[JTECH] Giant Robot Battle becomes reality as Japan's Kuratas accepts the challenge of USA's MegaBots

In what seems to be something directly out of a mecha anime, two giant robots will be doing battle with each other in what will be considered to be history’s very first “Giant Robot Battle” as Japan’s Kuratas accepts the challenge from USA’s MegaBots.

So far, we have only seen miniature robots duke it out, but this is the first time we see two robots larger than a pick-up truck actually fight. This duel came about when American giant robot builders, MegaBots challenged Suidobashi Heavy Industry‘s famous military robot prototype, the Kuratas, to a one-on-one duel which will involve the two giant mechs hurling paint balls at one another and also doing some bot-to-bot melee combat.

Needless to say, Suidobashi Heavy Industry accepted the challenge with founder, Kogoro Kurata, coming out on video with a fighting words of his own to the challengers. Since MegaBots is allowing Suidobashi to choose the form of combat, Kurata himself announced that it will be a one-on-one melee duel.

Kurata cut MegaBots absolutely no slack, criticising “Just building something huge and sticking guns on it. It’s….Super American.”, challenging them to at least try to make their robot look cooler. Oh snap! The battle is on my friends, it is so on! Kurata also added that they must win this fight because “Giant Robots are Japanese culture“.

The Kuratas has been making rounds in tech news since 2013 as the giant robot is being offered for military use. It has made appearances in many Japanese anime and tech events including Wonder Festival (WonFes) and the Microsoft Windows Spring Festival where seiyuu Tooru Furuya, best known for voicing Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)’s original hero, Amuro Ray, got to pilot a real-life giant robot in the Kuratas.

The Kuratas was also featured in the live-action Patlabor series as one of the villains as it fought it out with the Ingram. That does not count as a real giant robot battle, as it was a work of fiction. This battle with MegaBots however won’t be scripted.

The MegaBots team meanwhile has been touring North America with their own giant robot, visiting comic book conventions and other events, showing off its skills by destroying scrap cars. Unlike “real” battle conditions, scrap cars are not likely to fight back, but the Kuratas definitely will. How will they fare?

The MegaBots team wants to kick-off the “future of sports” with this giant robot battle, and surely enough, fans are certainly excited to see this happen. So who do you think will win? The Kuratas or the MegaBots? One thing’s for certain, this upcoming battle will any mecha fan’s dream come to life.

Source: Nerdist