SEED of Construction
A little yellow dog once told me regarding the allure of Gunpla, “It’s not about the end result, it’s about the journey.” With the New Material Model Strike Gundam, I was impressed with both.
You start with a naked metal robot skeleton. From there you bolt on the armor. And once the armor goes on, it stays on. Once it was completed I shook it to high hell and not one piece fell off. There’s really only one word to describe this toy: solid. It kicks ass.
Proportions of the toy are good, detail is good, and enough metal from the skeleton is exposed so you can feel the cool touch of it against your cheek. Panel lines are minimal, which is a good thing in my book, but if you like them you can stare at the soles of the feet for a while.
Accessories aplenty are present, including two beam sabers with removable blades, and two jackknives that stow in little compartments in the hips. A shield, a beam rifle, and the big-ass Air Strike (no, not “Aile Strike”) backpack are all available to add as you please.
And look, BlazeEagle, Strike Gundam has a waist joint! Unfortunately, with the armor on, this is as far as it turns. Poseability kicks ass, though.
For those of you wondering how heavy this sucker is, the GX-07 Mazinger-Z weighs in at 11oz with both fists on. The main body of the Strike Gundam, fully armored, without the shield, rifle, and Air Strike (no, not “Aile Strike”) pack, is 14oz. As far as comparative size goes, this picture should speak a thousand words.
Have I mentioned that this toy kicks ass?
Downsides? Two minor ones, but they’re definitely not deal-breakers. One, I would have liked to see some titanium in it, but that’s really so I can have a toy on my shelf to point out to people and say, “that’s titanium”. Two, I miss styrofoam.
Brisko-san will be posting his purty pichers of the toy soon, and they will blow mine away, but I’m telling you that if you’re looking for a mecha toy with the class of an HCM and the heft of good old-fashioned Chogokin, this is it. We all know Dancougar will win Toy of the Year, but something tells me this has a good chance at second place.
This was 9340 yen shipped from Hobbylink Japan (order yours here) and it was worth every penny. A “powered-down” variant of the Strike Gundam is coming (order yours here), and originally I wasn’t planning on getting one, but I’m starting to falter…
Keep watching the BBS thread connected to this Rumble, I will be doing a follow-up review about a month down the road.
