Well, I guess the Terror Twins and their controller/consultant/military advisor/life coach(giggle) Shinji were celebrating a bit too soon (and off-screen, anyway).

That wasn’t even 8-Megadork-8’s final form, this wondrous machine was capable of another, even more startling and amazing transformation!
Set into motion by yet another lever, and involving more elaborate and impressive, if ultimately just as random, mechanical goings-on than ever before.

Unfortunately for our friends, the result is still underwhelming, which is the result of a combination of factors, mostly: that Nolan couldn’t really raise the money to pay for the appropriate SFX…or perhaps could and did raise the money, but then spent it on something else, possibly hookers and blow. And the other factor is…and I’m kind of ashamed to admit it…that I was never really able to figure out what the actual purpose or advantage of Guardian mode in Macross/Robotech was supposed to be. Only the ability to use the robotic hands (or at least one of them) while flying? That doesn’t seem like something that would offer a tactical advantage in too many situations…and could be achieved much more simply.

But, no matter what advantage Guardian mode might have had in Macross/Robotech , it definitely seems to offer nothing but disadvantages here, due the cheapness and sloppiness of the execution of the concept…so the Twins and Shinji might have started to celebrate too early, but still don’t really have any compelling reason to stop right now. >_>

More on Thursday.