They don’t look good. I thought about grabbed an Astray to have a desktop throwaway piece maybe. Just to see if there is anything worthwhile in them.
I've got mixed feelings about the lack of shields myself. Of course, having a bunch of other versions of these figures that come with them does help. One thing that also 'helps' is that now I don't have to figure out how to load up a dozen or so weapons and accessories onto a figure. I can just go for the 'throw away your shield and go full offensive' effect. What I also like about these figures is that they're less fragile than models. Question, can you give us a link? I'm curious to see what they're considering. I hope we get more EW figures, especially Deathsythe. Going slightly OT, I think I'd like a Macross equivalent of Gundam Universe.
Affordable, transforming Valkyries is my pipe dream. I have a mostly-transforming Valkyrie from Toynami (it uses partsforming for the cockpit, sadly) but it is astonishing how difficult it is to find reasonably priced Macross merch. Literally the only SDF-1 figure I could afford was the freaking Re-Action one. I don't know about wanting a Gundam Universe version of Macross since transformation is kinda a big deal for Macross and GU actively tries to avoid any kind of play features and cuts as many corners as possible. ... seriously. Just put a peg on the shield and the gun and you can market Wing as transformable. It would have cost nothing.
Saw Nu Gundam at Target yesterday. Forgot this line was still going. Yea it was pretty weird that Wing 1 of all suits wasn’t transformable in this line given how simplistic the transformation is.
I still say the minute you throw in something like transformation you undercut the point of the line that is budget focused on MS modes.
Pretty much. Basically, more parts equals a higher price, and an often less robust figure. I've got all kinds of figures, but many of them aren't ones I can really mess around with too much. Gundam Universe ticks that particular box for me. I mean, I'm not going to say no to relatively cheap, fairly nice looking (imo) action figures of some of my favourite robots. If I want transforming versions, I've already got those. It's like the RED Transformers figures (though in their case, I'm quite a bit less impressed by the execution), the idea being (supposedly) nice looking action figures, unencumbered, aesthetically and poseability-wise, by the compromises of a transformation feature. I actually did get hold of a few relatively cheap non transforming Macross figures. I'm wishing I'd gotten the others, too, when they'd been available. Maybe, there'll be a Macross Universe line, some day. Until then, I'm down for more Gundam Universe EW and Seed figures.
The Wing Gundam would require one other thing that's utterly impossible for figures in this line... a waist swivel
I mean, the thing is the line is the epitome of "they just didn't care." It wouldn't cost anything to add a peg to the shield and gun. Hell, don't even advertise it and make it a pleasant surprise for consumers. It doesn't cost anything to make Deathscythe's scythe not exist at a weird angle. It doesn't cost anything to give Ez-8 a right-handed gun while only providing a right trigger finger. I don't hate the line but honestly it seems like it's trying to get me to. I also keep finding the phrase "budget" really funny since it's an unlicensed six-inch scale line that's more expensive than pretty much every other similar line in the US. And at least that line rarely cuts out necessary accessories (such as Wing's beam saber, the weapon it uses 90% of the time).
I am surprised that they omitted certain weapons/accessories. I'd probably be more bothered if I didn't have other versions of them. (I will be annoyed if Astray Red Frame comes without his katana, though.) I'm just wondering if they plan to re-release some of these figures with the missing extras, and a more premium paint job, or if they'll release other less 'popular' figures with the accessories as an incentive to buy them. (it wouldn't be an unusual senario). I'm pretty sure the folks at Bandai will be getting questions about stuff like that.
I don't think it's a case of not caring so much as Bandai higher ups being too used to crapping Gundam out at low effort and thinking that'll work in countries where it isn't an established brand. I used to know a guy who worked on the brand for Bandai America and he stated it was the biggest headache. That Bandai were used to farting out low quality games, toys, etc which Japanese otaku eagerly bought but in America there just wasn't that brand devotion and thus consumers left bad product on the shelf. I've probably mentioned this before but Bandai once killed off their American located, American staffed home entertainment branch and replaced it with one steered by Japanese staff who claimed they'd perfectly assessed the American market but were laughed into closure because they hadn't a clue. I think the American staff who conceived Universe have good intent but they're hitting a wall in terms of what their Japanese bosses are insisting on based on misunderstanding the Western consumer palette.
Latest wave has arrived from Japan. Exia- so disappointed. When Barbatos was revealed, it was controversial for photos making it look spikey and buffy but I found in hand I actually liked it. Given Exia is one of my favourite Gundams I was hoping it'd be the same situation but sadly no. I've been buying toys and kits of Exia since 2007 and this resembles any number of cheap candy toys that came out alongside the show. They've tried to make Exia look dynamic and actually kinda close to its earlier designs but the result is just what looks like inconsistent body parts slapped together. Indeed it's so slipshod I'm convinced the shield isn't included because the arms don't even have the mount brackets (it holds the GN Sword like a handgun, no forearm mount). Even the articulation is the worst of the wave and for a Gundam designed for close combat that's just sad. The fact the beam sabers are removable but have no blades adds to my theory we're getting a weapons pack at some point. Freedom- one of the strongest they've done. Universe figures often feel like budgeted approximations but minus the shield this is a strong attempt at the design. It can do the Hi-MAT, the lines are clean and sharp and the beam sabers can securely combine for the double bladed look. Part of me still thinks this got extra attention because Freedom is the brand ambassador to China but regardless this is a winner. Heavyarms- thankfully closer to Freedom than Exia. They've been showing the Wing entries a lot of love and this continues the trend. Really my only grievance is the gatling. One of those cases where Universe oversizes a weapon to make it look more dramatic and like most Heavyarms you have to remove the hand to attach it. However, there's a balljoint inside which gives it a stronger connection than just sliding over the forearm. All in all, a very strong wave which does show improvement. Freedom and Heavyarms are definitely recommended but Exia I think comes down to how completist you're being.
Whoa just read this now. Good thing I avoided PO'ing Exia. Just placed order in Freedom and H-Arms. Releasing Freedom will open the gates for Seed MS. I don't mind getting the most of it like what i'm focusing now on Wing MS. Too bad they released Strike naked that's why I didn't get it. Funny they gave wing accessories to other MS. But not on Strike's Aile Pack. It's that too much too ask?
Maybe they can release a Skygrasper/Striker pack set at some point. As far as SEED is concerned, I hope we get the other four original GAT- Gundams, as well as Red Frame Astray, and, of course Justice. At the very least. I'm a bit disappointed that Exia isn't quite what it could have been, but I'll have to wait till I get it before I make a final judgement. I didn't order Heavyarms because I prefer the EW Wing designs. Hopefully they'll turn up at some point.
I'm finding I like Exia a bit more as I add details like panel lining and missing paint myself but it's still a poor figure in my mind. Case in point, the GN Drive cone is smaller than the head and has no paint apps. Not the brackets nor its inner mechanism. I also discovered it has the unused standard side skirt armour ports of every other Universe figure. Implying Bandai are essentially reusing the same skeleton for every figure in the line, even when it creates problems. Though on that note the torso design means Exia has some decent midsection side to side tilt.
I'm... honestly still morbidly curious about the Infinity figures. They seem to be selling well since Bandai has upped their price on Amazon to $15 so maybe if I see an Artemis in the wild I'll pick it up. I don't... really care for the suit but it's not getting a model kit any time soon and hey, satellite cannons are always fun. Justice will not happen due to how big the backpack is. They won't give Wing Gundam a beam saber, there's no way they're shelling out for the FATUM-00.
I bought Artemis at Target, it's basically a candy toy figure from years past. Mostly PVC with some ABS parts, mainly the torso & Satellite Cannon. Articulation is decent, but nothing along the lines of the G-Frame series. No other weapons or accessories aside from the Zaku head for the BAF. The main issue I have with this (and the line in general) is that the proportions make the suit look too lanky. It comes across as something that was designed at Bandai USA and is just a little off. If there's ever a G-Frame version made of this, I'd definitely go what that over this line.
So... I saw all the Infinity figures at Target today and upon seeing that the Astray Red Frame had a bunch of unadvertised accessories, I wound up picking it up. And... I don't hate it. Much like the Gundam Universe line, sometimes it genuinely feels like the line was designed to fail (... why would you not advertise more than half the accessories of your figure? Wing and the RX-78 also had accessories not shown in the promo photos so... yeah), but... honestly unlike Gundam Universe which I don't understand why it exists, I see the appeal of these guys. The Astray is flawed, don't get me wrong. The articulation is basic and I hate to say this, but it's worse than the MSIA Red Frame in pretty much every way (except for the fact the US release of the Red Frame didn't have a beam rifle... but if it did, it would have been better than this one). But it's functional and is a figure that I purchased which didn't have any design choices that made me go "why?!?" which is more than I can say for the Gundam Universe figures I own. But like this is... probably a little bit worse than the Assault Kingdom candy toys which really didn't have a wide release in the US. And compared to toys of a similar scale on the shelves, they're really not too bad. Compared to the 6-inch scale, which generally have higher quality figures for cheaper, there's less domestic competition at this price point and the figures feel less... incomplete since they lack fewer critical accessories that the Universe line omitted.