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Do you guys remember the series EXOSQUAD?


UN Spacy

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I thought that Exo Squad was ok for it's audience. The stories were complex and rolled out throughout the series. The only thing i didn't like was all the bright colors on the show, though it was the 90s so bright gaudy was it!

I remember one episode though that kind of relayed the idea that the connection between the pilot an mechs started to gain some type of AI. When Marsh lost his Frame I think it said goodbye to him and such. Too bad it didn't move onto the possibility of pilot/AI evolving.

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I just got an e-mail from Universal (I think it was from a survey i did a long time ago) that said they're going to release EXO Squad on DVD in 2009, so that's something to look forward to. I just finished downloading both seasons and started watching it last night, it's actually better than i remember (story wise) which says a lot for something from its era. The animation is inconsistent and tiresome but i remember thinking that when it came out also, i LOVED the toy line even if it wasn't completely accurate to the show.

Edited by emajnthis
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There were definately some aspects the show could have done with out (I'm looking at you magical plant guy powers), but I blame most of that on the writers reading robotech novels. The A.I. thing wasn't explored too much, aside from being a deus ex machina to revive a dead character by copying his memories from a black box into a clone body.

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There were definately some aspects the show could have done with out (I'm looking at you magical plant guy powers), but I blame most of that on the writers reading robotech novels. The A.I. thing wasn't explored too much, aside from being a deus ex machina to revive a dead character by copying his memories from a black box into a clone body.

I remember that in the last season, i think the writers knew they weren't going to get a third season so they just started going nuts with over the top plots and technology. The first season was awesome, and i felt wrapped itself up really well. If this show decides to come back with a better animation company, i hope someone makes more accurate toys in the same scale with no spring-loaded parts.

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I remember that in the last season, i think the writers knew they weren't going to get a third season so they just started going nuts with over the top plots and technology. The first season was awesome, and i felt wrapped itself up really well. If this show decides to come back with a better animation company, i hope someone makes more accurate toys in the same scale with no spring-loaded parts.

Well I'd hope they'd still have spring loaded projectiles but with different mechanims (IIRC) JT Marsh's E-frame launched it's missiles when you fully opened the wings... which kinda sucked if you wanted them in with the wings open.

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I remember that in the last season, i think the writers knew they weren't going to get a third season so they just started going nuts with over the top plots and technology.

I'm not sure if this happened, but did they have technology that turned Neosapians into furries or animal hybrids? I know they were desperate near the end of the war, but it was unusual to say the least.

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I'm not sure if this happened, but did they have technology that turned Neosapians into furries or animal hybrids? I know they were desperate near the end of the war, but it was unusual to say the least.

lol, furries. They did have some predatory animal hybrids, though I don't recall any specifics.

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When I went home for the holidays I dug up all my old toys that my parents still had in boxes. Among many things, I found my old Exo Squad toys. I didn't even remember the names at first. I had JT Marsh and Typhonus with their respective E-frames. I was missing one leg engine and the missiles of JT's suit. I also had the Exo Carrier Resolute II. They were pretty cool toys. I am having everything shipping to me since it was that, some Star Wars, and Star Trek toys I wanted to bring back as well.

Edited by sharky
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Another good thing about Exo Squad, for some of fandom, we we're able to get re-packaged Robotech-related toys to add to the Macross collection on the cheap. I was able to pick up the (1/72?) Destroids at Kay Bee stores in the late 90's for under $5.00 as clearance. Most of my Destroid collection an Zentraedi toys were rebranded Exo Squad figures.

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What're your thoughts on this early nineties series? Overall, I thought it was an interesting story with a lot of character depth, inventive mecha designs, and great action (sound familiar).

:ph34r: What's the connection with the crossover of Destroids for their toyline?

I don't think that we had that show here in Australia. Anybody want to prove me wrong on that?

Taksraven

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I don't think that we had that show here in Australia. Anybody want to prove me wrong on that?

Taksraven

Not a clue how, but it would have aired roughly the same time as Teknoman (Tekkaman Blade).

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I decided to rewatch this series on hulu to see if the season 1 DVD was really worth buying. Shoddy animation aside, this series is really fantastic, the writing is great, and the real stand out is the voice acting. I kind of hope the DVD sales generate some buzz at Universal, maybe Playmates will decide to release some limited edition action figures to coincide with the DVD's. What i'd really like to see is a revamp of this series with the same writers, producers and voice actors but paired with a top notch animation studio, now that would be something to see.

Edited by emajnthis
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I watched episode 1 on Hulu thinking I'd probably buy the DVDs but it was horrible and confusing. I think it was only confusing because the introduction (the shows opening) seems to take you well beyond the first episode. So, you get the events that are about to happen, summarized for you, then the show starts and those events haven't happened yet. To make things more confusing, similar events have already happened, 50 years ago. Very very odd start to the series. Add the horrid animation to that and I watched the whole episode with one eyebrow up. I might try another couple episodes, so the plot can get past the introduction's summary, but it's definitely not easy to watch with the designs being so bad and the animation worse.

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I watched episode 1 on Hulu thinking I'd probably buy the DVDs but it was horrible and confusing. I think it was only confusing because the introduction (the shows opening) seems to take you well beyond the first episode. So, you get the events that are about to happen, summarized for you, then the show starts and those events haven't happened yet. To make things more confusing, similar events have already happened, 50 years ago. Very very odd start to the series. Add the horrid animation to that and I watched the whole episode with one eyebrow up. I might try another couple episodes, so the plot can get past the introduction's summary, but it's definitely not easy to watch with the designs being so bad and the animation worse.

the animation is harsh, but if you can make it to at least the fifth episode, there's a lot of stuff that goes over your head as a child but is really clever as an adult.

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I watched episode 1 on Hulu thinking I'd probably buy the DVDs but it was horrible and confusing. I think it was only confusing because the introduction (the shows opening) seems to take you well beyond the first episode. So, you get the events that are about to happen, summarized for you, then the show starts and those events haven't happened yet. To make things more confusing, similar events have already happened, 50 years ago. Very very odd start to the series. Add the horrid animation to that and I watched the whole episode with one eyebrow up. I might try another couple episodes, so the plot can get past the introduction's summary, but it's definitely not easy to watch with the designs being so bad and the animation worse.

I'd recommend keep watching. A few episodes into it they really start building on the resistance on Earth, and small groups of freedom fighters. This then becomes a parallel storyline to what goes on in space, with additional troops getting dropped from orbit (very Starship Troopers-esque, but in a good way). This freedom fighters part of the series, plus occassional supply drops from space, is what really appealed to me about this, much the same way MOSPEADA appeals to me.

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Maybe you guys can clarify for me what is happening in the first episode. So, man made the NeoSapiens, then the NeoSapiens rebelled, then man made peace with them and that peace has been going on for 50 years right? The intro then says the Neosapiens rebel again (IIRC) but that doesn't happen until a few episodes into the first season right? It looked like the one Neosapien was using the pirate menace as a means to get the military out of the way.

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Maybe you guys can clarify for me what is happening in the first episode. So, man made the NeoSapiens, then the NeoSapiens rebelled, then man made peace with them and that peace has been going on for 50 years right? The intro then says the Neosapiens rebel again (IIRC) but that doesn't happen until a few episodes into the first season right? It looked like the one Neosapien was using the pirate menace as a means to get the military out of the way.

Haven't watched it in a while, but the pirates are a separate factor. The pirates unintentionally provide an opportunity for the Neosapiens to face less resistance, but also provide a reason for that one human force to be off planet when the Neosapien takeover occurs. The pirates, as much as I thought they were a cheesy idea at first, actually play a big part later on.

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Agreed. The pirates end up playing a crucial role and in a theme that Exosquad seemed to love.

Edited by Uxi
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  • 4 weeks later...
What're your thoughts on this early nineties series? Overall, I thought it was an interesting story with a lot of character depth, inventive mecha designs, and great action (sound familiar).

:ph34r: What's the connection with the crossover of Destroids for their toyline?

It was going to be a crossover between Robotech and Exo-Squad. Playmates needed more toys and Universal needed more stories. It seems it was initiated by Playmates and not Harmony Gold so Playmates renewed the old Robotech license.

http://www.stwing.upenn.edu/~pdanner/exo/f...oys.html#ground

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Don't know if COPS would hold up as well, but almost assuredly better than the Police Academy cartoon did :)

BTW, I'm only a few episodes in, but did anyone else notice an audio skip about 9-10 minutes into the first episode? Only problem I've noticed so far. That, and episodes seem to randomly be in mono & stereo, but I'm guessing that has more to do with whatever masters they were able to find after all this time

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  • 2 years later...

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