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Synopsis: As Federation suits go, the designs shown 08th Mobile Suit Team sported some of the best and functional suit designs in the OYW and the MSiAs of the line mirror their quality. I had no idea how much Id enjoy this figure before I first bought them. Before there was the RX-78-2 ver 2.0 with its mind-blowing articulation this RX-79[G] Ground Gundam ruled over nearly all MSiAs in terms of articulation and gimmicks.
The Figure: The head of the ground gundam is well detailed and well painted although some people have reported paint defects in later batches of this figure, but of my three none hold such defects. The head has 360 degrees of unhindered rotation however its vertical motion is limited to the design of the head itself. The arms are good, no popping off of shoulder plates of the shoulders. The elbow joints are slightly double jointed and have a good range of motion outdone by figures of ver 2.0 Gundam design. Shield holes are placed on the side of the forearm although some defects slipped through quality control from later batches seeing as one RX-79 I picked up had two left forearms. Ive heard of worse situations but Ive yet to see such problems in the ones that showed up here. Note that the desert color Gundam although a later release is a repainted and the batches that have come out of that line are on par with the first batches of gray Ground Gundams.
The legs are well done on these figures, the joints stay firm, the legs are well detailed and the range of motion is great. Movement is further aided by the flexible hip armor on the waist that is made separate from the figure mold. This trait of flexible hip armor has carried on into later figures as a testament to its good design.
The torso of the Ground Gundam is well detailed and well made, however torso rotation is hindered badly by the backpack by fault of the design of the on-screen counterpart. The backpack is removable and can be replaced with a backpack sporting the storage container mechanisms extended to hold the container but this will be explained further in the accessory section. Each booster pack features nozzles connected by a ball joint however they maintain only sideways movement. A little gimmick thats included can be found on either side of the hip is an ammo clip that is interchangeable with the clip on the 100mm machinegun.
The Accessories:
Storage container: On the show the mechanisms on the backpack grip the container to hold it in place however the figure holds the pack by four pegs. The container itself is removable, and collapsible. However it is its latter trait that can be a problem when removing, placing, or opening the container. Some containers are more stable then others but the problem is still evident. It can hold at most two guns (collapsed) at a time.
100mm Machine gun: Foldable stock, and the handle fits the gundam like it should, although I think the gun is a little small but I could be wrong. The only trivial gripe is that the handle doesnt swivel. The desert color Gundam features the machine gun in a glossy gunmetal color while the gray Gundam features a dark dull gray color.
Beam rifle: the scale is nice, but with only a detachable barrel the rifle is rather dull in the company of other accessories. I wouldve liked to see a folding scope or handle however the no beam rifle received such treatment until the release of the RX-78-2 ver2.0. The desert color Gundam features the rifle in a glossy gunmetal color while the gray Gundam features a dark dull gray color.
180mm cannon: Now this is a weapon!!! Most likely a high selling point of this suit, who doesnt like a large caliber weapon? This gun is completely collapsible. The ammo clip is removable. The barrel detaches into two pieces, and the stock is removable. Plus as a bonus the stabilizing bar for the 2nd hand to hold is foldable and this gun fits very well on the gundam. The desert color Gundam features the cannon in a glossy gunmetal color while the gray Gundam features a dark dull gray color.
Beam sabers: Featuring a removable blade the beam sabers are rather nice and the hilts feature the main color of its respectable figure. The blades are a bit flimsy and can bend a little. My only gripe with it is that the gun hand cant hold it too well.
Shield: Not too much to say on it but that it holds in rather well in the arm and that it follows the design of the animation quite well
Play Value: hmm..Tons of accessories, well articulated, this figure has a lot to offer and at times can be hard to put down! All in all nothing bad to say in this department.
Display Value: It can strike the poses and its got the weapons to draw the attention your collection deserves. By three and make the 08th team and get a few of the other 08th MS suits to get additional accessories.
Dollar Value: For a standard release priced at $5.99 this figure is definitely worth the price tag and I was surprised it wasnt classified as a deluxe figure!
Conclusion: What are you still doing here? Get it!!! :-P
Score: 9/10 One of the best out there!! |
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