D-Arts Black Zero

Zero gets an upgrade in Mega Man X4 in the form of the Black Zero enhancement and Bandai took this opportunity to release another much-sought-after figure.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of the figure.

Close up front view. The paint application was good on this one.

Rear view of the figure.

Close up on the rear.

The black and white scheme with a little of gold and silver highlight was really good.

I cannot remember when was the last time I used the Z Buster.

This figure come with the right amount of different faceplate for the figure to express itself.

The Z-Saber on this version is purple in contrast to the blue on the normal version.

As an addition, this release comes with a faceplate depicting the character in the manga.

Black Zero was identical to the Zero which was released a few years back. The original version have somehow caught a huge demand and is now highly sought after in the secondary market. Similar to the normal version, this version have great articulation and good paint application. If you missed out getting the normal version, this might be the second chance you have been waiting for.

Super Robot Chogokin - Mazinkaiser

Here comes the emperor who can surpass God and Devil himself, Mazinkaiser. It is one of the most prominent mecha in the Super Robot Wars series.

Out-of-box content. Nothing much to see here.

Front view of Mazinkaiser.

Close up on the front. The detail is good for a SRC figure.

Rear view.

Close up on the rear. I can see my own reflection from the glossy finishing.

The detail on the face was nicely done but the Kaiser Scrander seems to be lacking.

Let us flex some muscle!

Double Smasher Punch!

Fire Blaster!

Knuckle Sandwich! Nope, this is not canon.

This figure comes with 2 Kaiser Blade. I have no idea what is the over-sized blade for.

Every Kaiser needs a sword.

The Kaiser Scrander unit.

Front view of Mazinkaiser with the Kaiser Scrander.

Rear view of Mazinkaiser with the Kaiser Scrander.

The once land-bound Mazinkaiser can now fly.

Mazikaiser was released right after Shin Getter 1 and this complete the duo. This Mazinkaiser figure was one of the best figure from the Super Robot Chogokin line. It is really rare for me not to rant about something but Mazinkaiser here is very much a perfect figure. It has great articulation, good finishing and has a good amount of accessories. If I have to be picky, I guess my only issue with this figure was the price tag. Retailing at around USD80, it was expensive for a Super Robot Chogokin figure. That aside, it is a must-have for any Mazinger or Go Nagai fans out there.

Reap what you sow...

25th March 2014

D-Arts X (San Diego Comic Con Limited Edition)

Bandai produced a D-Arts figure exclusively for the San Diego Comic Con which was the much beloved Blue Bomber, Mega Man X.

Out-of-the-box content. It was exactly the same with the regular release.

Front view of the figure. The chrome finishing was very eye catching.

Close up on the figure.

The regular version looks pale in comparison to the chromed version.

We do not negotiate with the Mavericks!

 

Ready! Aim! FIRE!!!

It is time to put this buster to good use!

The articulation was as good as the regular version.

Charged buster shot!

I was reluctant to get this chrome X for the exorbitant price tag it was put on sell in the secondary market. Fortunately, I stumble upon this while I was on honeymoon in Hong Kong and I remember paying around USD80 for mine which was acceptable for me. It has all the pros found in the regular version such as the great articulation, good proportion, sharp detail and a good amount of accessories. I have mixed feeling towards the chrome finishing. On one hand, the finishing looks great! There are some imperfection on the seam lines but that is still acceptable to a certain extent. On the other hand, the chrome finishing reduced the freedom of articulation on the figure. It was very likely for the parts on the figure to make contact with each other and in the process chipped or scratched the chromed surface. That was one of the reason why I was reluctant to pose it vigorously during the photoshot. That aside, it was still a very nice addition to my Mega Man X collection. Grab this if you can find one for a reasonable price.

Figma #133 Samus Aran

Way before Lara Craft became the mainstream sweetheart of the gaming world, there was Samus Aran. As a tribute to that, Figma has produced a figure of our lady in her power suit.

Out-of-box content.

Front view of Samus. The suit was painted in a red, gold and bronze.

Close up on the front. There were a lot of panel lines which adds up to the detail of the figure.

Back view of the figure.

Close up on the back. Is that a jetpack?

Unlike most female protagonist which wear very skimpy and revealing armour. Samus wears a full body armour.

Articulation was great for this figure. Here are some action pose.

Hip hip hooray!!! I have no idea what am i thinking when I took this shot.

Jump shot!

The figure came with a blaster effect. It was one of the best effect part I have ever see so far.

Samus can kneel without much issue.

Let us play some football. This figure came with a morph ball.

Every wonder how Samus can just conveniently roll into a morph ball?

Figma did a great job with this figure to the point that they have to reissue it due to the high demand. The sculpt was detail and sharp, the paint application was good and it came with great articulation. I am not a die hard fan of Samus or the Metroid series but I have to admit that this was an overall great figure. My only complaint regarding this figure was the lack of a head for Samus which we can swap with the current head. It would definitely make this release complete if Figma ever produced it. That would really be the icing on the cake.