The US and Japan are about to engage in a giant robot fight, and
you’re all invited to watch. No, we’re not kidding, although if you’re thinking
on the scale of Pacific Rim or anime shows like Evangelion or Gundam, you might
need to revise your expectations a little.
Billed as the “world’s first giant robot fight,” the battle –
which has already taken place in secret – will stream on Twitch on October 17
at 10pm ET. It’s been two years in the making, so, ladies and gentlemen, place
your bets now.
America, for its part, is sending in MegaBots’ “Eagle Prime,” a
10.9-tonne (12-ton), 4.9-meter-high (16-foot) metallic monster. The engineers
that built it say that it “seats two, is powered by a 430 horsepower V8 LS3
engine, and costs a cool $2.5 million,” adding that “cup holders come standard.”
The promotional video for their war machine is exactly as American
as you’d expect: bombastic, showy, and genuinely imposing. Engaging in a trial
of sorts, the impressive creation slides around corners with ease, smashes
through some barrels with its claw-like left arm, and fires projectiles quite
accurately at several others.
At one point, a car explodes as it’s hit by an explosive
projectile. When faced with another war robot armed to the teeth – the “enemy
megabot” – Eagle Prime literally rips its face off. Somewhere, a bald eagle
probably beamed with pride.
In Japan’s corner, you have Suidobashi’s Kuratas robot, weighing
5.9 tonnes (6.5 tons) and reaching a height of almost 4 meters (13 feet). A
promotional video from 2012 takes on a slightly different tone to the American
equivalent right from the offset, where it issues a disclaimer.
“Kuratas is an art piece. It is not a normal vehicle, so it
doesn’t guarantee you safety and comfort. However,” it adds, “it makes your
dream of becoming a robot pilot come true.”
It’s shown wandering around the streets of Tokyo quite
peacefully, but in a follow-up video – one which responds to the Americans
originally challenging them to the duel – they show off its punching prowess
set to heavy rock riffs.
So, who’s your money on? Will the Americans prevail, or will the
Japanese dominate the battle? Tune in to find out!
[H/T: Engadget]
Comments
Post a Comment