Mechas with a very skeleton-like plates-on-frame look?

[False Prophet]

I don't remember who say this to me first, but it seems like there is a renewed interest in the type modular mechs that are very skeleton-like, those that you can instantly see the plates being bolted onto the frames. I suppose it is because of the push model kits like 30 Minutes Mission and Frame Arms have been receiving, and now we can add AMAIM to that list. What other mecha designs you can recall having this sensibility? There are plenty in IBO, for example, or the Gunboy-Wilbur. Or, for something similar to these, skinny drone-type machines like the M4AA2R BGR (Body Guard Radiobeam) and Sv-303 Vivasvat.

[John-Luck Pickerd]

The Astrays, atleast before the design went crazy

[Mafty]

- It seems like this started in the late90s-early 2000s.
- Most of the mechs in GunXSword, particularly the main one Dann of Thursday.
- A lot of the designs in the somewhat obscure Zone of the Enders video game and anime series.
- The Moonrace designs from 1999's Turn A Gundam might be one of the earlier anime examples, it helps that futurist Syd Mead did many designs for the series.

[SonicSP]

Zone of Enders is obsecure?

I guess maybe nowdays but not back in the day I think? They were still produced by Hideo Kojima in his hayday.

[Seto Kaiba]

G-Tekketsu is mostly that... since the Mobile Suits in that one have most of the key machinery built directly into the frame, and it's only the cockpit and armor plating that aren't.

Five Star Stories is also mostly that type, for much the same reason. In-universe there, the strategic preference changes over time from big and bulky heavy armor to lightly armored speedsters and back several times over the course of the extremely long timeline, but most of the truly iconic MHs and Machine Messiahs are the whip thin skeletal type that often have exposed frame parts around the midsection and especially the backs of the legs (as that's where the engine's waste heat vents are).

I feel like a number of the Labors in Patlabor also fall into this category, especially since we see in a number of factory shots that there really isn't much actual armor... almost the entire thing is frame.

[Underrated GM Custom]

Zone of Enders is obsecure?

I guess maybe nowdays but not back in the day I think? They were still produced by Hideo Kojima in his hayday.

I lived on the east coast at the time and it was actually really hard to find ZoE in EBGames or Gamestop. It recently got a remake on PS3 and PSVR but neither of them sold like hot cakes and Konami hasn't done much to market the games. Which is a shame since ZoE is awesome, the 2nd Runner is always a blast to play.