September 9, 2001 CURRENT RUMBLE Jeepers O'Toole Roger 09.09.01 They did it! They finally did it! Ten years since the Gundam GP-02A's debut, those maniacs at Bandai America have finally brought it to life in toy form. So was it worth the wait? Maybe. Let's just boil it down to the pros and cons: GOOD STUFF - Proportions: Even before the toy itself is removed from its vacuform plastic coffin, you can see that there were no corners cut in portraying Shoji Kawamori's original design accurately. Kudos! - Color / Paint: Whoever coordinated this really did their homework. Every detail on the head is exact, right down to the gray "boomerang" to remind you that this Gundam is EVIL! And while there are a few "warning" labels painted on, there are no panel lines to be found anywhere. (I consider this a good thing.) - Articulation: See those little floppy things on the top of the feet? They move. See the hip armor? Those move. Pretty much everything moves on this toy, with the notable exception of the shoulders (see "Features") - Features: Really only two to speak of, the fact that the cockpit opens (nice touch), and the shoulder boosters pop up via two nicely hidden switches. This is the "transforming" feature that the toy is named for, probably to leverage that buzzword against a certain other toy line featuring big robots. However, there is a price to pay for this (see "Bad Stuff"). - Multiple Media: One thing the "build it yourself" parts benefit from are two sprues of polycap-material parts. Those versed in the ways of GunPla will find this very familiar, especially when you're assembling the bazooka and realize, "Ah, so THAT'S why the barrel is made with that material." BAD STUFF - Accessories: Big problems here. The bazooka fits nicely together when you want to display the Gundam holding it, but one you try and stow the barrel in the shield - surprise! The handle gets in the way of it being properly stowed, since there's no recessed area for it. How is it they solved this problem with the MSiA but couldn't figure it out for a toy four times larger? Also, due to the fact that the shield handle is 1) on a swinging door and 2) closed so that the non-articulated fingers can't actually hold it without doing some serious "smooshing", you're better off just lying it on the ground in front of the Gundam. Besides, it can't support it anyway (see "Floppiness"). - GunPla Indoctrination: The box proudly exclaims "Build the accessories just like a model kit!", an obvious attempt by the Bandai folks to sell the idea of building models to American kids. Hey, Bandai, this doesn't do squat for you if the kits are priced as high as they are in the States. There's a reason why $6 action figures are flying off the pegs and the model kits are just sitting there. - Floppiness: You read that right, "floppiness", it's a word, go look it up. The elbow joints are too loose, and any attempt to get Gundam to hold his shield aloft results in "wilting" action. Add to this the fact that the shoulders do not rotate due to the spring-action boosters, and you end up with a defenseless Gundam. Also, the nice, tight ratchet joints that are present in the knees and hips are not included in the ankles, and if you don't position this thing Just Right, you end up with the Leaning Tower of Gundam. Only for about three seconds, though. Then it falls down. So, in summary, I'd give this a B- for high concept, but execution that falls just short of the mark. Is it worth getting, though? If you're a fan of the nuclear bastard, yes. Head over to Gundam Shop and order one up.  RUMBLE INDEX  |  CURRENT RUMBLE