I was making some GIFs of Zeta Gundam last night, and I think it really is the zenith of if not all mecha art quality, definitely Mobile Suit Gundam’s high point, the highlights and shadow detail are incredible, you only have to look at that Hizack in the opening to see this, just sublime IMO.
The best mecha quality art I’ve seen (not gundam) had to be Evangelion. It’s not Gundam, but you must praise the technical details.
As for Zeta, yes. It has nothing on any series now, because it was hand detailed.
Eva’s Unit’s are very nice and cleanly defined definitely.
Do you mean Zeta has nothing on modern series as in it’s worse?, because tbh with you I’d take the love and art that pores from every frame of Zeta over a vast majority of modern anime art styles. I’m hoping my interpretation is wrong though as your Quattro av is styling 
Bubblegum Crisis’ mecha is very well drawn, though I don’t like the design of the actual ‘bad guy’ mecha, but the exoskeletons the Knight Sabers wear and mecha design in general (trucks, motorbikes etc.) are beautiful. Actually, this bad guy mecha was really cool, and I think must have at least had some influence on Eva Unit01:
I also really like the exoskeleton in Metal Skin Panic - Madox 01
I have been very partial even though they are not anime but mechs from Tokusatsu franchises.
Come at me Bros!
Space Runaway Ideon, IMHO. A mecha anime isn’t a mecha anime unless everyone you care about is dead or catatonic by the end, and Ideon does not disappoint; all life is destroyed by a giant explosion.
Ah hell yeah. Ultraman rules! Tokusatsu shares even more popularity than it’s animated counterpart, atleast I think so.
COMPATI HERO!
http://www.giantbomb.com/compati-hero-series/62-2259/
The coolest part about Ideon: It was an alien robot. They didn’t know what it’s true capabilities where.
I find a little bit of it too ridiculous though, for example, the sword that doesn’t have a limit…
Megazone 23 anyone ?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sIUSIIm3O8k/T1QcOqXeNWI/AAAAAAAAAsc/d_ghm7IfMf4/s1600/bh_megazone23.jpg
Not really cool but it was my first anime ever and I liked it. It was also funny. Full Metal Panic!.
Oh my goodness, seeing those clips takes me back to my childhood. I remember watching the crap out of Voltes V. The transformation always amazed me, haha.
Nostalgia… you gotta love it. Indeed, when Voltes V and Daimos was on, I was on a different realm; just pure focus. It amazes me how it left quite an impact on our childhood. I’m very sure a lot of people carry a similar sentiment.
I even remember being black mailed by my big brother numerous times because of Voltes V. He said he won’t let me watch Voltes V unless I finish cleaning the house. The punk’s method worked; I became a cleaning machine because of him.
Haha, hell of a memory you have. It was a grand time for me, my brothers, and my cousins whenever that show came on. Don’t even get me started on the toys for it. When we were living in Manila, a neighbor of ours gave us a hint that his brother has a really good toy of Voltes V. His brother was a strict person who always telling us to focus on schoolwork than toys so he would never do it, but he didn’t mind so one day he invited us to sneak into the brother’s room to take a peek. It was a beautiful sight with the transformation being the icing on the cake. Big thing too and made out of diecast metal.
Sorry for the reminisce. I couldn’t help it, haha. Back on topic, one of my favorite non-Gundam series has been the whole Macross franchise. Just sucks that even though an American company has a license for it, they do nothing with it.
what got me into Tekkaman Blade was seeing Teknoman on UPN back in 95-96 for years I wrote to UPN to bring it back after they only shared 26 episodes, I only wish they would release the UPN episodes, Loved the voice for Teknman Gunnar aka Dagger, the the previous voice which was used in 94 sucked
As much as I love this show, are you sure it qualifies as ‘mecha’ anime? It’s not exactly about robots but people in armour.
you guys already mentioned some of my favorites (Code Geass, Full Metal Panic, and Broken Blade(seriously awesome REAL ROBOT mecha anime)). I will add to that list Eureka 7 (The type B303 Devilfish from that series is my favorite non-Gundam Mecha ever), Zoids (Chaotic Century, New Century, and Genesis. Fuzors was crap) and Star Driver, from which my profile is based on. Star Driver’s Mechs are amazing, but they aren’t for everybody. They are simply too FABOLOUS for the average man.
Break Blade, Bokurano, Big O, and Macross Frontier.
there was Pegas and the Sol Tekkaman Suits
atleast somebody watched tekkaman in here
Kira I used to watch it as Teknoman, I learned about Tekkaman Blade when I first used the internet back in 96 after it was cancelled, I was trying to get the episodes at the time, had connecetions with with Channel 2 and 44 in the bay area of California back when my Uncle was still alive, he was one of the big wigs for Channel 2 for a long time