Model/Toy Review Drop Box

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RafE'
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:00 am

Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

blind_dead_mcjones wrote:
RafE' wrote:Hi there. Is it possible that I contribute a Macross kit review (specifically Bandai's YF-25)? Thanks. :)
don't you mean VF-25? anyway this should answer your question
Chris wrote: Right now, obviously, the focus is on anything Gundam. I would like to build up reviews for a Macross section, so right now those are the only non-Gundam model reviews that should be posted in this thread. Good luck.
Thanks about that, although I really mean about the YF-25 (Prophecy, not Messiah) :wink:

By the way, are watermarks allowed on the pictures? Thanks.
User avatar
Speakeasy
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:38 pm
Location: Hong Kong

Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

GENERAL AND TECHNICAL DATA:
Series: GUNDAM X High Grade After War 1/144
Title: GX-9900 GUNDAM X
Release Date: April 2010
Retail Price: 1,800Yen
No. of Parts: 108 PS + 11 ABS + policaps + stickers
Colors: White, red, baby blue, purple blue, grey, transparent green
Gimmicks: Satellite Cannon Expansion, Hovering Mode

INTRODUCTION
The 1st of a series of upcoming HG 1/44 products from the 1990s alternate century GUNDAM series, BANDAI brought us the long-awaited fan favorite that is the GUNDAM X. Technically, this is the second HG release of the mobile suit, after the 1996 1/100 release that preceded even the HGUC line. And let me just say, the HG series has come such a long way.

HEAD 4.5/5
Unlike most earlier HG kits, the head of GUNDAM only came in 4 parts: the eyes and mouth (red), the face mask and the helmet (white), and the V antenna (yellow). There’s no two-halves to be snapped together and hence no seams to cover up. And I’m most impressed with it from the looks to the structure. Surely you have to use stickers or paint the eyes and the antenna visors, but that’s to be expected, and nothing a GUNDAM-building veteran can’t handle with ease.

TORSO 4/5
Although not quite MG-level,the torso is nonetheless wonderfully articulated. Besides the standard neck ball joint, now the upper torso is connected to the lower parts by another ball joint, which is attached to the waist armor by another ball joint, giving the entire torso not one but two points of articulation. The shoulders are also connected to dual joints, allow the arms to pop out and embrace each other, a welcomed feature inherited from the HG 00 kits.

The Waist armor is pretty standard, if solidly executed. The conjunction part that connects the legs to the waist (and an action base if you so wish) is always welcomed, but hardly exciting by this point as all the HG 00 kits have it by now.

The feature I’m most impressed with, though, is the coloration. While the blue chest and red waist parts are expectedly divided up, the yellow heat sinks and white chest plate are a nice touch, not to mention the green satellite interface – not only is it in transparent green plastic, but there’s also a chromosome sticker beneath it to give it a kaleidoscopic effect. It all would’ve been perfect if only they had given the 4 chest Vulcans grey parts as well, but I guess that may be too much to ask for an HG kit. Still, they didn’t even give us a sticker to color they grey…

ARMS 4/5
Again, the arms are solid but hardly exciting by themselves. Thanks to the improved shoulder sockets, they can pop out from the shoulders to hug each other. The articulation is about 90 degrees, no less and no more than expected. Coloration is again, outstanding. The white, grey and blue parts are perfectly realized from the original design. Even the two grey heat sinks on the shoulder armor were thoughtfully recreated.

Now the purple parts are where I have the most problem with this kit. These purple, crystallized, satellite cannon receptors are perfectly recreated and fit exactly where they were intended to. But why the hell are they purple?! They are purple on the GX-9900-DX X Divider, but on the GUNDAM X they are meant to be crystallized blue. Not that they don’t look good in purple, but imagine someone wanting to go for the nostalgic effect and paint them crystallized, but that’s hardly a possibility with this kit since the purple is simple not transparent enough.

LEGS 3.5/5
The legs are standard, detailed and nicely built. Gone are the good-old snapped-on two halves that made up the thighs and the calves. The calves are made up of two halves, knee armors, a part-part ankle armor and of course the feet themselves, which is always one of my favorite parts to build.

If you asked me, I think the legs are a bit too long and sturdy, in comparison to the rest of its body, a feature that tends to plague all the Katoki-produced kits. Maybe it has something to do with balancing, as these HG kits with sturdier legs tend to balance better than the SEED and 00 kits. Regardless, the kit still looks great standing.

WEAPONS 4.5/5
The weapons are, to me, the main attraction of the GUNDAM X. And although its weapons aren’t quite perfect yet, they are pretty damn close.

Shoulder Vulcan Gun – a small gimmicky feature, but a damn cool one. It’s, well, a mini-sized Vulcan gun mounted on GUNDAM X’s backpack (not the shoulder) and it’s rotatable from an upright position to a firing one. It doesn’t sound like much in words, but you have to look at and play with it to understand how cool such a tiny detail can be.

Mega Beam Sword – It’s a simple design, but boy is it cool looking. The handle can be placed at the butt of the Satellite Cannon barrel, and the green transparent green part is a welcomed change from the standardized chopstick-looking beam sabers. It’s actually shaped like a sword!

Shield Buster Rifle – If there’s one thing that weighs this kit down, this will be it. Fortunately no one ever pays too much attention to this piece of side arm (or 2). It’s not a useful design to begin with: a beam rifle that doubles as a shield, since the handle doesn’t move, you can’t actually seem to use its shield to block any income attack, or pose in any cool looking position.

It doesn’t help either that the rifle/shield transformer doesn’t actually happen. They give you two rifles, one in folded rifle form, and the other in shield form. Again, not that I had any expectation for it, but if they could make a semi-decent transforming rifle for the 1996 kit, why can’t they do it for the upgraded 2010 version?

Well if it’s any consolation, you can store the rifle (in folded rifle form) onto the suit’s backpack. That’s where it’d probably remain for most people. Personally, I’m just going to pretend the GUNDAM X doesn’t even have such a rifle.

Satellite Cannon – Finally, the thing everyone bought this kit for. I was super-excited when I saw the previews of this kit and I thought it looked AMAZING. And it does. The 4 satellite panels are colored by large pieces of chromosome stickers, but it’s all the more amazing to discover that the panels are carved with chromosome textures, model-painters can make something really amazing out of this.

A new gimmick that didn’t exists with the previous kits is the hovering mode, where the panels are deployed and facing backward as if wings of a butterfly. It’s hardly anything technical, just a matter of posing. That said, it does look quite cool with a stand.
Now the crown jewel: the Satellite Cannon itself, and possibly one of the most iconic moments of the 1990s GUNDAM. The extended barrel and oversized lunar panels simply look badass. There’s only one thing I wished they had done better with this mode: unlike the 1996 kit, the lunar panels don’t rotate. They must be taken apart and back together so that the chromosome side is facing the front. It just seem like a stepback, and I have little else to complain.

OVERALL – 4.5/5
Why should I buy it?
- The icon that is the Satellite Cannon, and the fact that this kit really does it justice;
- All the wonderful little details they put in the kit (especially the Shoulder Vulcan Gun);
- One of the best colorations in an HG kit;
- Regardless of whether you liked the series, this is a truly one of Okinawa’s best designs;
- To show BANDAI that we support them making more alternate century kits.

Why shouldn’t I buy it?
- The none-transforming weaponry is slightly disappointing, given the technology level;
- The purple parts really shouldn’t have been purple: should’ve at least made them transparent;
- 1800Yen for a kit that used to cost 500Yen back in the day?!

SUMMARY
Giving alternate century GUNDAMs the HG treatment is something I think BANDAI should’ve done long ago. Yet, it’s better late than never. By itself the GX-9900 GUNDAM X is an impressive kit. It does not go for the gimmicky designs of the SEED and HG 00 kits, but focus on getting the suit itself right. And the result is a solid, beautifully crafted labor of love that showcased the technological advancement of BANDAI in the past 14 years, as well as its ever-inflating price tag (500Yen vs. 1800Yen).

But the GUNDAM X means more than just a simple entry in the long lineups of HG kits. It’s the first of the 1990s mobile suits, and certainly not the last. Even if you’re discouraged by the seemingly lack of GUNDAM X popularity, or its 1800yen price tag, you will have every reason to be excited about it. We know that the God GUNDAM is already on its way, and various missing plates of the GUNDAM X kit suggest that an X Divider kit is also a given. Maybe the next alternate century HG to be announced will be the one you’ve been dreaming about all these years.

(Pictures courtesy of 1999.co.jp)
Front/Rear View
Box Side Bar
RafE'
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:00 am

Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

Here's mine :D

Kit: YF-25 Prophecy (Famima Mart Website Exclusive)
Scale: 1:72
Series: Gekijō-ban Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~ (Macross Frontier the Movie: The False Songstress/Diva)
Pre-order and Release dates:

Pre-order: September 1-14; Release: October 8-12
Pre-order: September 15-October 5; Release: October 23-27
Pre-order: October 6-19; Release: November 5-9
Pre-order: October 20-November 2; Release: November 14-18

Price: ¥6,025 (inclusive of tax)
Number of Parts: 280 plastic parts (272 actual parts (174 Polystyrene (PS) + 106 Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) + 8 unneeded parts) + 5 metal rods + 1 sheet foil stickers + 1 sheet marking seal + 1 sheet replacement water-slide decals
Plastic Colors: Light Orange, White, Black, Gray, Dark Gray, Clear (parts unused), Clear Blue, Purple
Weapons and Accessories: Beam gatling gunpod x1, Knife x1, Shield x1, landing gears, Action Base 1 stand adapters
Kit Gimmicks: 3-mode Transformation (Fighter, GERWALK (Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint), Battroid), water-slide decals included in kit, MG-esque internal frame (common to all VF-25 kits), compatibility with all variants of Bandai's Action Base 1

Review by: Rafael Enrique E. Carlos


HISTORY:

Kit/Mecha History:

The premiere date of Macross Frontier the Movie: The False Songstress was first announced on September 25, 2008 during the first airing of Macross Frontier's last episode with the movie's release date not announced. It is planned to be released during the summer of 2009 but was later moved to the fall of 2009. The announcement of the fall release was done via an itasha mini-van outside the "Macross: The Super Dimension Space Launching Ceremony" event last February 22, 2009 but it is noted that the actual release date and the movie title is subjected to change. It is later known that the movie will premiere in Japan on November 21, 2009 with the preview trailer premiered in June 27, 2009, the same date that the ticket pre-sales began.

To commemorate the movie, Bandai (c/o Famima Mart) announced the limited release of the 1:72 YF-25 Prophecy model kit as of early July 2009 that can be only pre-ordered (together with the nationwide access movie ticket) at their official website. The VF's design was done by Shoji Kawamori himself, as with the majority of all Macross designs. The kit can only be pre-ordered on four certain time periods, with the kit's release date approximately 25 days after each pre-order period. The first time that the kit was available for public viewing was at the Chara Hobby 2009 held in August 29-30, 2009 at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex (then later at the 49th All Japan PLAMODEL RADICON Show (PLAstic MODEL RADIoControl) held in the same venue last October 8-11, 2009). The kit was later covered in various Japanese modeling magazines, with a completed, painted, and detailed work featured in the Hobby Japan October 2009 release.

The two-seater YF-25 Prophecy (produced by the Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I.) is the prototype (and therefore the direct predecessor) of the VF-25 Messiah series (VF-25A (mass-production type), VF-25F (junior officer type), VF-25S (commander type), VF-25G (sniper type), and the RVF-25 (reconnaissance type)) and the direct descendant of the delta-wing YF-24 Evolution (blueprint taken from the Galaxy Network; produced by Shinsei Industry/General Galaxy; another direct descendant is the Macross Galaxy Variable Fighter Development Arsenal (Guld Works)'s VF-27 Lucifer series). As the Messiah's prototype and testing machine, the Prophecy was only produced as several test units. Since it is a prototype, its main configuration/set-up is said to be unarmed, since the equipment, setting configurations, design, etc. is still being developed and might change during the test stages. It is also used simultaneously as an EX-Gear (EXtender-Gear) control test, and both of it's seats support EX-Gear. After all testing, equipment modifications and add-ons are completed, the VF-25 was produced from the test data obtained from the YF-25 and was leased to Macross Frontier's S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) for actual combat field testing. The YF-25 was later converted into an EX-Gear training craft.

The main physical differences between the Prophecy and the Messiah are the head (which houses the multi-sensor unit: composed of more than two sensors and cameras for test data and image gathering, as well as the asymmetrical left and right antenna units) and the two-seater cockpit, aside from its light-orange and white color scheme and N.U.N.S (New United Nations Spacy) markings.


PRELIMINARY REVIEW

Box art

Front:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... opview.jpg
Standard Bandai-style art, depicting the kit in the usual CG form like in other Gundam kits. The anime and Bandai's logo is as seen as usual, with the original production year and the studio's copyright at the lower left side of the box. The 3-mode variable kit logo is seen beside the title with the color of the logo the same as the mech's dominant color (as with all Macross F kits by Bandai). The size of the box is comparable to that of the MG Wing ver. Ka, while the thickness to that of HG 1:144 00-Raiser with GN Sword 3.

West/East Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xeast1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xeast2.jpg
The art for the west and east side of the box is the same: a simplified version of the front box art, but with the completed kit pictures.

North Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... north1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... north2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... north3.jpg
The north side highlights the specific kit parts as well its 3 main forms. The kit's contents and the completed kit is shown to the right just like the newer MG kits.

South Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... south1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... south2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... south3.jpg
The south side shows the 3 main forms together with front and rear views on each of the form of the completed kit. It also shows the VF's history, the synopsis of the movie, and the double-packaging art.

Double-Packaging art:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xunder.jpg
The double-packaging art is located at the very back of the box, featuring Sheryl Nome and was drawn by 3 people, 2 of which came from STUDIO G-1NEO. This is actually the first (of four kits) to feature a double-packaging art, and the only Sheryl one (the other was Ranka, on the VF-25F, VF-25F Mech. Clear, and the VF-27γ Lucifer). Actually this art (as well as Ranka's) are good enough to serve as a wall poster or as a large binder cover, but for me its too valuable for that.

Kit contents:

Sprues:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ruea-d.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ruee-j.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ruek-m.jpg
The kit contains a total of 280 parts crammed in 13 sprues (all labeled A-M in usual Bandai style). All of the sprues are basically the same with the VF-25F's except the sprue M, which contains the YF-specific parts. The number of parts are comparable with an average MG kit (in this case the MG Wing Ka with a total number of 288 parts).

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... emver2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... loseup.jpg
YF-25's sprue M and sprue M marking at close-up

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... etail1.jpg
This kit also feature one of Bandai's latest molding techniques: the one that allows them to manufacture hollow cylindrical parts as a single piece rather than having them made as halves, thereby minimizing the risk of flattening out the part's surface.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... gflash.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tflash.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... aflash.jpg
(from top to bottom: flashes at the leg, feet, and the left antenna)
One of the problems of this kit are the numerous flashes present, notably the very visible flashes on the gray part on the leg, feet, and the left antenna. Other locations include the white shoulder armor, among others.

Manual, metal parts, and decals:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sories.jpg

Manual front page:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual1.jpg
The front page of the 32-page manual depicts the box art as with all VF-25 kits.

Parts list:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual3.jpg
The manual's pages 2 and 3 has the usual Bandai's depiction of the kit's sprues, as well as a list of the other parts/accessories included at the end. The building notifications are noticeably absent.

Building tutorial:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual4.jpg
At the page 4 of the manual, there is a general building tutorial of the kit, which is also applicable to other kits.

Sprue segregation:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nual5b.jpg
First conceived on the MG RX-78 OYW ver., the manual shows the sprues needed for a specific part just before the manual instructs the builder to build that part. This is very helpful especially when building kits with a large number of parts.

Building notifications:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual7.jpg
The building notifications (typically seen at the top of the sprue list) are located at the bottom of almost every page of the manual, probably as a “shortcut” for beginners who do not want to flip back to the parts list page for the definition of that notification.

Undergate part cutting tutorial:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual6.jpg
This tutorial allows the building of parts made using the “undergate” process, which has the sprue connected under the part, not on the side as most parts do, thereby protecting the part against unnecessary marks and eliminates additional work. This process is usually done on chrome-coated and clear parts.

Manual “centerfold”:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual8.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... anual9.jpg
This is the manual's “centerfold”, except there is no folded page at the center. These pages usually contain the synopsis, mech's info and (in the Macross F kits' case) the character info.

Transformation instructions:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nual10.jpg
Usual Bandai transformation instructions, but with an indication for which mode (Fighter to GERWALK, GERWALK to Battroid, for the reverse transformation just reverse the instructions). Like the main building manual, these instructions also come with the sprue segregation image if new parts are needed (in this case the Action Base 1 adapters).

Decal placement:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nual11.jpg
The decal placement instructions of the kit are located at the very back of the manual, similar to Bandai's MG kits. Since the marking seals and the waterslide decals have exactly the same markings, they have the same blue numbering. The red numberings, which are only present in this kit, act as notifications that the indicated decals (which are actually number decals) can be replaced with the included additional number decals to form custom unit numbering.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ftover.jpg
Leftover numbering decals (enclosed in blue) after the (separate) default numbering “001” is used.

Color guide:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nual12.jpg
The 21-color guide of the YF-25, with about an average of 3 colors per mix. As per a translated color chart taken from the internet, the last 4 colors are for the pilot figures. As with (about) all current Bandai kits, GSI Creos' Mr. Color series are used in the color chart.

Sticker/Decals:
The kit contains a small sheet of foil stickers (primarily for the black part on the crotch armor as well as for the sensors), marking seals (some of which are immediately applied as per building instructions), and its replacement waterslide decals.

Metal parts:
This kit also contains 5 metal rods (Ø22mm * 2mm x1, Ø11.5mm * 1.5mm x2, Ø20mm * 1.5mm x2) used for small (and very delicate if plastic is used) pivot joints of certain joints, specifically the one under the cockpit, on the wing roots, and the root of the upper/main Pelikan tail.


MAIN REVIEW

Body parts
(note: some marking seals are applied as per manual instructions)

Head:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ntview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
The head of the YF-25 which contains its two main components: the asymmetrical side antennas and the main multi-sensor system. The white top cover and the two clear blue parts can be removed to expose the multi-sensor system. The top cover can be placed with either marking seal or decal or be painted for the blue band running at the top center of the fighter.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ntview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
Multi-sensor unit and main camera exposed

Body/Fuselage (note: Fighter form pictured):
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... opview.jpg
Since all Macross' variable fighters are mainly used in the fighter form, I have the main fuselage pictured. During transformation to Battroid mode, the fuselage becomes the main body of the Battroid, and the cockpit goes directly below the head. Aside from the main radar, the nose also houses about three vernier thrusters which are used to propel the fighter in absence of a traveling medium (either air or water; usually used when landing in space). The arm and wing assembly are located at the back of the fuselage. The black part at the side of the body is molded with detail but it will be relatively covered and unseen in all modes (even the cover also has that detail).

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... etail1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... etail2.jpg
The (unseen) detail on the long black part and its cover.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ockpit.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... itopen.jpg
The cockpit with the canopy assembled, which can be removed to show the two pilots. The canopy is made with clear blue plastic as opposed to the other Messiah kits which are made with clear plastic. The two gray pilot figures are made up of two parts each, with both of them are directly molded into the cockpit seat. Note that the hole underneath the cockpit is where the longest metal rod is attached.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... omview.jpg
Arm and wing assemblies attached at the back of the fuselage.

Arms:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rm/arm.jpg
The whole arm assembly is made up of an internal frame, and just the long lower arm is covered by an external armor (aside the shoulder). The lower arm's external armor is made up of three pieces: two long orange parts and one white wrist part. The orange parts form the halves of the armor and as such, a long seamline runs the entire length of the lower arm. As with the fuselage, one of the orange armor and the shoulder armor sports hidden details.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ternal.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... amline.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... detail.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... detail.jpg
From top to bottom: arm internal frame assembly, seamline on the arm, hidden details on the arm and shoulder armor

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... lators.jpg
The kit also includes 5 manipulators for this kit: two gripping hands, two open palm hands, and one conjoined open palm hand which serves as a restraint for the arms and as the “male peg” for the shield in fighter mode.

Wings:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... opview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... omview.jpg
(right wing top and bottom)
Since these mechs transform to fighter jets, they must have their own variable-sweep wing assemblies. A variable-sweep wing is used for aircrafts that function both in high-speed (dogfights, etc., where the wings are semi-retracted) and in low speed (bombing runs, etc., where the wings are fully extended). The wings can also fully retract for parking. The remaining metal rods are also located in these assemblies. The white stripe on the main wing is actually a marking seal/decal, and must be preferably painted since the orange color underneath bleeds to the white seal/decal above.

Legs:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ighter.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... teview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... erwalk.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ttroid.jpg
(from top to bottom: Fighter form, Fighter form (side facing the fuselage), GERWALK form, Battroid form)
The legs form the outside portion of the fuselage and as such, houses the air intake ports on one end, and the mech's thermonuclear reaction turbine engines on the other. The feet act as the engine's variable-exhaust propelling nozzle, which varies the fighter's speed. The feet also has the ability to thrust-vector, providing additional maneuverability especially in fighter form. The feet is also used for braking and landing, by extending the feet to the front similar to its GERWALK form. In its GERWALK form the legs and feet are extended to the front, giving the mech's ability to hover and to turn sharp curves. In its Battroid form the feet serves as its main propulsion method, especially during flight, by redirecting the engine's thrust using the legs (depending on where it is positioned), and therefore putting an increased stress of the knees.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ternal.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ternal.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... racted.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... extend.jpg
Leg internal frame (from top to bottom: ankle (joints for the feet at the bottom), full leg internal frame, opened leg frame in fully retracted position, opened leg frame in fully extended position)

Weapon systems and included accessories:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... eapons.jpg
The kit includes the three basic handheld weapons: a beam gatling gunpod, a knife, and a shield.

Beam gatling gunpod:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... atling.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tended.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ternal.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... hmount.jpg
(from top to bottom: gunpod normal form, gunpod high output form, internal view, gunpod with mounts attached for Fighter form)
The gunpod is constructed in purple and gray plastic, with the barrel in dark gray. The gunpod can be used in either its normal/compact form, and in its high-output form by opening the lower cover then extending the top part to the front. A green foil sticker is used to replicate its sensor. When transforming the mech to its Fighter form, the gunpod is attached to two mounts (wherein one of them is also attached to either the Action Base 1 stand or to an included support stand, can be removed if desired) that will go underneath the arms in fighter mode.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ighter.jpg
Gunpod in mech's Fighter mode attached to the Action Base 1 Black ver.

Knife:
The knife only consist of just one gray part. In Macross canon the knife can be reinforced with the mech's pinpoint barrier system for enhanced attack power.

Shield:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... mlatch.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... donarm.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... shield.jpg
(from top to bottom: shield rear view, mounted on the left arm, knife in storage compartment)
The shield is an integral part of the mech, since the shield is used to cover the hands and to improve the aerodynamic profile of the fighter. The shield is also used to contain the knife with the compartment hatch at the tip of the shield. The shield is supposedly colored in white; only the top part is white and it comes from this kit's version of the sprue M (same shield as the other kits; the original orange top part (discarded as one of the eight extra/uneeded parts) is in sprue C).

Undercarriage/Landing gears:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dcover.jpg
This kit includes a set of landing gears, as with all aircraft kits, for use in the Fighter mode only. The landing gears are arranged in the tricycle configuration as with most fighter aircraft. The nose gear is made up of three parts: the main gear strut and its two wheels. Aside from the landing gears itself, this kit also includes a pair of alternate body undercarriage covers for depicting the fuselage undercarriages at the legs deployed (the nose gear cover just hinge to open).

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... gear1.jpg[
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... egear2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rriage.jpg
(from top to bottom: nose gear bottom and side view, fuselage landing gear)

Aside from the landing gears, a small support base is included to prevent the model from tripping down (since it can barely support its weight without the stand). The support base is connected to one of the gunpod's mounts, the one that allows the kit to be displayed on the Action Base 1 stand.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tstand.jpg
Support base mounted

Action Base 1 stand adapters:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dapter.jpg
This kit also includes a set of stand adapters for use with Bandai's Action Base 1, as with all new Bandai kits which cannot fit the stand by itself. The first piece is the aforementioned gunpod mount for use in Fighter mode, the second piece is for connecting the first piece for use while in GERWALK mode, and the last is for use in Battroid mode. These parts connect underneath the model depending on which mode it is on.


Transformation:

Since this is a 3-mode variable fighter, it is common sense that this kit must transform. Compared to old Macross kits by Bandai, the kits from the Frontier series feature full transformation, with very minimal parts swapping (particularly the manipulators and the undercarriage covers). The latter part of the manual indicates the transformation procedure from Fighter to GERWALK (since the kit is first constructed in Fighter form), and then GERWALK to Battroid. To have it transform vice-versa, the directions are reversed. The (simplified) transformation procedure is as follows:

Fighter to GERWALK:

Stage 1:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform1.jpg
1. Remove all landing gear and close all landing gear hatches
2. Pull the ankle
3. With the extended ankle as your rotation point, bend the leg down

Stage 2:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform2.jpg
1. Open the orange leg cover
2. Lift the ankle latch
3. Pull the foot/ankle down
4. Bend the front sole to the front
5. Bend the heel to the rear
6. Fold the lower Pelikan fin inwards
7. Return the latch and the leg cover to its inital positions respectively

Stage 3:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform3.jpg
1. Fold the upper Pelikan fin down
2. Fold the wing to the back
3. Fold the entire wing assembly inwards
4. Remove the gunpod and its two mount latches
5. Remove the shield and the conjoined manipulator
6. Bend the side skirt armor down

Stage 4:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform4.jpg
1. Bend the lower fuselage to the front
2. Bend the arms down (to release from its latch) then to the front (with the exposed pivot joint near the "screwdriver" marking as the rotation point) at 180 degrees

Stage 5:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform5.jpg
1. Pull the shoulder armor outwards
2. Bend the arms downward at 90 degrees
3. Return the lower fuselage to its initial position
4. Attach desired individual manipulator

GERWALK to Battroid:

Stage 6:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform6.jpg
1. Repeat Steps 1-3 of Stage 3
2. Open the nose gear cover
3. Bend the lower fuselage to the front
4. Flip the part that connects the two legs together to the front
5. Straighten the legs down

Stage 7:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform7.jpg
1. Pull forward then bend the nose to the nose gear hatch
2. Push the extended thigh back to its original compact form
3. Bend the aft fuselage plate down

Stage 8:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform8.jpg
1. Bend the front fuselage down
2. Pull the head up
3. Push the rear side of the tab beside the head down
4. Rotate the head 180 degrees
5. Rotate the antennas to its position

Stage 9:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sform9.jpg
1. Bend the triangular parts beside the fuselage downward
2. Rotate the cockpit/fuselage and insert it beneath the head (with the nose joint located between the head and the cockpit, and with the nose behind the chest armor)

Stage 10:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... form10.jpg
1. Flip the black crotch part to the front while retaining the legs. Insert the fin under the fuselage to the slot now behind the crotch
2. Bend the rear fuselage plate to the cockpit to act as a cover


PROFILE PICTURES:

Fighter mode:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ighter.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tertop.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... erside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nggear.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... bottom.jpg

GERWALK mode:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... kfront.jpg

Battroid mode:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ttroid.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... loseup.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... idside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... idback.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... F-25/2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... /pose2.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... kabuki.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... abuki2.jpg
Kabuki pose as per 1st preview video of Another Century's Episode: R.


CONCLUSION:

For me this kit is a satisfying build, not because this kit is an exclusive one and I waited more than a month to get it, but the kit itself is just beautiful (first noticed after just building the head). Aside from that the Battroid form is taller than the MG RX-78 ver. 2.0 by a few centimeters (based on Dalong's comparison of the MG with the 1:72 VF-25F kit). This kit can be said to be at the MG level due to its large box, number of parts, decals, kit detail, and internal frame (just like the old HG 1:100 kits compared to today's NG 1:100 kits). Only problems on this kit are certain decals (those parts are preferably painted for consistency), the use of all-plastic joints (which contribute to its stiff joints but may later result to loose and/or broken joints especially when repeatedly transformed), the sheer number of color mixes to paint this kit (as well as the VF-25S; some of which can be omitted), and the spare parts needed (if one of the kit-exclusive parts were broken and/or lost). Other than that the kit makes a great display even when in Fighter form only, and the excessive number of surplus number decals can be very useful in other kit projects. Since the kit doesn't posses a monochrome-like color scheme (like the VF-25F), the parts does not often require sealing (just like the MG Zplus A1, compared to the C1). Also, this kit is possibly compatible with the Super and Armored packs, since it is just basically a recolor of the VF-25F plus a few parts.

OVERALL RATING:
4 out of 5 stars
Last edited by RafE' on Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

Here's another Gunpla review of mine which will also be available in the main MAHQ site.


HGUC 1/144 ORX-005 Gaplant

Series: High Grade Universal Century (HGUC) 1/144
Title: ORX-005 Gaplant
Release Date: 11/2003
Suggested Price: ¥2,200
No. of Parts: 127 + polycaps + stickers
Plastic Colors: blue-green, navy blue, red, gray, black, yellow
Gimmicks: mobile armor mode, Active Thrusters (2), beam sabers (2), booster, display bases (2)

Introduction

Contributor: G-Slayer
Date: May 23, 2010

Watching the Gaplant in the Zeta Gundam anime prompted me to buy its namesake model kit. Taking a break from my limited edition Gunpla, I used the Gaplant to work off some pent-up frustration. But having almost as many parts as a 1/100 scale kit, I soon learned that completing this kit was no cakewalk. It also seems that every HGUC kit I buy is slightly bigger than the last one, though they’re all the same scale. Each stage of the Gaplant’s transformation to mobile armor mode will be explained throughout this review.

Head

Featuring the posable red ‘eye guard’ that is lowered for the transformation, there is no way you can pose the head with the Gaplant’s overgrown shoulders in the way. Stickers are included for the head.

Torso

The Gaplant’s torso is probably the most complex part of its body because of its transformation. Because of this, the waist doesn’t swivel. When it converts into a mobile armor the chest is lifted at a 45° angle; the large jetpack at the back goes down; the upper body splits apart and folds onto the back of the pelvis; and the front of the pelvis goes up and attaches to the chest, becoming the MA’s ‘nose.’ The pelvis also houses a hard polycap that attaches the Gaplant to both its booster and display base. The front skirt armor stays in place while the back skirt can be lifted. Tiny stickers are included for the chest.

Arms

The Gaplants large arms show great posability—despite the “Active Thrusters” attached to the movable pegs at the elbows—and the back of the hands are molded in the right color, though the tubes at the elbows and the shoulders need painting. For the transformation, the shoulders fold onto the chest and the arms go behind the Gaplant’s back. For an easier conversion, I suggest doing this first.

Legs

Sporting large shins with thrusters and feet with 2 points of articulation, the legs are quite posable. They are aligned with the MS’ back and arms during transformation, while the long ‘toe’ of each foot is folded back.

Weapons and Accessories

Active Thrusters—Housing rockets in the back and tipped with beam rifles, these retractable devices serve as thrusters, shields and weapons for the Gaplant. They also have foldable handles for the Gaplant to hold, though it’s pretty hard to do without pulling the hands off the arms. Attached to the arms with a swiveling polycap, the thrusters are turned at a 180° angle and extended in MA mode. Stickers are included.

Beam Sabers—The Gaplant also includes a pair of beam sabers, each molded in one piece. The beams need painting.

Booster—Used for atmospheric entry, this overgrown structure attaches to the Gaplant at the pelvis and the back skirt armor. Some paint is recommended for the fins and rockets. Stickers are included.

Display Bases—Composed of 2 parts, the base attaches to the Gaplant at the pelvis in both modes. When the booster is used, the base attaches to a hole at the front of the booster while a smaller base holds it up at the back.

Conclusion

What I liked the most about the Gaplant was that even if you don’t paint the red rockets, most of them are concealed by the MS. I can’t say as much for the booster. Though it’s nice of the folks of Bandai to throw that in, it takes up valuable real estate and I can do without it. But my biggest concern is that single polycap docking the model to the base. According to a review about the 1/144 Gaplant TR-5 [Hrairoo] (Advance of Zeta), its docking mechanism seems more stable. Regardless, I humbly welcome the Gaplant into my Gunpla collection. If you’re a fan of Zeta Gundam or transforming MS, you’re sure to do the same.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
Last edited by G-Slayer on Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

This is my review for yet another Gundam kit.


LM 1/144 DT-6800 Daughtress Custom

Series: Limited Model (LM) 1/144
Title: DT-6800 Daughtress Custom
Release Date: 12/1996
Suggested Price: ¥800
No. of Parts: 24 + polycaps + water decals
Plastic Colors: bluish pale purple (?)
Gimmicks: 90mm machine gun, 500mm cannon, shield, face variants (2), antennas (2)

Introduction

Contributor: G-Slayer
Date: June 20, 2010

A grunt unit from Gundam X, I bought this along with the LM version of the Jenice. Despite the box and the instructional manual nearly getting split in two with a box cutter, the kit itself survived the ordeal. Having the same limited articulation as the Jenice, the Daughtress also includes optional parts to build the standard DT-6800A, the DT-6800W weapons type, or the DT-6800C command type.

Head

The head is made up of the back and one of 2 faces: one for the standard Daughtress and the commander’s face with a long arch at the top. A hole in the back of the head houses one antenna, so why didn’t the model’s designer drill in another hole for the extra antenna (for the command unit) instead of sticking it on with glue? I have no idea.

Torso

The torso is made up of two large parts (Translation: No Swiveling Waist), with ball joints for the head and arms. There’s also a small jetpack that attaches to the back with 2 square pegs (while the rocket pack has 3 holes). Why couldn’t the designer just put in regular holes and pegs? I have no idea. A decal is included for the left skirt while decals designating each MS type are included for the jetpack.

Arms

With the included polycap hands, each arm has 3 point of articulation. The shoulder armor is molded onto the shoulders, which have unsightly mold lines. Why didn’t I sand them off prior to painting? I have no idea. A decal for the left shoulder is included.

Legs

Each consisting of 3 parts (with no ankle movement), the legs attach to a small, thin ‘barbell’ which goes up the skirt armor in the torso—assuming you can squeeze the upper legs onto the barbell. Why didn’t I ease up on sanding the barbell so the legs wouldn’t get so loose? I have no idea.

Weapons and Accessories

The machine gun, cannon and shield are each molded in one piece. With no mounts built into the arms, the shield has a peg at the bottom for the hands. Not only is the long-barreled cannon glued to the back (for the weapons-type MS), but it severely hinders head movement. Why did I stick it on anyway? I have no idea.

Conclusion

For a $10 plastic model, this sure took a lot of work to complete; almost as much as a higher-quality kit. Not that I mind the challenge, but I do mind the flaws in the Daughtress’ design. The Jenice shares some of those flaws but it seems much more durable. Why do I keep buying LM Gunpla in spite of this? I have no idea.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars.
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Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

Kit: XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero (EW Version) (Gunpla 30th Anniversary Clear Parts Campaign Vol. 1 Part 2)
Scale: 1:100
Grade: Master Grade
MG #: 75 (original release)
Series: Shin Kidō Senki Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz)
Release date(s):

Original release: October 2004
Clear Parts Campaign Ver.: December 18, 2009

Price: ¥3,990 (both versions; inclusive of tax)
Number of Parts:

Original kit: 319 plastic parts (297 actual parts (151 Polystyrene (PS) + 108 Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) + 14 Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) + 24 Polyethylene (PE)) + 22 unneeded parts) + 1 sheet foil stickers + 1 sheet marking seal + 1 sheet dry-transfer decals
Additional clear parts: 41 clear Polystyrene (PS)

Total Number of Runners: 16 + 1
Polycap Number: PC-126
Plastic Colors: White, Blue, Red, Yellow, Gray, Clear, Clear Green, Black
Weapons and Accessories: Twin buster rifle x1, Beam saber x2, Adjustable stand x1
Kit Gimmicks: internal frame, variable wing design, replication of the mech's various poses as seen in the OVA/movie, compatibility with all variants of Bandai's Action Base 1 (including the clear green and fluorescent green Celestial Being stand) and the stands released with the first production of certain NG 1:100 Gundam SEED Destiny and MG kits, extra clear armor set

Review by: Rafael Enrique E. Carlos
Date: 15 July 2010


HISTORY:

Kit History:

After the release of the much-anticipated MG Wing Gundam Ver. Ka in March 2004, many fans and modelers speculate that in the near future an MG Wing Gundam Zero (EW ver., also known as Wing Gundam Zero Custom to avoid confusion with the TV version), considering that the two are basically the same except for the wings, weapon systems, and the color scheme. Surely enough, it was announced later that the MG version of the Wing Gundam Zero will be released in the near future, together with an optional base stand, just like the MG Ex-S and Aile Strike kits that preceded it. This kit is also notable for starting the trend of releasing a non-Ver. Ka kit based on the Ver. Ka kit itself.

Mecha History:

After designing and (unfinished) building the OZ-00MS Tallgeese, the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero was the first mobile suit designed (but not built) by the five former OZ (Organization of Zodiac) scientists (which will build their own Gundam units later based on this mech to be used in Operation Meteor: Doctor J (Wing; from the orbiting colony cluster at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian ... gian point 1), Professor G (Deathscythe; Lagrangian point 2), Doktor S (Heavyarms; Lagrangian point 3), Instructor H (Sandrock; Lagrangian point 4), and Master O (Shenlong; Lagrangian point 5))) to be composed of Gundanium Alloy (a rare and extremely durable metal that can only be created in outer space) as its main armor composition. It was not built due to the MS' two destructive distincts: its twin buster rifle, which can destroy a whole colony in a single shot, and its ZERO System, a cockpit-pilot interface system that directly interfaces the pilot's brain and feeds the pilot real-time tactical data. After sometime on, a grieving Quatre Raberba Winner (pilot of XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock) over his father's murder at the hands of OZ's soldiers, stumbled at the blueprints of the Wing Zero and decided to build it using his family's resources as his replacement Gundam. As he first used it, he was severely affected by the unit's ZERO System, causing him to become mentally imbalanced and therefore went on a rampage against OZ and the colonies to avenge his father's death, destroying a natural resource satellite (in other words, an asteroid with incorporated mining facilities) and an evacuated space colony (Colony 06E3) in the process. He was later stopped by Trowa Barton and Heero Yuy, while piloting the OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate and OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius respectively.

Later the unit is taken into possession by OZ and tested its ZERO System (using Heero and (later) Duo Maxwell as test pilots; both were driven mad similar to Quatre due to the system) in hopes that the unit will be incorporated to their line of mobile suits until the Romefeller Foundation's (OZ's parent army) Mobile Doll Chief Engineer Tuberoff sees the Gundam as a threat to his Mobile Dolls and orders his men to have the unit planted with explosives and be destroyed. As his men were evacuating prior to the detonation of the explosives, Zechs Merquise stumbles the Gundam and claimed it, sacrificing his Tallgeese in the process. With Zechs piloting the unit, he then later on encounters Heero with his ZERO System-equipped OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon, built by the Treize Faction leader Treize Khushrenada. They later switched units after their battle during the dissolution of Relena Peacecraft's Sanc Kingdom. This unit remained as Heero's personal unit with his battle with Zechs (now known by his original name Milliardo Peacecraft) and his Gundam Epyon (except in two instances wherein he lend his unit with Trowa and Chang Wufei to solve their respective problems, becoming the only Gundam unit to be used by all five original pilots) during the first Eve War, and later destroyed the last fragment of the Peacemillion-class space battleship Libra during atmospheric entry. After the war, it is stored at the Lunar Base along with the other Gundams with Howard (the co-designer of the Tallgeese and the co-creator of the first Peacemillion-class ship Peacemillion) as its custodian and caretaker until the Gundams (with the exception of Wufei's) are sent to the sun via an abandoned resource satellite for destruction.

Later, due to the war with Dekim Barton's Barton Foundation against the Earth Sphere Unified Nation (ESUN), including with Relena's kidnapping, Heero retrieves the Wing Zero via a special booster system connected to the feet and wings from the satellite thanks from Quatre and his Maganac Corps allies. He later confronted Wufei on Earth orbit and continued their fight after their re-entry in the Earth's atmosphere until the Wing Zero was defeated. The Wing Zero was last seen firing its combined twin buster rifle at the Barton Foundation's Brusell Fortress three times until the fortress' bunker shield and the Wing Zero was destroyed (at the latter's case, due to the effect of the rifle's recoil on a damaged Gundam frame).


PRELIMINARY REVIEW

Box art

Front:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xfront.jpg
Standard Bandai-style art, depicting the kit in the usual CG form like in other Gundam kits. The MG and the anime logo, as well as the Gunpla 30th Anniversary logo are present at the top right of the box, with the Bandai logo at the lower right of the box. The Clear Parts Campaign logo is at the lower center portion of the box together with the production date (2009 instead of 2004 since this is a special release) at the lower left. The upper box itself measures 32.96cm in height and 24.07cm in length, which is the same for the MG Wing Ver. Ka.

North/South Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... oxside.jpg
The art for the north and south side of the box is the same: a simplified version of the front box art, but with a yellow band at the bottom, which seems to indicate what Clear Parts Campaign volume the kit belongs to. The width/depth of the box measures 12.21cm long.

Left Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xleft1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xleft2.jpg
The left side of the box shows the kit's action poses, the kit's markings, the cockpit, the kit as mounted on its display base/stand, and the kit with the exclusive clear parts attached on one side.

Right Side:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... right1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... right2.jpg
The right side of the box features the (typical) front and rear view of the mech (with the painted pilot figure), the opening gimmick of the machine cannons, the internal leg frame, and the wing detail.

Inner cover:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rcover.jpg
The box's inner cover features the completed kit itself with the stand attached replicating the pose as shown at the box itself. This kit is the second-to-the-last kit to feature an inner cover (before MG #77 RMS-099 Rick Dias Quattro Bagina Custom) aside from the Ver. Ka and OYW kits. The MG logo is also shown at the lower left edge of the cover.

Inner box:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... stripe.jpg
The inner box features a gray stripe at the lower edge, similar to the first-production release of certain NG 1:100 Gundam SEED Destiny kits (the one with the exclusive stands). This stripe indicates that there are additional parts not present in the regular release version, and the width of the stripe indicates the total width of the added sprues.

Underneath the box:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... xunder.jpg
Underneath the kit's box shows the 22 selected MG kits to be released with the exclusive clear parts as part of the campaign's Volume 1 release. The order of release for these kits are different from Ngeekhiong's initial announcement. The box also shows how to “register” the kit to the Club MG website to earn points for use on the Club-specific items.

Kit contents:

Runners:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... uea-c2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ued-g2.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rueh-l.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... others.jpg
The kit contains a total of 319 parts crammed in 16 runners (all labeled A-L in usual Bandai style, with the (reusable) beam saber parts labeled as SB4). Some of the runners are basically the same with the MG Wing Ver. Ka, while the other nine runners are brand-new. Runner D has its color changed from white to blue.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ka-w0c.jpg
As with all other kits that reuse old runner moldings and add new sections to the runner, this kit is no exception. In the above pic one can see the labeling of the old runner together with the labeling for the entirely new parts.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ulator.jpg
On one of the new runner (Runner L) there exists a portion of the runner with the label “MANIPULATOR 3”, which entirely contains the white hand parts, separated by “runner bridges” (which usually indicates the runner will later have a re-release but with certain added and/or removed parts). From the label, one can assume that Bandai may have already released that part of the runner on other kits prior to this kit.

Manual:

Front page:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... lfront.jpg
Typical MG front page, with the layout later borrowed by the SD GGeneration kits. The top portion shows the series' logo (instead on what faction this unit belongs to, because there are none) and the bottom portion shows the head lineart (which is common to all non-Ver. Ka and OYW kits).

Introductory page:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... alinfo.jpg
This page shows the unit's whole-body lineart as well as its history. The next page shows the typical list of the various components of the unit.

Parts list:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... uelist.jpg
The parts list of the kit, which is one of the things to check out before buying. The typical MG bolt and nut set are noticeably absent.

Building notifications:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... lnotes.jpg
The building notifications are located at the top of page 6 of the manual, which is the first page of the manual proper.

Building index:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tnotes.jpg
All MG kits feature a “building index”, wherein the manual shows the builder what stage/s is/are to be build on that page.

Parts description:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... linfo2.jpg
Two pages on the manual are reserved for the descriptions of the unit's major parts (head, arm, leg, wing (if any), weapons) and its serial numbers (if any). The size of the head unit is usually compared to the height of the pilot in this page.

Manual “centerfold”:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rfold.jpg]
This is the manual's “centerfold”, except there is no folded page at the center. These pages usually contain the series' synopsis, unit info, color guide, front and rear view of the kit, weapon set, and the internal frame. The color guide (always) uses GSI Creos' Mr. Color paint series, although a pre-mixed Mr. Color color set may be available for this kit.

Rear centerfold:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... arfold.jpg
Almost (if not all) MGs feature a rear centerfold, which consists of 4 pages at the fold itself. This page(s) are located just before the decal placement page.


MAIN REVIEW

Body parts
(Note: some foil stickers are applied as per manual instructions. The pilot figure is not assembled into the cockpit. The clear sensor parts located at the arms are not attached due to difficulty of removal. Any large seamlines present on the kit are the result of trimming the underlying male pegs for disassembly preparation, unless stated otherwise.)

Head:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... adside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... adrear.jpg
Exactly the same as the Wing Ver. Ka. Typical Gundam head, complete with “ear covers” and the V-fin antenna. In this kit the head is basically made of two halves (standard in those days) and therefore a long seamline runs from the front to the back of the head. The back of the head features a deep panel line that can be mistaken for a wide seamline. The “ear cover” still features the parts taken from its predecessor kit but with new color scheme.

Body:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... yfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dyside.jpg
Still exactly the same as the Wing Ver. Ka, except for the color changes. The lower portion of the body consists of a double-ball joint, making the kit to bend forward or backward depending on the pose.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ockpit.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... y/neck.jpg
Left to right: The cockpit in open position (without the pilot); the notch that was previously used for the Wing Ver. Ka's transformation (particularly to secure the kit's buster rifle).

Arms:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rm/arm.jpg
The arms are almost exactly like the Wing Ver. Ka, except the color scheme and the red arm fin. The upper arm assembly is made up of an internal frame, and after the double-jointed elbow is the internal frame-less arm. The wrist can be removed by sliding it away from the arm, and is held secured by the 3-piece blue components. The hands are in all white, but fortunately for some reason the original gray hands are included, so one can make a pair of Wing Ver. Ka hands.

The shoulder armor has an internal frame inside, which is used to have the shoulder armors slide outward for transformation (Wing Ver. Ka) or for the atmospheric re-entry mode (Wing Zero EW). The internal also serves as a some sort of a pre-paint modification for the arms

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... defect.jpg
A molding defect on the upper arm. At first glance it looks like it is a panel line, considering that the opposite side of the part also have it. But after checking the 2nd upper arm it has none.

Lower waist:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... tfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... stside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... strear.jpg
Same as its predecessor, aside from the color scheme. The lower waist is connected by the other end of the double-ball joint, making the whole area poseable. The rear skirt armor can move independently of the whole waist. The ball joints for the ankles cannot move independently, making kneeling poses difficult, if not possible.

Legs:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... normal.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... llbend.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... nsform.jpg
Exact same legs from its predecessor. The legs are pretty slender, which is why no screws are required for this kit. The leg's armor parts are separated into sections, making disassembly and reassembly a lot easier. Aside from that the armor parts does not hinder the movement of the legs itself.

Wings:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... gsrear.jpg
The angelic wings of the Wing Zero EW, which is one of the unit's unique properties and the most distinguishable part of the unit. The main wings are larger than the unit itself that it is used to shield the unit from the extreme heat produced from air friction when performing atmospheric re-entry. All four wings provide thrust for the unit due to the multiple thrusters embedded on the wings (between the “feathers”; similar to the ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam). While the rear wings usually do not move (except during atmospheric re-entry when they fold down), the main wings flap as though as it was flying ornithopter-style, it was in fact directing the main wing's thrusters similar to thrust-vectoring, giving the reason why the unit is very maneuverable. The four wing “arms” gives the wings some articulation so that it could be posed in any way. The “arms” for the rear wing also houses the beam saber hilts.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ntwing.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... extend.jpg
The main wings can do what other Wing Zero EW kits cannot do: expand its upper portion. Expanding the wing requires pushing the rear part inwards then pulling it away from the kit. Pushing it inwards releases the wing's latch so that it cannot expand when not needed. Due to the expansion mechanism of the wing, that portion is seemingly piled in layers of parts and therefore it looks thick. The lower portion of the main wings have the 7 “feathers” attached by small ball joints, making that part very articulated. To replicate the PG version's flexibility, the “feathers” are made from thermoplastic elastomer (TPE, as indicated by the original 2004 manual but not stated here), the same one used on the HG 1:144 GN-001 Gundam Exia's purple shoulder bands. As such it can bend (a little) like the PG version, but because of the material it can easily pop off from the ball joint.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... arwing.jpg
The rear wings are basically made into two halves, meaning it also has a very long seamline running at the back. It also has an expansion mechanism inside, except it is simpler than the main wings.

Weapon systems and included accessories:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... eapons.jpg
The kit includes 5 weapons: the twin buster rifle, two shoulder machine cannons, and two beam sabers, and a display stand (not shown).

Twin Buster Rifle:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rrifle.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... folded.jpg
The unit's other unique property. Just like the original TV design, the TBR can be used as a one whole double-barrel rifle, or can be split in two to form two identical single-barrel rifles. The split form can be fired as separate rifles (drawing energy from the unit's main reactor), or together as an attack called “Rolling Buster Rifle” (when surrounded by numerous enemies; this was used once in the TV series, and usually present as a MAP attack (in the EW version) in various SRW games).

Both rifles are constructed the same way: two rifle halves with separate pieces for the sensor, barrel, trigger handle, locking tabs, power cable, and some additional pieces at the bottom. These additional pieces act as additional locking tabs for the combined rifle and are folded up when separated.

Shoulder machine cannons:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... cannon.jpg
Exactly the same from its predecessor: it consists of four pieces each: cover, casing, cannon body, and the cannon tip. Unlike the one from the Ver. Ka however, the parts are all molded in gray plastic. To expose the cannons, they must be slided forward.

Beam sabers:

This kit includes a pair of beam sabers, usually mounted on the rear wing arms when not in used. The beam saber hilts themselves are molded as a single piece, making the whole beam saber consist of two parts. The beam blades are reused from its predecessor, still molded in clear green and is bent from the mid section to the tip, making the impression of a slashing beam saber.

Display stand:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... /stand.jpg
This kit (aside from a handful of others) includes a display stand, which is later reused for the first-production kits of the non-graded 1:100 ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam, ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam, ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice Gundam, ORB-01 Oowashi/Shiranui Akatsuki Gundam, and the 1:100 MG GAT-X105+P202QX Strike Gundam + I.W.S.P., GAT-X105E+P202QX Enhanced Strike Gundam + I.W.S.P. (Strike Gundam Unit 3; Lucas O'Donnell custom), and the GAT-X105+AQM/E-X02/03 Sword/Launcher Strike Gundam. Since this type of display stand (particularly the stand's clamp tip) is used in these kits, the clamp tip is included as one of the numerous adapters on all variants of Bandai's Action Base 1 (including the Celestial Being stands included in the first-production and Taiwan's Gunpla Expo 2010 clear color kit of the GN-0000+GNR-010 00 Raiser), making it compatible with these stands. The whole display stand is made up of 5 parts, with a very long flash line running along the stand.

[URLhttp://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/recarlos88/MG%201-100%20W0C/weaponsetc/standclamp.jpg[/URL]
The stand's clamp for attaching the kit to the stand via two pegs located at the kit's chest internal frame (not at the backpack) for added stability. Since a clamp is used (not unlike the other MGs) the kit is not as flimsy as the others. Note the flash line running along the center of the clamp.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... angle1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... angle2.jpg
The stand can be either adjusted at 73.6° or at 58.8°, depending on the kit's pose. If the kit is in a regular action pose, the former is usually used, but when it is in the atmospheric re-entry pose then the latter can be used.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dclamp.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... clamp2.jpg
Left: The stand's clamp, which is attached to the rear portion of the backpack (right).

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... dunder.jpg
The backpack's cover attached at the bottom of the stand base.

Internal frame:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... 270236.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... 270237.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... 270239.jpg
The most-valued trademark of the MG kit line-up. The above pictures are the kit's almost-full internal frame, viewed at the front, right side, and back. Shown protruding at the chest area at side view is the mech's cockpit. Between the chest and the lower waist sections is the double-ball joint used for bending the kit forward or backward. Note the lack of visible piston-rod assemblies (working or not) at the frame.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... 270243.jpg
The stand's clamp as attached to the internal frame.


PROFILE PICTURES:

Without the wings:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ntview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... arview.jpg

With the wings:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ntview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... deview.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... arview.jpg

On the stand:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... wstand.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... wstand.jpg

With various attack poses:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... /pose1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... brside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ingtbr.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... loseup.jpg

Atmospheric re-entry mode:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... yfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ryside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... ryrear.jpg

Gunpla 30th Anniversary Clear Parts Campaign:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... clear1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... clear2.jpg
To celebrate Gunpla's 30th anniversary (1980-2010), Bandai included an extra single frame (taken from one of the kit's runners) molded in clear plastic to show the internal frame. That single frame (usually white) is chosen because of it's inclusion of the frame's outer armor parts. In this kit, its the runner B, which includes the whole white outer armor parts for the head, arms, front skirts, and legs.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... sfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... msside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... msrear.jpg

Close-ups:
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... arhead.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... eararm.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rskirt.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... earleg.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... rfront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/ ... loseup.jpg


CONCLUSION:

This kit is my 4th incarnation of the Wing Zero EW (1:144 HGFA, SD GGeneration-0, Musha BB-192), and as such I am familiar in some way with this kit. Since I also own an MG Wing Ver. Ka, I knew almost all about this kit's construction. Since those two kits are basically the same, it is possible to switch the backpacks of the two kits, or paint the kit in the other's color scheme (since it also almost share the Ver. Ka's part separations). One problem with this kit is the aforementioned upper arm defect since I know the Ver. Ka didn't have it, although some amount of putty and some sanding will fix it. The defect may be also just present in my copy however. For those who doesn't want the all-white hands, extra parts are included for a white-gray hand just like the Ver. Ka's. With the inclusion of those limited-event parts for the same price, this kit (and the others) totally replaced their original versions (which I intended to buy, except there are no stock left), and its internal frame could be painted the same style as the MG RX-78-2 Ver. 2.0 Mechanical Clear ver. (I wish there are also clear parts for the whole wings just like the 1:144's clear/metal variant). But since I intend to modify and paint this kit those extra clear parts can be very handy later when some unfortunate event happened to their original white parts. Mounting an LED as its search eye is possible, except that it will lose the whole cockpit in process (although in my Wing Ver. Ka's case I have the cockpit modified to hold a watch battery for the LED) but it will retain the outer clear part. The seamline for the lower shoulder fins are lying at the center, meaning that careful sanding is needed to remove the cement and/or putty at the seamline. The lower arms can not be cemented since it will be difficult (if not possible) to make a pre-paint modification, although the seamline can be modified to become a panel line. The skirt armors As for the legs the armor parts are separated very nicely, so no cement is needed (except for the knee joints and the ankle guards). The wings are heavy; the gear-like joint may not last. As for the feathers I may recast them in resin (considering that putty may not attach to TPE), unless I found a more suitable and effective method to deal with the sprue stumps.

OVERALL RATING:
4 out of 5 stars
Last edited by RafE' on Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
RafE'
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:00 am

Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

Speakeasy wrote: A new gimmick that didn’t exists with the previous kits is the hovering mode, where the panels are deployed and facing backward as if wings of a butterfly.
Actually, those old 1:144 and 1:100 kits can do that "hovering" mode :wink:
User avatar
SolidSlug
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:35 am
Location: London

MSV 1:250th Perfect Zeong Review

PICTURES WILL FOLLOW, JUST NEED TO FINISH PAINTING :)

Gunpla Review
MSV 1:250th MSN-02 Perfect Zeon
General and Technical Data
Series: MSV
Title: MSN-02 Perfect Zeon
Release Date: 1983
Suggested Price: Original Price Unknown, purchased for £5 (approx $8)
No. of Parts: 62
Plastic colours: light grey
Gimmicks: Optional thigh and Bicep armour with mechanical detailing underneath.

Introduction:

The Solid Slug (formally Apsalus’s Twisted Child)
13/09/2010

I was trawling though eBay and came across this classic kit for a mere fiver. Having already had a whack at a few MSV and early 80’s Gunpla, most importantly the Perfect Zeong’s rival the Perfect Gundam, I know how fiddly these old kits can be...but when have I ever listened to myself.

Head

A simple to two half affair, with the front sporting the Zeong’s horns. The detail is pretty good with the mono-eye and beam cannon and thrusters looking nice. Of course as it’s all one piece and there are no stickers, it’s all going to need painting. Now you can’t actually assemble the head until the bodies complete due to the simple integrated swivel neck that’s moulded onto the upper body. This of course means that like most early UC kits there is no movement other than a 360 degree swivel and frankly it’s lucky even to get that in these old kits.

Overall nice sculpt combined with lack of movement.

Body:

The all in one upper body and neck are divided into front and rear halves, nice and simple. Yet sandwiched between this apparent simplicity you get the mount for the shoulders. This consists of a central cylinder with two opposite facing pieces slid on, with each piece having an additional cylinder glued on to their ends. The finished product which resembles the piston heads in a petrol engine is glued, via the central cylinder, into a cradle inside the rear section of the Zeong’s torso. This leaves the arm mounts with about 15 degrees of movement back and forth; however the shortness of the arms pegs been this movement is largely lost. With the internal stuff complete the front can them be glued on.

Now onto the heart shaped skirt of the Zeong. Two main pieces make this up, the external skirt and glued inside/underneath the internal details and mounts/holes for the legs and thrusters. The three thrusters need to be glued on, and you can then set about painting all that lovely detail found underneath the Zeong’s skirt. The legs can easily be attached later so paint away now as the legs will get in the way latter.

The two complete sections can now be glued together, mine wasn’t a perfect fit and as there are no pegs to help line the pieces up you may want to take care to get it lined up right. The last things to attach consist of the four thrusters that must be glued onto the corners of the upper torso. The finished torso is wonderfully solid and I couldn’t care less about the lack of torso twist. The detail is simpler than that of the HG model but still leaves loads of room for extra detailing and lining.

Overall solid and detailed

Arms:

First things first, these arms do not detach. Now let’s look past this disappointing flaw and see how these little buggers go together. The forearms glue easily together with a square plastic piece sandwiched at the front for the insertion of the hands, a “stone age” polycap.

The upper arms consist of two pieces that pop onto the male pegs on the forearms which can then be glued to give the arms about 160 degrees back and forth. The arm is then slotted in-between the two halves of the shoulder. The finished unit then attaches between the shoulder armour which has the peg that in turn attaches the whole thing to the torso.

Another disappointing feature can be found in the hands, the one set provides consist on the hand and a palm piece glued together. They are moulded in a slight fingers bent pose and lack any indication of the beam cannons in the fingers, so no weapons firing pose is possible just a zombie style arms out or maybe a comforting hand on shoulder pose.

While there is more to discuss about the arms in the form of the kits one gimmick, I’ll save that for the end.

Overall great poseabiity from such an old kits and respectable detail, but marred but the lack of one of the Zeong’s key features.

Legs:

The feet consist of the thrusters laden sole and an ankle mounted peg that sits horizontally sandwiched between the front and rear of the foot. The overall feet looks oddly proportioned but have ample detail. The foot is then attached via the horizontal peg between the two halves of the lower leg, a thrusters covered triangular piece glues on to the rear leg skirt behind the foot.

The upper leg consists of two halves covered in mechanical details with additional tubing that glues to their sides. This is then glued on to the piece that attaches the leg to the torso, which consists of two semi-circles with a T shaped peg sandwiched between. The finished leg then simply glues into the underside of the Zeong’s torso.

Like the arms there is more to discuss about the legs in the form of the kits one gimmick, I’ll save the explanation for the next section.


Overall the poseabiity is excellent for such an old kit, the exception being the feet which have very limited motion.

Weapons and Gimmicks:

As this kit features no external weapons there little to talk about. The beam guns on the body are all well moulded, but the beam guns in the fingers are non-existent.

I will also use this section to discuss the kits one gimmick, optional bicep and thigh armour. The Perfect Zeong is normally shown missing armour on sections of its leg and arm, this kit lets you chose which arm/leg, or alternatively you can just not bother and leave the armour off and revel in the glorious mechanical detail. With a bit of blu tac you can cheat and have it removable. This one gimmick was a welcome surprise, but if you do intend to glue it on please note it will severely cut down leg and arm movement.

Conclusions:

While this kit had a few disappointments, overall it’s been one of the easier MSV kits to build and detail. The legs range of movement was a pleasant surprise and the detail is pretty good as well. The lack of weapons hands and ability to separate the arms for wire guided attacks was also a downer. And last the kit is tiny, at 1:250th scale it is about the same size as a small 1:144th kit and not the towering beast it should be. If you are looking to get into older gunplay or just want to see how the technologies has evolved this is an excellent starting point, that is if can find an original or re-issue.

Overall Rating 2.5/5 Stars
Formally the Twisted Child of Apsalus

Sometimes the most appropriate response to reality is to go insane

Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010
User avatar
mobiusdiablo
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 11:49 pm
Location: Gryps 2

Re: Model/Toy Review Drop Box

First review for here!

GENERAL AND TECHNICAL DATA:
Series: High Grade Gundam AGE
Model Kit: HG AGE #27 “AGE-3O Gundam AGE-3 Orbital”
Release Date: August 2012
Retail Price: 1,800 yen
No. Of Parts: 161 PS on 8 runners, polycaps, stickers
Colors: White, red, Gundam Blue, yellow, gray, clear green
Gimmicks: Transforming Core Fighter, parts to transform kit into G-Viper. Includes special stand to display as AGE-3 Orbital or Core Fighter + G-Viper

Introduction: One of the last ten kits of the original High Grade Gundam AGE line, it also shares the distinction of being one of the most expensive Gunpla from it, right alongside November 2012’s AGE-3 Fortress and January 2013’s Gundam AGE-FX Full Burst Mode. At 1,800 yen, it’s not as expensive as High Grades from other timelines released in 2012, but is the Orbital’s low price point good value or a sign of it being bare bones? Lets find out!

A note of caution: I did some custom work on my model before photographing it; while it has almost the exact same color scheme, the shades of red, blue and yellow may be different, and I opted to use paint instead of stickers. Finally, the SigMaxiss Long Rifle has a little custom pin striping.

Head: 3.5/5

By virtue of being an AGE-3 kit, the head for the Orbital is the same as the AGE-3 Normal and the AGE-3 Fortress. After my first time building it, I’m satisfied with it, if not impressed. After the amount of 00 kits that had clear parts to go over the cameras or other specific places, and the fact of the Orbital using two clear green parts, I’m a little disappointed that they rely on stickers and painting for the front camera. On the bright side, the V-fin comes in three separate parts; the yellow base, blue center with the camera backing, and the red to go over it. No painting required there, and I’d guess a sticker would suffice. As V-fins go, it’s durable and has a solid connection; so a thumbs up for this.

Torso: 3/5

Same deal as the head; if you’ve built an AGE-3 High Grade before, you’ve built this. I’m glad to see that they kept the balljoint waist/abdomen section for extra articulation (the first kit I’ve seen with that was the 00). Here though, the bulk of the AGE-3’s torso hampers poseablility a good deal. Besides saving the customer the agony of painting the waist section red, the articulation is so minimal that I don’t really see why they did it with this design.

The AGE ‘A’ symbol on the chest does not come as a seperate part; it’s two gray parts with the blue and white sections sliding over. You either have to use stickers or paint. Like the forehead camera, I guess stickers might suffice since it’s enclosed, but I went ahead and painted it.

The shoulder joints are interesting; they link into the chest by coming down rather than straight out like most other kits. This gives the AGE-3 quite a bit of shoulder back and forth as well as up. Maybe sanding parts of the chest’s sides would give it some downward movement.

Arms: 4/5

Now onto the meat of the kit. If you bought the AGE-3 Orbital, it was for the Orbital wear parts. The shoulders themselves are a rather involved build considering this is an HG kit, and a relatively cheap one.Beyond the bare shoulder itself we get seven parts just for the main section, plus the four that make up the booster hanging off it from the back. Even though they give you stickers for the black gaps on the shoulder and the engines, there IS some painting you have to do on the shoulder flap - there’s a small vent or engine in there. Also, while the connection for the shoulder booster is snug and doesn’t weigh down the kit any, I had a horrible time trying to get the red top to connect properly with the gray bottom. It happened with both, and while I managed to fit both in without tragedy, there’s stress marks on the inside.

As for the rest of the arm, you get an excellent bend out of the elbows, full 180 degree flex, though you;re not bending it backwards any. The shoulder flap can open up to around sixty or seventy degrees, but this does hamper some posability with the arm; you can’t have it stretched fully outward. If fully closed, the shoulder flap prevents the arm from bending outward at all, but it’s easy enough to undo.

The forearm comes with a small shield or buckler that’s normally on the backside of the forearm. It’s surprisingly detailed compared to the otherwise plain forearm, as it has a a gray ‘frame’ piece, a polycap to go on the forearm, the white piece and the red one on top, all making a nice little storage area to hold a beam saber in. It also has a slit in front that allows you to directly attach the beam saber effect part to the shield as seen in the show - it reminds me of Serevee a bit. These bracers can freely spin, but they have no way of moving up to the side of the forearm without turning the entire arm. Like the rest of the arm, and as we’ll see the other Orbital parts, there is also a good deal of panel lining to be done. All in all, an interesting build, with a couple flaws.

Legs: 4.5/5

Mor eso than the arms, the legs are one of the most interesting parts of the Orbital and what made me really like the design. They’re big and have quite a bit of shape and weight to them like the AGE-1 Titus, but the design of them says they’re anything but slow and clunky. Both the front and rear skirts come molded together, but unlike most kits, BOTH can be easily modified with a a simple clip to have each panel be individually articulated. Despite the size of the side skirts, you can make the Orbital pose like a ballerina and use the legs’ amazing articulation in almost every which way… except for the rear skirt.

Due to how the pelvis is shaped, the rear skirt can’t even open more than twenty or thirty degrees or so, which really gets in the way of bending the knees back for a kick or playing Gunpla Soccer (Make this happen, Bandai! Without some modification, this is one glaring shame on an otherwise excellent section.

How about the rest of the parts? The thighs and upper legs have a decently involved build, while the lower part of the legs are rather simple. All the external parts for the lower leg come pre-molded in white with one yellow part and one red part. They give you stickers for most of this, but I went and did a bit of custom painting here (there’s no silver stickers, and the yellow on the tops of the knees shouldn’t be there, just the normal yellow engine).

The feet on the other hand are excellent in both looks and design. The ankle flaps in the front and back keep the Orbital’s feet pointed downward - most HGs cant do that, and that’s likely the one reason why they give you stickers for detail work on the feet. However, those same flaps can open up a good deal and let the foot rotate out to let it stand for ground poses. While I think this would’ve been one of the best kits to experiment with foot articulation in HG, and a little miffed at its mediorce ankle movement, I’m not complaining. While Orbital has good balance on the ground, this thing is meant to be in the air and looks a lot better that way. Making the feet not be swap-out parts or just stuck there is a nice bonus.

Weapons/Accessories: 3.5/5

The biggest flaw about the AGE-3 Orbital is perhaps one of the flaws that plagued the HG AGE line back when it was being moved out - a relative lack of accessories. AGE-3 Orbital only comes with five plus your obligatory spare hands and only one of which that is exclusive to it.

Core Fighter: Doubles as the backpack for all the AGE-3s and takes the head and AGE-symbol chest piece/cockpit with it for its transformation. Open the flap on the bottom up, flip the chest piece down, stuff the head and chest piece inside. Flip flap back down and move the little wing fins on the side up and voila. Very simplistic, and I personally prefer the Core Fighter as a backpack.

Optional Parts for G-Viper: Given that they’re on the Orbital’s A runner and we’re missing runners B and C (presumably for the Normal and Fortress) and all of the AGE-3 kits have the stand to display the Core Fighter plus their G Parts, I’m fairly certain that these aren’t exclusive to Orbital. You take out the chest, instead stack four parts together, put the little canopy on it, replace the chest with that. Arms bend a full one eighty at the elbow, the legs come up and bend at the knees, and you stick the SigMaxiss Long Rifle on the rear skirt. G-Viper everyone. In my opinion it’s a pretty lame mode for an otherwise lovely design. Nice it’s there, but I don’t really see anyone using it.

Beam Sabers + Hilts: You get two of them, as is standard for nearly every Gundam. They’re stored in the brackets in the forearms, and they’re easy enough to get in and out. The beam saber effect parts don’t need the hilts to be attached into the shield, which is nice if you lose them, but otherwise standard fare.

SigMaxiss Long Rifle: Here we go. This is the signature weapon of the Orbital, and is perhaps the first weapon in the entire franchise to actually be something close to the Homing Laser form Zone of the Enders. It honestly reminds me of the GN Sword II with its shape a bit, but I digress. There’s some panel lining to do here, and for what’s mainly two red pieces plus an interesting handle, it has some good detail on it. The connection is snug, if a little awkward to put in at first as it goes over the shield/buckler. The handle has some very nice articulation to make it easy to take this thing in and out, as well as putting it on the G-Viper with little fuss. I personally feel it could use a bit more color to break up the red, hence the pin-striping in my picture, but otherwise a very nice weapon for the Orbital to call its own.

Display Stand: Certainly no Action Base, and I’d hesitate to even call it an ‘Action Stand’ like the rugged display base that comes with the Master Grade Freedom. It has two sockets on the bottom to hold the extra hands, while the top has a hole for the AGE-3’s connector cover while it’s on the stand. It has two pegs, one on the bottom and horizontal for the G-Viper or the other G Parts, and an articulated one at the top for the Core Fighter or the Orbital itself. You can use other kits on it as well, but make sure that the horizontal plug is facing backwards whenever you put an MS on it. Further more, the articulation is nice but comes at a cost; the connection to the rest of the stand is flimsy at best, and posing it while on the stand usually makes the AGE-3 come off while holding it. Given that it’s the Orbital and it’s best in the air, it’s nice for them to have included it, but it’s far from the best thing to keep it on.

Conclusion: All in all, I’m happy with the Orbital; it’s an excellent design that looks great both in plastic and animation, even if it got so little time to do anything before being trashed and replaced in the latter. It doesn’t come with much, and the options they give you are okay or average, but it’s nice that they’re there. For such a hefty design (on par with some of the brick-kit Gundams), it has amazing poseability with a couple exceptions, making the most out of what little it has otherwise and has a surprisingly involved build in parts. For 1800 yen, or $20-25 USD, this kit is well worth the price. If you’re an AGE or HG Gundam collector, this is a must have. If you’re looking for a kit to put a good deal of time into, custom or not, this is a definite thumbs-up.

Average Rating: 3.7/5
Final Rating: 4/5

(Credit can be done as Mobiusdiablo, email is [email protected])

IMAGES:
HG AGE-3 Orbital Front View
From 00 S2 ep 25

Tieria: As long as you keep looking down on them, you'll never understand them!
Ribbons: *has Newtype-y flash of AGE, of Kio and his UNDERSTANDING replacing his show* I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTAND!
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