work with appers on integration, but we have no plans to do the Sealing War.
• The characters surrounding Ibis Douglas have been transplanted to Cosmic Era Gundam's Deep Space Survey and Development Organization (or G-Hound, where DSSD's Phantom Pain antagonists also live).
• Tasuku, Leona, and the Treue Unit have been shifted toward a Code Geass-centric integration. We felt this maintained a lot of their key aesthetic points and dynamic (a symbol of evil being turned into a symbol of hope, a noble finding she lacks the stomach for the war to which her family has become attached, etc.) while still engaging with the setting.
• Sanger and Elzam have been shifted toward a Kotetsushin Jeeg-centric integration. This ramps directly off of their Alpha 2 content, where their original counterpart is heavily tied in with the Great Jama Empire.
• Right now, honestly, we're not fully sure what to do with Ryoto, Rio, Yuuki, or Ricarla. Given their status in Original Generation, this may be the most true-to-form integration of all.
• Selena Recital is appable at game launch, but her personal tragedy has yet to happen. This would be best placed near the end of Phase 1 or the start of Phase 2; if she goes unapped for the entirety of Phase 1, we will update her integration accordingly at that time.

GBA Era (A, R, D, J)

• SRW A, R, and D are not integrated at this time. We would accept a Post-Hoc Integration pitch for SRW A; R and D would likely be difficult to integrate in a way that retains much, if any, of their texture.
• SRW J has been integrated. Integration borrows from both the J and Moon Dwellers versions of the Fury; the Fury also tie in with content from Martian Successor Nadesico, Macross Series, Mazinger Series, and Kotetsushin Jeeg, and potentially others.

Wonderswan Era (Compact, Compact 2-1/2/3, Impact, Compact 3)

• The origin of the Einst differs somewhat from both Compact 2/Impact and from Original Generation. The Einst are only likely to be used if we have an Excellen or Kyosuke player who strongly pushes. We've got a lot to do!
• Folka and the Shura, if they become appable, will do so during Phase 2 at the earliest.

"Modern" Portable Era (W, K, L, BX)

• These games are not integrated at this time. They rely on a more robust space travel infrastructure than we generally have, and OG hasn't provided much guidance on alternative approaches, having not integrated these games yet. Some of them are open to post-hoc integration, but we'd need more information.

Pre-Z Next-Generations (MX, GC/XO)

• GC/XO characters will be a better fit for Phase 2 than Phase 1, but we have no specific plans for their integration at this time.
• The Centrum family is one of the Five Families of the Orb Union.
• The MX originals are part of Nergal's research division. For more information, see their +fingers.

Z Trilogy (Z, Z Special Disk, Z2-1/2, Z3-1/2)

• These games' central plots are not integrated at this time. The cosmology is very different from our own.
• Characters from the Z series are open. This comes with some caveats, some of which intersect with the way in which Super Robot Wars 30 is integrated. The finer details of these points will be made available to appers who need to know them; the rough sketch level will be available on the Super Robot Wars 30-specific integration page.
  • The Spheres have significantly had their powers ratcheted down from their canon states, and are generally less (though not 'not;' few things are 'not') transferrable; they are attached to their canon possessors. There is an in-universe reason for this.
  • Gaioh is not open to applications, nor are the Z3 antagonists.

International Era (V, X, T, 30, DD)

• If Super Robot Wars X is integrated, it will be integrated during Phases 3 and 4. We have a specific integration in mind for the Keepers of Order and Odic magic.
• While the characters from Super Robot Wars V aren't yet integrated, we would be comfortable with a Post-Hoc Integration for those characters. We couldn't figure out how to disentangle them from the Yamato and its destroyed Earth, but are open to the idea that a player might have great ideas on how to do so.
• Super Robot Wars T's Originals are integrated in a relatively untouched way, though the VTX Union has been combined with Kirishima from Front Mission to give them a few connections to PCs from that universe; the Front Mission test pilots (and by extension their Wanzers) are part of yet another VTX Special Section.
• Gilliam Yeager, of Hero Chronicle, is a design consultant for the VTX Union's Gespenst mass production candidate.
• Super Robot Wars 30's content may differ somewhat in its implementation, but at this time we are open to its general use. The finer points of some backstory elements will be significantly changed, but not in a way that alters the meat of the plot beats they support. Due to its recent release, it will receive its own separate integration page, to segregate spoilers from this page.

Banpresto Originals Jargon

• Bian Zoldak
• Deep Space Survey and Development Organization
• Great Subterranean Empires
• Isurugi Industries
• Mao Industries
• Project Terrestrial Dream
• Project Terrestrial Next Dream
• Quaestors
• VTX Union