This is the first of the Shining Gundam's high-powered modes, which allows it to employ its devastating Shining Finger attack. In this form, the Gundam's arm covers pop out and its face armor opens for extra ventilation. This transformation increases the Shining Gundam's speed and offensive capabilities, but reduces its sensor effectiveness, adaptability, and defensive strength.

A unique technology developed by the military forces of Neo Sweden, and installed in the Nobel Gundam assigned to Allenby Beardsley. When the Berserker System is triggered by an external induction signal, it brings out 120% of Allenby's latent fighting ability, while at the same time transforming her into a raging beast—a literal berserker.

Many Gundams are equipped with a built-in core lander, a detachable hover vehicle which houses the mobile fighter's cockpit. As well as providing Gundam Fighters with a convenient means of personal transportation, these vehicles also double as emergency escape systems.

In the year F.C. 59, a revolutionary new mobile fighter was completed at the space colony of Neo Japan. Developed by the scientist Dr. Raizo Kasshu with the help of his son Kyoji, this "Ultimate Gundam" was a masterpiece of nanotechnology. Thanks to the microscopic machines which made up its body, the Ultimate Gundam possessed almost unlimited powers of self-multiplication, self-recovery, and self-evolution.

However, no sooner was this incredible machine completed than it was seized by Kyoji Kasshu, who fled to Earth with the stolen Ultimate Gundam. Severely damaged during its flight to Earth, the Ultimate Gundam began regenerating itself, using its self-enhancement powers to evolve into the sinister Dark Gundam.

The Dark Gundam's evil influence is manifested in the form of so-called "DG Cells." Using its powers of self-replication, the Dark Gundam can infect living beings with microscopic nanomachines that function as a kind of biomechanical virus. These DG Cells spread rapidly through their victims' bodies, first covering their skin with metallic scales, and then invading their central nervous systems. By the time the contagion reaches the brain, its effects are generally irreversible, and the victim becomes nothing more than a puppet dominated by the will of the Dark Gundam.

Since DG Cells are mechanical in nature, their effects can also extend to machines and vehicles. When a Gundam Fighter is infected by this virus, the contagion spreads to his or her mobile fighter as well, enhancing its capabilities and enabling it to regenerate any damage it sustains. In the last stage of the infection, the pilot and mobile fighter merge into a monstrous hybrid, completely under the Dark Gundam's control.

A key component of the Mobile Trace System is the fighting suit, a form-fitting costume made up of microscopic nanomachines which is wrapped around the pilot's body when he or she enters the cockpit. This suit monitors the pilot's motions so that they can be replicated, or "traced," by the mobile fighter. External conditions like physical obstructions and battle damage are also transmitted back to the pilot via the fighting suit.

Even under normal conditions, the Burning Gundam is as powerful as the Shining Gundam's Super Mode, but this new mobile fighter can also change into a high-performance mode powered by the emotional energy of its pilot Domon Kasshu. In Hyper Mode, the Burning Gundam's chest opens to reveal an energy multiplier, the wing-like field emitters on its back unfold, its overall performance is increased by 30%, and it can perform a devastating Burning Finger attack.

In the sixth year of the Future Century, the colony nations found themselves locked in a technological cold war, striving to develop ever more powerful mobile suits to assert their dominance over the other colonies. To avert a second Chaos War, they adopted the Gundam Fight proposal, in which the leadership of the United Colonies Federation would be determined through a martial tournament. A new type of high-performance mobile suit, the mobile fighter, was created for use in this contest. Unlike conventional mobile suits, which are controlled with levels, pedals, and switches, all mobile fighters are operated using the Mobile Trace System.

Even before the dawn of the Future Century era, Earth's nations were using the humanoid vehicles called mobile suits to build their orbital space colonies. These early mobile suits were designed for space construction work. However, once the colonies were completed, research began into the military applications of mobile suit technology. The colony nations used their military mobile suits to bring an end to the Earth Chaos War that raged from F.C. 2 to F.C. 4, and their success in this conflict made these machines the weapon of choice in the Future Century era.

A half-century later, these mobile suits are still the backbone of the colony nations' fighting forces, defending the space colonies and their territories on Earth. Each colony nation has its own standard types—among them Neo Japan's JMS60 Busshi and JMS71 Nobusshi, Neo America's 29H-A-MS Murphy, Neo France's NF-MS81 Godard, and Neo Mexico's P-143S Pescatore. Smaller worker mobile suits also remain in use for civilian construction tasks.

This is the control system used in all mobile fighters, including those which compete in the Gundam Fight. Upon entering the mobile fighter's cockpit, the pilot is wrapped in a form-fitting "fighting suit" made up of microscopic nanomachines. The fighting suit monitors the pilot's motions and physical condition and relays this data to the mobile fighter's computer, which then mirrors the pilot's own movements. The surrounding environment is projected onto the walls of the "virtual cockpit," and external conditions like physical obstructions and battle damage are transmitted back to the pilot via the fighting suit. The result is that the pilot operates the mobile fighter exactly as if it were his or her own body.

One of the three special abilities of the Dark Gundam. Thanks to the magical science of nanotechnology, the Dark Gundam can mutate and evolve into new forms, continually gaining new abilities and increased power.

One of the three special abilities of the Dark Gundam. Thanks to the magical science of nanotechnology, the Dark Gundam can reproduce itself, infecting machines and living organisms alike with its sinister taint and spawning legions of minions to carry out its evil plans.

One of the three special abilities of the Dark Gundam. Thanks to the magical science of nanotechnology, the Dark Gundam can repair almost any damage it might sustain, though severe injuries do take a long time to heal.

The second of the Shining Gundam's high-powered modes. In this form, the Shining Gundam's overall performance is increased by 50%, its speed and offensive power are more than doubled, and the panels of its armor open up to reveal a variety of cooling systems, boosters, and field generators. The Super Mode is powered by the emotional energy of its pilot Domon Kasshu, who at first can only attain this state when he loses control of his rage and passion. However, through the instruction of Schwarz Bruder, Domon learns to attain the serene state of mind of a true warrior, allowing him to activate the Super Mode at will.