Gundam Sentinel

A monthly Gundam novel was serialized in the Japanese modeling magazine Model Graphix from 1987 to August 1988. Written by Masaya Takahashi, a veteran Mobile Suit Gundam fan, it gained a cult following for its detailed mechanical designs and realistic approach to the Gundam universe. Set during the timeframe of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, it follows the Earth Federation's Task Force Alpha as they confront the New Desides, an Earth-supremacist faction formed by elite Federation officers. The series depicted mobile suits as advanced military weapons rather than cartoonish robots, with larger suits, more powerful weapons, and older characters. It was the debut of Hajime Katoki, a future key mechanical designer for the franchise. The story was never animated or released as a manga, though a short animated commercial for a model kit was produced. After its run, the articles were compiled into a 320-page photo-novel titled Gundam Wars III in 1989 and later republished as Gundam Sentinel: Alice's Confession in 1990.