ZZ Gundam
Encyclopedia
The MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam designed by Makoto Kobayashi, is a fictional weapon
Mobile weapons
In the Gundam terminology, the terms normal suit and astrosuit are used to refer to normal astronaut spacesuits, so as to avoid confusion with mobile suits....

 from the Universal Century
Universal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....

 timeline of the anime Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....

 metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as S Gundam
MSA-0011 S Gundam
The MSA-0011 S Gundam is a prototype transformable mobile suit that appears in the Gundam novel Gundam Sentinel. It is not only piloted by the protagonist, but the onboard AI, A.L.I.C.E., is also one of its pilots.- MSA-0011 S Gundam :...

. It is named after the third of the Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta...

, sequel to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...

 and is presented in the middle of the story as a new weapon of the protagonist Judau Ashta replacing the battle-worn Zeta Gundam. First portrayed as a multipurpose fighting machine, later variations such as the FAZZ (a test production unit) was portrayed as a less-mobile, long-range fire-support unit. The unit has also appeared in many of the Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...

series, famous for featuring different giant robot mechas of different franchise together in one mixed story, from the first of the series to Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, a total of 26 games excluding remakes. Inside the Gundam Franchise, it has been featured in the PS2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

 Game Mobile Suit Gundam Z: AEUG vs. Titans as a hidden unit not being able to purchase in the in-game shop until certain requirements are met. It is also one of the featured units in the March 2007 release PS3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

/Xbox 360 game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
On the first day of its release, Gundam Musou sold over a 100,000 copies, making it the first PS3 title to do so on its first day. Also, the game sold about 70 percent of its 170,000 -180,000 launch day shipments, making it rank third in overall sales — after Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam:...

, a spinoff series of the Koei game Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...

. It is also featured in Gundam Evolve 10. In the SD Gundam manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 Double Zeta Kun kokoniari(ダブルゼ-タくんここにあリ, Little Double Zeta is here), Double ZZ Kun is the main character.

Concept

ZZ Gundam is a Combine and Transform type mecha; it can be separated into 3 parts, Core Top, Core Base, and the Neo Core Fighter. The Core top and the Neo core fighter could function alone in combat, yet the Core Base requires the Neo Core fighter to be attached and acts as an add-on booster for the core fighter. The ZZ Gundam can also transform to G-Fortress mode, further boosting the fighter capability instead of the mobile suit's AMBAC
Universal Century technology
Universal Century technology are technologies from the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. Although they are only fictional technologies, they form the basics of the Real Robot genre of anime and is influencing real life academic research and different anime series.-...

 capability. The name ZZ (Double Zeta) is a reference to MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, showing its sequel stand point of the unit.

Original

In the original anime series, although not a fully developed Newtype
Newtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....

 Mobile weapon, the unit is equipped with a bio sensor which can improve the pilot's senses and Psycho-communication capability. The capability was later in the series used by Judau Ashta to rapid-fire the head-mounted High Mega Cannon, which the unit was not designed to do.

Gundam Sentinel

It is code-named as "Θ Gundam" (Theta Gundam) as part of the Project Zeta of Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...

 in Gundam Sentinel as one of the Anaheim Gundams. The variation "FAZZ" appeared in the photo novel series featured in Model Graphix is the first model released in the series, being the bridge of the animated ZZ Gundam series and the novel Gundam Sentinel, to familiarize and introduce the series to customers, since the copyright holder was not on their side, in promoting the product.

Super Robot Wars

In the first Super Robot Wars
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...

 (Game Boy), ZZ Gundam was portrayed as a 2.5-headed super deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...

 unit working on its own without a pilot like the other mechas in the same game. In later series, the pilot system was introduced and it is default to be piloted by its original pilot Judau, yet it is possible to change the pilot ranging from other Gundam series pilots or maybe sometimes even the Real Robot
Real Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....

 type original hero.

Gundam Evolve

In Gundam Evolve 10, Double Zeta featured a different design. It is used as a patrol unit for the Jupiter fleet (For transporting Helium 3 back to earth as fuel) The core base unit was built on the fleet's flag ship Jupitris II and encountered a system malfunction during combat. A new core base built by Anaheim Electronics and sent to the fleet with a mass driver
Mass driver
A mass driver or electromagnetic catapult is a proposed method of non-rocket spacelaunch which would use a linear motor to accelerate and catapult payloads up to high speeds. All existing and contemplated mass drivers use coils of wire energized by electricity to make electromagnets. Sequential...

 arrived in battle and the combination system was used to save the life of Judau.

Characteristics

One of the features making ZZ Gundam very easy to recognize is the head-mounted High Mega Cannon (50MW as the output power is the 4th most powerful). The cannon is portrayed as a very powerful weapon that will not only destroy anything that gets in its way, it uses up so much energy that ZZ Gundam will cease to function for a short period. Another characteristic of the ZZ Gundam is the Transform and Combine system. It was designed as the 4th generation Mobile Suit with these systems. However, it is obvious that there are little others to fill in the category and the generation mobile suits are Newtype custom Mobile Suits with Psycho-Frame built in to increase reaction time of the units. All of these systems are designed in real life by Mika Akitaka and Katoki Hajime.

Design concerns

The Transformation and Combination feature was taken into serious reconsideration by Katoki Hajime during his design works for Model Graphix, he expressed disapproval of the popular system at that time (which a lot of Robot anime featured one or more) and found it not only weakening the structure of the Mobile Suit and putting the main cockpit in an open area rendering all the armour of the Mobile Suit useless in protecting the pilot, but also raising the price of manufacturing one such mobile suit too expensive and impractical to mass-produce (probably not only stating the statement for inside the Gundam Universe, but also referring to producing Plastic models and toys). In order to counter these problems, he specifically designed an inner cockpit for further protection of the pilot for the S Gundam and mentioned the Full Armour ZZ Gundam armour addon effectively provides defensive measures for the ZZ.

Design Competition

ZZ Gundam received its name before its appearance in the show like most of the other Gundams, however early naming of the unit includes Gundam Mk-III, Omega Gundam and Neo Gundam. Mechanical designers including Makoto Kobayashi(小林誠), Hideo Okamoto(岡本英朗), Mika Akitaka(明貴美加), Hiroyuki Kitadume(北爪 宏幸), Yutaka Idubuchi(出渕裕), Mamoru Nagano(永野護), Kazumi Fujita(藤田 一己) and Kunio Okawara(大河原 邦男) all designed their own version of ZZ Gundam before the show aired. Makoto's design won the competition yet still receiving various clean-ups from Hideo and Mika.

MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam

Original of the series, first seen deployed as a weapon against Neo Zeon movement of Earth Federation faction AEUG in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. Designed by Makoto Kobayashi, Clean-up by Hideo Okamoto, Transformation planning by Mika Akitaka. First appearing in the 1986 Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, later appeared in various other Gundam franchise like plastic models including Master Grade model and Gundam Fix Figuration. The unit received redesigns by Katoki Hajime for the GFF version.

ZZ-GR

Appeared in the 3DCG animation Gundam Evolve 10, ZZ-GR, naming convention following Gundam Evolve net's outline section. Designed by Masato Ichishiki(一式 まさと) for Gundam Evolve 10, featuring a core base built on Jupitris II, flag ship of the Jupiter fleet which Judau got on in the end of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, observed to be using GM III parts.

MSZ-010S (MSZ-010B) Enhanced ΖΖ Gundam

An upgraded unit of the above ZZ Gundam, plot-wise in enhancing the unit's structure to protect the complicated transformation and combination system from being damaged when adding the below armour set on it.

FA-010S Full Armour ZZ Gundam

Full Armour ZZ Gundam, or Full Armor Enhanced ZZ Gundam, a Full Armour upgrade of the unit, designed Mika Akitaka, appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ episode 46.

MSZ-009 Prototype ΖΖ Gundam

The concept of the ΖΖ Gundam was tested in two MSZ-009 Prototype ΖΖ Gundam which can separated into two parts called G-Top Zero Type and G-Base Zero Type. (and could transform into G-Fortress Zero Type in SD Gundam
Super Deformed Gundam
is a series that spawned from the Gundam series. This series takes the mobile weapons and characters and express them in super deformed style.-Origins:...

 Games) . The Prototype ΖΖ Gundam's main purpose was to test combining mechanisms, which developed into a new core block system. Appeared in M-MSV, designed by Kunio Okawara.

FA-010A (FA-010B) FAZZ

The FA-010A (FA-010B) FAZZ is a prototype mobile suit from the Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....

 photo-novel series Gundam Sentinel
Gundam Sentinel
is a novel set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe, originally serialized in Model Graphix magazine between September 1987 and August 1988. Gundam Sentinel became a cult hit, due to its super-detailed mechanical designs and an intricate story by veteran writer Masaya Takahashi...

. According to the designer Katoki Hajime, the FAZZ was a testbed unit designed by Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...

to test out several of the features that would be put into use when they would construct the FA-010S Full Armour ΖΖ Gundam. The acronym FAZZ stands for "Full Armor ΖΖ. The FAZZ tested the concept of adding extra armour components to critical structural points to make the unit more structurally sound. However, the FAZZ itself had the necessary equipment to transform into the G fortress removed to simplify construction costs, and the armour components of the FAZZ can not be removed or ejected, so the unit is incapable of transforming and combining into G-Fortress mode like the standard MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam was capable of doing. Also, the FAZZ's High Mega Cannons were totally inoperable. While the back-pack rods resembling the Hyper Beam Sabers equipped by the ΖΖ, they were instead Beam Cannons derived from S Gundam's back pack cannon.

The feature of this variation is the second most powerful Hyper Mega Cannon(official output of 79.8MW) for long-range fire support.

MSZ-013 Mass Production Type ΖΖ Gundam

A mass-production ZZ Gundam was designed by Kunio Okawara in M-MSV, removing the transformation and combination system, even the core block system itself. The High Mega Cannon mounted on its head was also lower in power yet still a great foe in battle as a mass-production unit. According to Kunio, it never faced mass-production due to generator problems rendering it impossible to fully utilize its High Mega Cannon.

Appearance Outside of the Gundam Franchise

In the Super Robot Wars, ZZ Gundam and its upgrades are long-term base units that appeared in most of the series. Its main feature is still its High Mega Cannon, being able to fire against an area, compared to most weapons in the series being able to target only one single enemy.
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