Mekton Zeta Plus:
Advanced Technical Manual

Review: RPG

Reviewed by Rich Warren

R. Talsorian Games, Inc.
by Ben Wright and Michael MacDonald
$18

For those who do not know, Mekton Zeta is the third edition of R. Talsorian's anime-based, giant robot RPG. Unlike other games of this genre, Mekton Zeta tries to provide a platform for recreating almost any anime style, and R. Talsorian claims that Mekton Zeta Plus allows us to build any mecha imaginable.

It doesn't. But it comes close.

Mekton Zeta Plus provides detailed rules for creating new weapons, armor, shields and sensors. Additional rules allow transforming and combining mecha, remote drones, Also and techno-organics. The scaling rules let you design everything from body armor to planet-shattering starships.

Then you have the Stupid Mekton Tricks -- those elements of anime that defy rational explanation. Stupid Mekton Tricks include Expanding Plasma (giving a 60-ton behemoth the ability to transform into a camera or pocket watch), Ninja Leaping (need I say more) and my personal favorite, Super Deformed Mektons (a nearly indestructible toon variant that gets bonuses based on how cute or scary it is).

MZ+ also provides rules for psionics and psionically controlled mecha, combining Mekton Zera and Cyberpunk, and building vicious, nasty alien animals. Finally, the last page lists MZ errata.

This book is well laid out and attractive. R. Talsorian scattered many good, relevant pictures throughout -- though they could have used their sidebars more efficiently.

On the down side, MZ+ does not contain the promised advanced space movement rules. The books still suffer from detail-level problems (a few typos, numbers that do not match or add up properly, etc. Also, the game tries tO cover such a broad range of styles that it almost requires GM oversight during mecha creation Otherwise, you could create mecha that simply do not work together (e.g., Super Deformed Mektons and nearly anything else). On the other hand, with GM oversight and a little creative rule-bending, you can literally design anything you want.

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