>>7443491That's just the thing: it actually showed up. The Zaku I got an actual major appearance in an episode, doing something besides just appearing in the background. Gadem really fought the Gundam for real, the very fact that he has a name cements the Zaku I's appearance. The Gelgoog appeared in a major way as well- but only Char's, hence only Char's Gelgoog got a normal release. The actual mass-produced Gelgoogs basically never got any focus period. They showed up exclusively as background robots or very very briefly as opposed to getting an actual role in the show that lasted more than a few moments.
This same logic applies to the Ball. The GM also has the distinction of only really being a background machine but it's so numerous and common and appears in such an iconic scene (getting stabbed, sorry Jim) that it'd not make any sense not to release it normally. The Ball meanwhile only gets background appearances in numbers and one very very brief, unmemorable scene, hence standalone Balls are sold as exclusives. Same for the Gelgoog. Only Char's got a big role in an episode, so only Char's got a normal release.
