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HCM LOGO

Bandai HCM: Addendum
by Matt Alt, MOI

Posted: 10.19.98

It's no secret that there were quite a few planned-but-never-released entries in the High Complete Model line, but new (and depressing) information has surfaced showing that the initially-planned extent of the series was much larger than anyone had previously assumed.

Bandai was ready and rarin ' to go all-out on when they announced their plans for the new HCM series at the Tokyo Toy Fair on February 2nd, 1984. The March '84 issue of Hobby Japan reported that a total of twenty figures was announced for the line-up, and that prototypes of the Full Armor Gundam and Vifam were on display. Interestingly, Bandai also announced a two-pronged approach for the marketing of these toys. According to the article, the HCMs were designed both for those too young to build the models appropriately and for those too old to have time to build models. As such, two types of packaging were planned: the standard sliver box that HCM collectors know so well, and a classier "book-style" slipcase package.

The article also noted that the initial release list was subject to change. (No kidding.) Unreleased casualties-of-marketing are marked with an asterisk. Read it and weep:

[GUNDAM SERIES]

  • FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam
  • MS-06R Zaku II
  • RGC-80 GM Cannon *
  • MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon
  • MS-06E Zaku Recon Type *
  • MS-06K Zaku Cannon *
  • YMS-09D Desert Type Dom *
  • RX-78 Gundam *
  • MS-06 Zaku *

[VIFAM SERIES]

  • Vifam
  • Neofam
  • Dualfam *
  • Wug *

[L-GAIM SERIES]

  • L-Gaim
  • Works *
It's unknown if prototypes were produced for any of the unreleased robots; it's amazing that Bandai was even considering releasing toys of characters as obscure as "Zaku Recon Type" or "GM Cannon." Apparently, management had similar thoughts, and less than half of the above list ever made it into production. What's even more amazing is that they decided to axe the standard Gundam and Zaku pieces, two of the most instantly recongnizable and popular robot designs in the entire Japanese toy kingdom. Fickleness, thy name is Bandai...

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