Virtually Deformed
So, as part of my Virtual-On buying spree, I picked up these:
Three “Virtual Dimension Models” made by Sega. Having never seen these out of their boxes, I was quite curious to see what kind of toys they were. Action figures? Candy kits? Diecast? Model kits? As it turns out the last option was correct:
They are model kits that seem quite remarkably similar to Bandai’s SD Gundam kits, right down to the colour of the polycaps and the sticker sheets. Quickly checking, the box really says ‘SEGA’. As far as I know, only these three models were released.
As I write this, I haven’t built them yet…lemme make some time for that:
I only encountered one problem while building them. Viper II’s V-Converter Booster attaches to his body with two tabs. One of these broke as I tried to attach the Booster, so I glued it into place. The fit was mostly excellent, with very few flash. The stickers are printed on metallic paper, are perfectly cut, and stick well.
Good. So this is what we get:
These guys are adorable. Let’s have a closer look at them. First up is Temjin:
Temjin’s V-Converter Booster can open exactly like in the game.
Second, Viper II:
Viper II’s V-Converter Booster also opens up, and his wings can properly extend. Why this is possible on a cheap kit like this and not on an action figure (the Real Model) I don’t understand.
Finally, Raiden:
Like on Temjin and Viper II, the V-Converter Booster opens up (again game-accurate). However, Raiden has another, incredibly cool feature that makes him the best of these figures. His shoulders feature lasers that slide out, fold forwards and open up, and are completed with minimal parts swapping.
On all three figures, the disc is attached to the V-Converter Booster, and can spin. Each figure has excellent articulation, with many ball joints (shoulders, hips, ankles, wings on Viper II, neck on Viper II and Raiden, elbows on Raiden) and some swivel joints. This means dynamic action poses:
In short: these SD VirtuaRoids are a lot better than the Real Models, with crisper molding, better articulation and features, and a lower price.
