SERIES INTRODUCTIONS
The Banpresto Originals will be introduced to us during the game, so I'll concentrate on summarising the other series on display in a non-spoilery fashion.
[spoiler]Choosing the Banpresto Original as a favorite would be, in a word, 'tech', since its one of the mecha we'd be using the most and is a must-use for the final chapters. So it'll kill a lot of dudes, and upgrades won't go to waste.[/spoiler]
BLUE COMET SPT LAYZNER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygA_pCGch8A Real Robot series of high-speed aerial and space combat in small Super Powered Tracers, with appropriate levels of angst, quirky minibosses, and a older, more stoic protagonist than many such series, balanced out by a group of kid sidekicks.
[spoiler]This would be a good show to favor, since it gets a fair chunk of plot, and its boss characters can be some of the most annoying in the game.[/spoiler]
BRAIN POWERD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IOmP0Ipu2M&feature=relatedOne of the new-agey anime that followed Evangelion, Brain Powerd (and yes I'm spelling it like that) was made by Yoshiyuki Tomino, the mind behind the original Gundam series. Its organic mechs and constant references to life energy and the like make it a rather unique show, as does the
racy artistic opening sequence, which I won't post here. Has possibly the biggest cast in the game, and the most varied.
[spoiler]This wouldn't be a bad series to favorite, since it gets a fair bit of plot in the midgame, and it has a lot of units which are pretty versatile.[/spoiler]
SUPERELECTROMAGNETIC ROBO COMBATTLER V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcA1wA8xW6oThats a 'Vee'. While its not the first Combining Robot show, Combattler is probably the most archetypical: 5 kids are given powerful machines that combine together to make a Super Robot, laden with crazy weapons like killer Yoyos and hurricanes made of magnetism, to fight aliens invading the earth with giant monsters.
[spoiler]While Combattler itself isn't bad, its probably not the best choice to favorite unless you intend to use it throughout the game. It gets little plot of its own, and is unavailable for significant lengths of time.[/spoiler]
SUPERELECTROMAGNETIC MACHINE VOLTES V
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-wJjRApwwsThats a 'Five'. Made by the same company the year after Combattler V finished, Voltes is very much a refinement of the same idea. The kids are older, the aliens are more humanlike and relatable, and there's more swordplay, but in general it uses most of the same tropes. I like it better though, because Voltes looks better to my eyes than Combattler as a robot design.
[spoiler]While it gets a bit more of the story than Combattler, I wouldn't reccommend Voltes as a favorite either unless you want to use it all game.[/spoiler]
Full Metal Panic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z54QdWhWFcEOne of the two big 'Dramedy' shows in the lineup, FMP combines a pulse pounding action series with Real Robot-using mercaneries battling over super-technology, with a wacky high-school comedy.
[spoiler]Favoriting FMP is an either-or situation. The series gets a fair bit of plot, but its concentrated in the middle of the game, and by the late game they can be obsoleted. Still, they're not bad by any means.[/spoiler]
MOBILE FIGHTER G GUNDAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjthxRnmFM0After the poor reception of Victory Gundam, the producers at Sunrise began changing up the formula for their landmark series, moving away from the Universal Century universe into alternate realities, and shaking up the 'young boy falls into cockpit of gundam and is thrust into the grey morality of war' plotlines just a tad (not too much though, people fear change). The greatest departure was the first, the popular but incongrous G Gundam, where Gundams and their super-kung-fu pilots are the champions in battles which decide which country rules the solar system. So unusual is the plotline that only parts of it can be used in crossover like this, so the Gundam Fight setting is discarded, but the true story of G Gundam is fully intact...
[spoiler]While they may be tough to use effectively, the G Gundam units are some of the most powerful in the game, especially if they have the right upgrades. So Favoriting them would work well.[/spoiler]
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeAUardKfMYIf G Gundam was an attempt to break away from the tired Gundam formula of the 80s, then Gundam SEED is the attempted revival of the formula for the new millenium. It hits basically all the beats of the original Gundam series, with a young boy with special powers being thrust into a war where he's not sure what the right side is, with a powerful mech that only he can handle, leading to much angst and many battles with pretty explosions and stock footage. Its plot is probably best described as average, but it maintains high popularity in Japan, with the western reception being much less positive: A trait magnified for the sequel, which thankfully we don't have to deal with here.
[spoiler]Favoriting SEED would be a fairly good move mechanically, because SEED gives us one of our Battleships, a unit we have to use for most of the game, no questions asked. And the other units are pretty good at well. It depends on whether you can tolerate the characters more than any mechanical concern...[/spoiler]
HADES PROJECT ZEORYMER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66_SezdUwrYOne of the last of the 80 OVA boom, Zeorymer was based on an incomplete comic from an adult magazine, yet managed to get to 4 episodes in a time where OVA series finishing their run wasn't a certain thing. I can't really talk much about it without giving too much away, as its short and every battle sequence is plot-critical. Its a dark little tale that, while it might not be the best anime out there, does manage to turn some anime cliches on their heads.
[spoiler]Its only one unit, but as a favorited series, Zeorymer can kick some serious ass and rake in the cash and XP with the various upgrades.[/spoiler]
MOBILE BATTLESHIP/MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_BxHEvuA2MThe second of the Dramedies, Nadesico is the story of the crew of an advanced battleship and its mecha fighting desperately against alien hordes, while struggling against bueracracy and the true nature of their hidden enemy....But its also a beloved sendup of many of the tropes that defined the Mecha genre in the 70s and 80s, with a tone that goes from serious to irreverant and some sharp jabs at saturday morning cartoon morality that are relevant even today.
[spoiler]Adding Nadesico as a favorite would be a very good idea for the simple reason that the Nadesico itself is one of the best units in the game, and will probably get the lions share of all the kills whether you mean it to or not. The other mechs of the series aren't bad, but aren't the most spectacular. They can be made good with the right care, however.[/spoiler]
MAZINKAISER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfoimqzm8LwMazinger Z was one of the very first mecha anime, and is a beloved classic of the Monster of the Week format, with brave Kouji Kabuto fighting against mad scientist Dr. Hell and his Mechabeast army. As such, Mazinger Z and its sequels were natural inclusions into the SRW franchise, and have featured in virtually every game in the franchise. However, as the weakest Mazinger, and usually the first super robot the player gets, Mazinger Z started to fall behind compared to other super robots. So creator Go Nagai designed a new robot for Kouji Kabuto, specifically for SRW, and the Ultimate Mazinger was created. This new robot eventually got its own series, which then featured in SRW itself, completing the cycle.
[spoiler]With two high-powered Super Robots and 3 useful support mechs, Mazinkaiser is a solid pick for Favorite Series.[/spoiler]
SPACE KNIGHT TEKKAMAN BLADE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmX564UTabEA modern update of 70s anime Tekkaman, Tekkaman Blade is a dark tale of humanity on the brink with only one man, the 'Dangerous Boy', who can save them, but who is unpredictable and holds many secrets. Its made slightly more cheerful for the game, but is still pretty intense. This is the first time a Power Armor type show has been featured in SRW (though not the first time human-sized units have been used, mainly thanks to previous appearances of G Gundam).
[spoiler]While it has some of the most powerful units in the game, I'm not sure Blade is the best choice for a favorite series, as after enough upgrades, enemies just don't want to attack Blade anymore. Something to do with the waves of mutilated dead...[/spoiler]
SUPER BEASTIAL MACHINE GOD DANCOUGAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ugmx8OQIfsA late 80s OVA series, Dancouga/Dancougar is an odd mix of Super Robot and Real Robot tropes. While the actual robot is a combiner, the Cyber Beast Team operate with just their base machines for most of the series, and the series has more of a military feel to it. Sadly, a lot of the series plot is excised in this game, leaving just one of the major subplots. It integrates nicely into the games universe, however, without sacrificing characterisation.
[spoiler]While not the most optimal choice, Dancougar would be a fine unit to favorite, as its one of the more powerful super robots.[/spoiler]
So, which of these series would you like to get favorited?