Besides the regular TV broadcasts, Gundam's popularity has also spurred production of three "OVA" (Original Video Animation) series -- that is, shows that are released directly to video tape without ever seeing TV broadcasts. So far we've had "Gundam 0080" and "Gundam 0083." Now Sunrise (the company which produces Gundam) is cranking out "The 08th MS Team".

Unlike the recent TV shows which have been set in some alternate Gundam universe unrelated to the original show and the "One Year War" featured in it, 08th MS Team is the One Year War. Featuring ground combat between Gundams and Zakus running around in jungles, it has quite a different, more claustrophobic feel from that of the space-based shows we've seen so much of lately.

The first kit related to the show is the Gundam vs. Zaku II set -- a unique kit in two way. First of all, it contains two complete "Mobile Suit" kits, the RX-79 Gundam, and a MS-06J Zaku II (both shown above). The second reason it's unique is that the two kits are both "HG" grade. A step down from the awesome "MG" kits, but far better than the little 500 yen 1/144 kits we usually see. Besides the two robots, the kit also includes a number of accessories, including the Gundam's back-mounted cargo container, and eight different weapons for the two protagonists. All-in-all, a pretty good deal for 1,500 yen. This kit is available now.