8,347
edits
A Mech by Any Other Name: Difference between revisions
→Tabletop Games
m (update links) |
|||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|''"...So they gave me this spear and I said, 'What the hell am I supposed to do with that if we get attacked by giant robots?' and they said, 'First of all, they're called Guymelefs because that sounds more fantasy like...'"''|'''[[Red Shirt]]''', ''[[Vision of Escaflowne Abridged]]''}}
In fiction, [[Humongous Mecha]] are rarely simply called such. This is particularly true in [[Real Robot]]-type shows, where the mecha in question are usually numerous. [[Super Robot
Keep in mind that, in Japan, the term "mecha" means "anything mechanical," rendering it essentially
The name used is usually different in just about every series that features [[Humongous Mecha]], unless it's deliberately trying to reference another series.
Similar to [[Not Using the Z Word]], but the naming is often a matter of <s>copyright</s> trademark law as much as the [[Sci Fi Ghetto]]; often, it's also due to [[Rule of Cool]]. See also [[Call a Rabbit a Smeerp]].
(By the way, the Japanese equivalent to "mech" or "mecha" is ''kitai''.)
{{examples}}
'''NOTE:''' When adding examples, remember that we're looking for the "generic" name for the mech, not the model designation. In [[Gundam]] terms, for example, we're looking for "Mobile Suit" rather than "Zaku", "GM", etc....
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[Gravion]]'' brings us the '''Gran Divas''', the name for the individual parts that make up Gravion, the '''Gran Kaiser''', its central core, and the '''Gran Troopers''', the [[Real Robot]] variants that show up in Gravion Zwei.
* ''[[Gundam]]'', of course, started all this when they called theirs '''mobile suits''' and '''mobile armour'''. A normal suit, if you're wondering, is a regular spacesuit. (And a pilot suit is the [[Latex Space Suit]] version, easier to fit into cramped cockpits.).
** ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]'' adds '''Mobile Fighters''', which mostly differ in their [[Motion Capture Mecha]] controls (and the fact that they're [[Super Robot
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'' adds the automatic '''Mobile Dolls'''...
** ...and ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' gives us '''Mobile Bits'''.
Line 29:
** Joined later in the series by the '''Giga Knight Fortress''', which is essentially a giant flying cockpit with '''KMF''' technology.
* [[Sora Kake Girl]] has '''QT ARMS''' (or '''Q'''uantum '''T'''echnology '''A'''dvanced '''R'''einforced '''M'''aneuvering '''S'''hroud) for the main girls, with the '''B.O.A.R''' Ship ('''B'''eyond '''O'''rbit '''A'''zonal '''R'''unabout) for two employees of the Space Police, and a mechanised force called '''Existence''' {{spoiler|who were made to serve the titular Girl Who Leapt Through Space}}
* ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' In Cephiro, a '''Rune-God''' is basically a mecha that's controlled by a Magic Knight's spirit. This is an attempted [[Woolseyism]]
* ''[[Mars Daybreak]]'' has '''Round Bucklers'''. They are further separated into '''Corded''' and '''Cordless''', the difference being that the former are remotely controlled through EVA-style umbilical cables linked to a "Seahorse" command craft and the later have a conventional cockpit.
* '''Guymelefs''' in ''[[Vision of Escaflowne]]''.
Line 35:
* ''[[The Five Star Stories]]'' call theirs '''Mortar Headds'''. (No, that's not misspelled.)
* '''Megadeuses''' in ''[[The Big O]]''. Their pilots are called '''Dominus Megadeus'''.
* ''[[Gasaraki]]'' has one side calling their mechs '''Tactical Armor''', ('''TAs''') while the other calls them '''(Metal) FAKES'''.
** Not to mention the giant demoic creatures dressed in samurai armour known as '''Kugai''' that both of the above were based on. (though the group that calls their mechs '''FAKES''' refer to the '''Kugai''' as '''Originals'''.)
* '''KLFs''' and '''LFOs''' in ''[[Eureka Seven]]''. Stands for '''K'''raft '''L'''ight '''F'''ighter and '''L'''ight-'''F'''inding '''O'''peration respectively.
Line 41:
* ''[[Bubblegum Crisis]]'' calls the [[Powered Armor]] used by the heroines '''Hardsuits''' and their transforming motorbike / exoskeletons '''Motoroids''' or '''Motorslaves'''. Other armors are '''Battlesuits''', and large mechs are called '''Battlemovers'''. Genom's ubiquitous synthetic soldiers are known as '''Boomers'''. Or, if you prefer mistranslations-made-canon, '''Voomers'''.
* In ''[[Super Dimension Century Orguss]]'', the Chiram faction call mecha '''Device'''s.
** The sequel ''Orguss 02'' simply called them '''Armor''' in the original Japanese, while the dub called them '''[[Woolseyism|Decimators]]'''.
* ''[[Soukou no Strain]]'' had '''STRAINs''' ('''STR'''ategic '''A'''rmored '''IN'''fantry) and '''GAMBEEs''' ('''G'''eneral '''A'''xis '''M'''otorized '''B'''attle '''E'''xoskeleton '''E'''quipment).
* '''Evangelion'''s, (mostly shortened down to '''EVA'''s) from, obviously enough, ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]''.
** Although not calling them mechs makes sense considering {{spoiler|[[Unrobotic Reveal|they're not even robots at all.]]}} There are 'true' mechs in the series as well: '''Jet Alone''' and the '''Trident Country Crawler'''s, though there is much bickering over the canon-icity of the latter. General consensus is no, they're not, if they've even heard of them.
* ''[[Sakura Taisen]]'' calls theirs '''Koubu''' (or Kohbu, whichever spelling you prefer); the now-defunct European Star Troupe had '''Eisenkleids'''. The English translation of the fifth game calls them '''S.T.A.R.'''s.
** Those are model names. The generic term is Ryoushi Katchuu (bless you), which translates as "psychic particle armor".
Line 52:
* ''[[Flag]]'' has the '''HAVWC''' (pronounced "havoc") or '''High-Agility Versatile Weapon Carrier'''
* ''[[RahXephon]]'' has '''Dolems''', smaller craft called '''Dotems''' and the titular '''RahXephon''', often shortened to "Xephon." The humans also field giant '''Vermillion''' robots near the end of the series. However, the Dolems and Dotems are not actually mecha, as they are actually made of clay {{spoiler|(and one of ice)}}, feature no actual mechanisms and are shown to be completely solid when broken open. The Rah-Xephon itself is made of similar material and seems to operate in much the same way, bar the remote control, so while it shares a lot of mecha characteristics, it is not a mecha as such, though it still qualifies, as it features what amounts to a cockpit.
* ''[[Break Blade]]'' features '''[[Golem
* ''[[Gun X Sword]]'' calls theirs '''Yoroi''', Japanese for "armor".
* ''[[Zoids]]'' has, well, '''Zoids'''.
Line 68:
* ''[[Pluto]]'' by Urasawa Tezuka has Brando using a '''Combat Suit''' in a war and a '''Pankration''' for championship fighting.
* ''[[GaoGaiGar]]'' is a '''Mechanoid''', its component vehicles are '''Gao-Machines'''. The related ''[[Betterman]]'' mecha are called '''Neuronoids''' because their power relays and controls are affected by their pilot's nervous systems.
* Normal mechs in ''[[Gad Guard]]'' are called '''Heavy Metals''' while the entities created from the titular Gads are called '''Gadrians'''. This is futher divided into the living Super Robots the protagonists use which are '''Techodes''', and the a giant monsters called '''A-Techodes''' that are created if a Gad falls into unworthy hands,
* ''[[Gaiking]]: Legend of Daiku-Maryu'' refers to its mechs as '''Giants of Flame''', owing to the fact that their powered by [[Hot-Blooded|the flames of the pilot's heart]].
* ''[[Heavy Metal L-Gaim]]'' also call them '''Heavy Metal'''.
Line 83:
* ''[[Gunbuster]]'' has the [[Real Robot]] '''Machine Weapons''', and the [[Super Robot]] '''Buster Machines'''.
* ''[[Gigantic Formula]]'' has '''Gigantic Figures'''.
* ''[[Kiddy Grade]]'' has '''Guard Robots''' (which double as vehicles), and the (non-pilotable) '''Genetech Beasts''' which range from dog-sized to [[Humongous Mecha|humongous]]. The ''[[Kiddy Girl-
* In the ''[[Getter Robo]]'' metaseries, the airplane components are known as '''Getter Machines''', while the actual combined unit is known as a '''Getter Robo'''.
Line 111:
== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Power Rangers]]'' has '''Zords,''' named for the sage Zordon from the early seasons (though seasons with no connection to Zordon and company also call their [[Humongous Mecha]] "zords," and even seasons that ''don't'' still call the [[Combining Mecha|combined forms]] "Megazords.") Since Bruce Kalish came along, villain-used mecha are just called 'giant robots'. More specifically, "Zord" was originally a shortening of "Dinozord", a play both on the sage who had created them and the ancient animals on which he had modeled several of his designs.
** The [[Super Sentai]] source material doesn't have a standardized name for all the mecha (and some seasons even neglect to add that name), but in some amusing [[Mythology Gag
** However, The Super Sentai Battle Dice-O card game classifies all forms as Mecha, while the individual forms are called Machines and the combined forms are called Robos.
*** Not for ALL the mecha, but each season tends to use a different one. Vehicular mecha are sometimes called 'Machines', bestial ones are 'Animals' or '-Ju' (meaning animals), and combined mecha are sometimes called 'Robo' (usully tech-themed seasons) 'King', or the Japanese '-Oh' (meaning 'king') or 'Jin' ('god', both in the mystically-aligned seasons). There's lots of single-season terms sometimes lampshaded in the season title, like 'Kidenjuu' (''[[Gosei Sentai Dairanger]]''), 'Bakuryu' (''[[Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger]]'') 'Majin' (''[[Mahou Sentai Magiranger]]''), and 'Origami' (''[[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]]''). Sometimes it gets rather inconsistent ('Vehicles' referred to the regular vehicles in ''Dekaranger'' and the ''mecha'' of ''Boukenger''.)
Line 118:
== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[BattleTech]]'' often actually ''does'' call them 'Mechs, short for a variety of giant robot applications, but ''usually'' meaning '''Battlemechs''' or '''Omnimechs'''. Civilian 'Mechs for agriculture, '''Agromechs''', and industrial, no canonical name ever given, versions also known to exist.
** They actually hold the trademark for the term "mech", which is why one runs into "mecha" frequently.
** The ''very'' first edition was called ''Battle'''Droids''''', but someone ''[[Star Wars|else]]'' held the trademark for ''that'' term.
Line 124:
** In addition to various sorts of Mechs, both sides also use '''[[Powered Armor|Battle Armor]]''', and the Clans field [[Mini-Mecha]] called '''Protomechs'''.
* The title of ''[[Mekton]]'' is also the default name for mecha in it, though plenty of others exist on a 'verse by 'verse basis.
* ''[[Warhammer
** The Imperium has its '''Dreadnoughts''' (piloted by crippled veteran Space Marines), '''Sentinels''' (Imperial Guard scout vehicles), and of course '''Titans''' (''very'' [[Humongous Mecha]], the size of which varies from the 15-meter-tall Warhound through to the colossal Emperor-class Titan, which houses an entire company of Space Marines and whose upper body is a gothic cathedral.)
** The various Eldar mecha are known as '''War Walkers''' (piloted scout vehicles), '''Wraithlords''' (mid-sized mecha controlled by the souls of dead warriors) and their own Titans.
Line 131:
** Chaos has Dreadnoughts and titans, which are merely Chaosified versions of their imperial counterparts, and they also have '''the Defiler''' (a very big daemonically possessed [[Spider Tank]]).
* ''[[Exalted]]'' calls their mecha '''Warstriders'''.
* In [[Dream Pod Nine]]'s series of mecha games:
** ''[[Jovian Chronicles]]'' had '''Exo-Armors''' (battlesuits are referred to as Exo-Suits)
* '''Engel'''s from ''[[Cthulhu Tech]]'', which have [[Organic Technology|more in common]] with Evangelions than they do anything else on this list. ▼
** ''[[Heavy Gear]]'' and ''[[Gear Krieg]]'' had '''Gears'''. In HG the bigger mecha and many non-humanoid walkers are called '''Striders''' - it used to reflect greater durability. The smaller Caprician [[Spider Tank]]s are also called "mounts" (they are Striders, except the lightest Acco, which counts as Gear). Heavy [[Power Armour]] suits are called "golems", for that matter.
▲* '''Engel'''s from ''[[Cthulhu Tech]]'', which have [[Organic Technology|more in common]] with Evangelions than they do anything else on this list.
* ''[[Bliss Stage]]'' has the '''ANIMa''', or '''A''' lien '''N''' umina '''I''' nversion '''Ma''' chine. It's not [[Empathic Weapon|literally a giant robot,]] though.
* ''[[Iron Kingdoms|Warmachine]]'' gets its name from its big, steam powered robots called '''Warjacks'''. The predecessors to modern warjacks were the much-larger '''Colossals''', though these are obsolete and no longer produced in "modern" times.
* ''[[Rifts]]'' typically uses the term '''Robots''' to refer to piloted humanoid combat machines, though the lines between them and [[Powered Armor]] are frequently blurred. The training skills are referred to as "robot combat" and the most prominent series of designs is the IAR; '''Infantry Assault Robot'''.
== Video Games ==
* '''[[Custom Robo]]'''
* ''[[City of Heroes]]'' have the Malta's '''Titans''' (Hercules, Zeus and Cronos class) Vanguard has their '''HVAS''' ('''H'''eavy '''V'''anguard '''A'''ssault '''S'''uit) and the Longbow have their Cataphract (it's equivalent, the Arachnos Heavy Blaster, is a [[Spider Tank]] instead)
* ''[[Zone of the Enders]]'' has two names, '''Laborious Extra-Orbital Vehicle''' (or '''LEVs''' for short) and '''Orbital Frame'''. The differences are the construction and the level of technology used.
* '''Virtuaroids''' in ''[[Virtual On]]''.
* '''Wanzers''' (Short for the German: ''Wanderung Panzer'', which means "Walking Tank") in the ''[[Front Mission]]'' series.
Line 148 ⟶ 149:
** Interestingly, the term Armored Core is actually a nickname-turned-regular term for the AC. Originally, the units were called '''Armored Muscle Tracers''', or '''AMT's'''.
* The ''Gungriffon'' series has the '''AWGS''' which stands for '''Armoured Walking Gun System'''.
* The ''[[Earthsiege]]'' series has '''HERCs'''.
** That's just what they're called for short. The full name is HERCULAN, which stands for '''Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation'''.
*** Now ''this'' is what I call [[Fun with Acronyms]]...
* ''[[Xenogears]]'' has '''Gears''', while ''[[Xenosaga]]'' refers to them as '''A.G.W.S.''' (Anti-Gnosis Weapon System), '''A.W.M.S.''', '''E.S.'''' and such.
* '''[[Metal Gear]]'''
** [[Parrot Exposition|Metal Gear?!]]
** Early Kojima nomenclature (''[[Metal Gear]]'', ''[[Metal Gear]] 2'' and ''[[Snatcher]]'') made Metal Gears a subgroup of mechs as a whole, which were referred to as '''Heavy Walkers'''. The presence of Metal Gear Gustavs, a rejected boss from ''[[Metal Gear]] 2'', suggested that the term "Metal Gear" was just an affectionate nickname for Heavy Walkers. ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 4'' [[Retcon|clarified]] the issue by saying that the difference between a Metal Gear and a '''Walking Tank''' is that the Metal Gears are useful in terms of the global nuclear map, and Walking Tanks (like the Gekkos) are simply weapons. This was probably brought into the canon because the main Metal Gear of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 2'' was more of a {{spoiler|submarine.}}
* ''[[Policenauts]]'', another Kojima game, referred to its mechas as '''Extravehicular Mobility Police Suits''' or '''EMPS''', which are named as such because they're piloted by members of the Advanced Police unit of the Beyond Coast Police.
* ''[[Ring of Red]]'' (An early Playstation 2 game, not that problem with your Xbox 360) called them '''AFW's''' (Armored Fighting Walkers).
* In addition to most of the above (i.e.: you may have Mobile Suits, Variable Fighters, ''and'' Arm Slaves in the same universe), ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' also gives you '''Personal Troopers''' and '''Armored Modules'''.
Line 161 ⟶ 162:
** Although justified in that these names are assigned to them by their ''manufacturers''. Personal Troopers were developed by '''Mao Industries''', the Lion series are manufactured by '''Isurugi Heavy Industries''', the Grungust super robot-types originated from the '''Tesla Leicht Institute''', '''Fremont Industries''' built Assault Dragoons while '''Z&R Company''' develop Valkyries.
** And in [[Endless Frontier]], denizen of Kagura Amahara use term '''Karakuri''' to call all mechs.
* GOLIATHS IN [[
** Starcraft II has introduced the transforming '''Viking''', effectively replacing both Goliaths and Valkyries with a single unit.
** It also introduced ''Thor'', which is a significantly more humongous mecha.
** And the Protoss get Dragoons (I), Stalkers (II), Immortals (II) and Colossi (II).
*** Subverted in that [[
** Checklist completed... [[Stop Poking Me|SOB]].
* In ''[[Total Annihilation]]'', the infantry units (which are essentially mechs) are called '''KBOTs'''.
** Which stands for [[Fun with Acronyms|Kinetic Bio Organic Technology]]
** Its spiritual sequel, ''[[Supreme Commander]]'', features numerous variations of mechs, all called '''Bots'''.
*** Except for the one who actually have human pilots. Those are called '''ACU''' and '''sACU'''. It stands for ('''s'''upport) '''A'''rmored '''C'''ommand '''U'''nit.
* The ''[[One Must Fall]]'' series of robot fighting games called 'em '''H.A.R'''s (Humanoid Assisted Robots), though most characters in-game still referred to them as just robots or "'bots."
* The SNES game ''[[Battle Clash]]'' called their mechas '''Standing Tanks''' (or '''S.T.''''s for short)
* The PlayStation game ''[[Vanguard Bandits]]'' had '''All-Terrain Armoured Combatants''' ('''A.T.A.C.'''s).
** Does that remind you of [[Star Wars|something]]?
*** Or [[Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross|something else]]?
* ''[[Steel Battalion]]'' has the '''Vertical Tanks (VT)'''. This includes ''Heavy Armor'', which otherwise has a [[Continuity Reboot|very different setting]], down to computer-less VTs that actually look more like [[Walking Tank
** Arguably the most-real Mech video game ever released. (Though it has been called more of a simulator then a video game sometimes) Which comes with a huge custom controller for Mecha interfacing.
* ''[[Exteel]]'' has '''Mechanaughts'''.
* Although largely forgotten later on in the series, ''[[Mega Man X]]'' had the '''Ride Armors'''.
Line 183 ⟶ 184:
* ''Battlefield2142'' has '''Battlewalkers''', or just Walkers for short.
* ''[[PlanetSide]]'' has the '''BFRs''', fully known as '''Big F--''' err, I mean, '''Battle Frame Robotics''', and nicknamed '''Biffers''' by players.
** And the Mechanized Armored Exo-Suit [[Powered Armor]], abbreviated as '''MAX'''
* Pox's [[Destroy All Humans!|Big Willy]].
* ''[[Shogo Mobile Armored Division]]'' has '''MCA''', '''M'''obile '''C'''ombat '''A'''rmours.
Line 191 ⟶ 192:
* The mechas in ''[[Armored Warriors]]'' and ''[[Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness|Cyberbots]]'' are called '''Variant Armors''' (also [[Spell My Name with an "S"|misromanized]] "Valiant Armors").
* ''[[Lost Planet]]: Extreme Condition'' has the '''Vital Suit''', or '''VS'''. Models range from simple open-cockpit machines to advanced [[Spider Tank|quadrupedal]] models that [[Transforming Mecha|can turn into tanks]] and ones with arms (with hands and [[Blade Below the Shoulder|mounted]] [[Chainsaw Good|chainsaws]]) and hover jets. ''Lost Planet 2'' adds multi-seaters, tamed Akrid, and even [[Combining Mecha|one that can combine with another]]!
* '''Golems''' in the ''[[Wild
* ''[[Senko no Ronde]]'' has '''Rounder'''.
* ''Bumpy Trot'' aka. ''Steambot Chronicles'' has '''Trotmobiles'''.
Line 213 ⟶ 214:
** First up, '''Transformers''' are generally sentient robots that can [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|transform]] into vehicles and animals, although in [[Transformers (film)|the films]] and ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' [[Not Using the Z Word|they're not referred in such words]] (save for the second film, when the former Sector 7 guy calls them that).
** '''Vehicons''' are soulless, mass-produced models controlled by a single commander.
*** '''Autroopers''' are similar, but are each partnered with a girl who can kiss it to merge with it and increase its power. [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Autrooper Seriously.]
** '''Targetmasters''' are a type of [[Powered Armor]] that can transform into a Transformer-scale gun.
** '''Transtectors''' are (generally) lifeless bodies that must combine with a smaller being, often of the organic variety, to function.
Line 227 ⟶ 228:
[[Category:Naming Conventions]]
[[Category:Mecha Tropes]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
| |||