Bandai continue to frustrate collectors with the ongoing repaints and retools in the Star Wars Movie Realization series. This Daimyo version of Boba Fett is no different, but I couldn't resist getting this since I'm such a sucker for repaints and trying to get every main figure in this series.
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Box and packaging are pretty much stock standard as with previous figures, so collectors know what they're going to get. Accessories are mostly rehashes from the previous figures, but at least they have the new Tuskan Raider gaffi stick and swap out gauntlet weapons.
The figure itself has a few points of difference in the armour, but obviously borrows a lot from the previous figures too. I do like the darker green paint on the armour, rather than the aqua green of the original. But in the end, it's really just another Boba figure, much like the various Mandalorian releases.
I find it difficult now to get excited about these figures, and probably won't be getting any more of the repaints. I really do wish they would at least release some new molds and characters in amongst the repaints. There were amazing prototypes displayed at past conventions, and concept art too, covering characters like Admiral Ackbar, Artoo, Gamorrean Guard, IG-88, and Yoda. It's extremely disappointing that they haven't released those from the original trilogy, but continue with Boba and Mandalorian repaints.
In the end, this might well be the last figure that I'll add to the Movie Realization series, unless Bandai really show something new.
Here's my look at the Bandai S.H.Figuarts Street Fighter M.Bison and Vega figures over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can check out the videos 😃
Back in 2013 I got the Miracle Productions MA-01 Vehicle Force Voltron. That was perhaps the best representation of the character in diecast form for many years. Unfortunately the release was plagued with quality issues (albeit mine were minimised since I had the subsequent version that had some QC issues fixed from the very initial released version).
Then of course Bandai released the Soul of Chogokin GX-71 GoLion (Lion Force Voltron) in 2017, which showed how amazing they are in making diecast metal robots! Every fan was praying for them to also make the Dairugger XV Vehicle Force Voltron. It took them over 2 years to get there, but this GX-88 Dairugger XV is a phenomenal figure, and really does blow the Miracle Productions version out of the water.
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbs up, and also subscribe to the channel!
Just like the GX-71 GoLion, this set is beautifully packaged, with gorgeous box art and all the accessories you'd want to have with this figure! The display stand with the accessories is again a nice touch, but I just don't have the space to display it. So both the stands and most accessories for this GX-88 and the previous GX-71 are back in the box.
The chroming on all the relevant accessories is very nicely done. It's all very clean with little to no sprue marks that I could see. The array of hands suits all the poses and fits the applicable accessories nicely.
The Ground Team (Land Division) comes together nicely. The overall assembling experience across all the teams is far more enjoyable with this GX-88 than with the MA-01 version. I never felt like I had to struggle and use excessive force to peg or connect components together. The design of the features to assemble the teams is far more intuitive and easy.
The only thing I don't particularly like about the Ground Team components is the large front bumper on the cars. It's definitely more noticeble when they are separate components, but become less noticeable when fully assembled into Voltron. Since that's the way in which I'll be displaying the set in my collection, I'm overall OK with it.
The Sea Team (Sea Division) are also nicely done. I love the chromed pieces that can be attached to the vehicles to give that extra bit of detail, and then removed for the full Voltron mode. The metallic blue is a beautiful shade, and the overall paint application is sharp with no colour bleed. Again, the way in which the components come together is much cleaner and simpler than with the MA-01 version.
The Air Team (Air Division) look great too. The helicopters are painted more accurate to the cartoon than the MA-01 version, and the pieces come together nicely. The only aspect of the MA-01 version I prefer is the magnetic base to the Falcon Jet Fighter. The use of magnets makes the connection to the chest piece much easier. There were a couple of times where the clips on this version made me feel like I was just about to snap something trying to get it off.
Whatever material they've used is pretty strong, so I haven't had any issues. But a simpler mechanism would've been much better. But at least the head piece is a huge improvement.
The experience to form Voltron is very enjoyable, with simple clicks and pushes to get everything solidly assembled. I didn't have to break out in a sweat, swear, or hurt my fingers like I did with the MA-01 version!
The articulation and stability of this GX-88 is also amazing. Bandai really does know how to use diecast in all the best strategic places. This maxmises strength and stability in the figure, such as the hips and ankles.
Getting this into some heroic and quite dynamic poses is a joy, and it holds up beautifully next to the GoLion. I'm so happy that this can even get both hands together to hold the sword in front.
My favourite part of the articulartion would have to be the hips, where there is strength to allow some wide poses and more natural stances. The ankle articulation allows the feet to be flat in most poses to help with stability.
Posed next to GX-71 GoLion, you can't help but think that these two sets really are the definitive versions of the two Voltrons every released. They scale quite well together, and the quality of both sets is visible to anyone that sees them.
These two will be proud additions to my collection, and won't ever be leaving it! I still remember all those Saturday mornings and afternoons after school watching classic 80s cartoons, and the Voltron series were among my favourite. It makes me so happy that Bandai have released such high quality versions of these two that I'll be able to enjoy for many years to come!
They timed the release of this Kylo Ren pretty well with the release of the Rise of Skywalker. The figure overall looks pretty nice and fits in well with the others in the series. There are a few annoying aspects to the figure though.
Check out my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel below.
Contents out of the box are the standard fare, with just a small selection of swap out hands and his broad sword. The style of the sword isn't really Japanese, being more medieval Europe in design, but I think it still looks pretty nice.
The mask is quite nicely done, with decent protruding spikes to give it that menacing style. It would've been interesting if they had made the eyes somewhat visible, but they went with an inset look that doesn't reveal anything underneath. That works better for Vader I think.
The main issues for me with the figure are around the cape, the elbows, and the kama. The cape really hinders the shoulder articulation and can't really be moved out of the way. It's all one big hard molded piece.
The elbows are the new style of massive single hinged ball joints that really break the design of the arms. The previous elbow designs for the likes of Vader, Boba Fett, and the troopers is a far better design. This new design for the sequel trilogy is a step backwards in aesthetics, and I hope they don't continue this with any original trilogy figures they have planned.
The kama I thought was on ball joints like the Phasma figure, but it actually seems to be glued together at the top of the waist with the other floating piece. It just feels really difficult to move around due to its length. The weathering is a little heavy handed, but the patterning is pretty good.
All in all, the figure does pose well, with nice ankle articulation. I wish the arms could get just a bit higher to reach some of the poses I'd prefer for Kylo. But posed together with Phasma and the First Order Trooper, they do make for a nice addition to the series.
Just recently reviewed the Movie Realization Captain Phasma, and got this First Order Stormtrooper to go with it. Overall has the same issues as the Phasma figure, with the addition of a somewhat deformed helmet.
It looks decent displayed with Phasma, but I think the original trilogy Stormtroopers are a far superior design. Click through below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel.
Usual packaging style. Figure comes with the shorter sword this time, and the smaller blaster. All up nothing surprising or noteworthy.
Figure looks decent apart from a strange deformation in the helmet. The Phasma helmet looks more natural and wider, whereas the FO Stormtrooper here seems to have his helmet pushed in from the sides. This gives the helmet a strange elongated look that is a little off-putting.
As with Phasma, it has the crappy new big elbow joints and weird ball joints for the side kama pieces. I hope it's only with these figures, and anything new from the OT uses the previous design.
All up, these two First Order buddies look pretty good displayed together. I have Kylo Ren coming soon, and that will probably be enough for me from the Sequel Trilogy. Hopefully they hurry up and announce IG-88 officially, and more OT figures to come. I'd hate for them to concentrate on Sequel Trilogy figures from this point on.
It's a shame that Bandai haven't released any more Star Wars Original Trilogy figures, and decided to announce Sequel Trilogy figures instead. But at least this Captain Phasma certainly looks pretty nice, despite me absolutely hating the character in the movies!
Click through below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!
Packaging is consistent with everything else we've received from this series. It's all classily packaged with some nice artwork. It doesn't come with too many accessories, but what you get looks pretty nice. The scabbard is a nice glossy black with gold highlights. The katana is a longer sword this time which looks great. The rifle is also a larger style that suits the weapon she had in the movie. The range of swap out hands is suitable to hold all the weapons, and as always be careful when swapping out.
The figure itself is a bit of a hit and miss affair. The glossy silver paint app is decent, but mine did come with some annoying paint scratches. I fixed most of them with metallic silver Sharpie, so they're not too noticeable now.
The most annoying thing for me is the use of softer plastic for the shoulder pauldron that deforms as you move it. It just feels like the quality dropped in that area. The decision to use ball joints to attach the side kama skirt pieces is also bloody annoying.
I have no idea why they did that, because it doesn't seem to add any articulation. It just makes adjusting them difficult because they don't align symmetrically with the other parts of the kama. I tried adjusting them and it's too much of a pain in the arse to bother anymore!
The large cape at the rear and on the left shoulder are also a little annoying. The rear is pegged into place with a hole in the back, but at least the shoulder piece can be rotated out of the way. However the part that goes in front of the chin piece hinder articulation of the neck which is also annoying.
Something I didn't really notice until another collector pointed it out to me is that Bandai also changed the elbow joint for these Sequel Trilogy figures. They now have large ball joints that are essentially single jointed elbows, instead of the previous double jointed design. The balls now stick out a lot more and break up the sculpt, which is not good.
In the end, the figure looks pretty good on display, but some of the design changes really are a step back for this series. I hope this is something they do only for the Sequel Trilogy characters. If they announce any more OT figures, I hope they return to the previous design.
I've loved the Bandai Star Wars Movie Realization series right from the start, and I'm glad they're still releasing figures. They are definitely taking their sweet time between releases so, but this C-3PO was definitely worth the wait!
Click through to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a thumbs-up and to subscribe too! :)
The box art is the usual style, and the contents aren't that plentiful this time. I think the key focus for this release was more the unique mold and features of the figure, but more on that later. Accessories wise you get a couple of swap out pairs of hands, and his fanciful oriental styled fan.
The Japanese name is quite appropriate, meaning something along the lines of a "puppet interpreter". Coupled with the known mannerisms of Threepio, the fan goes beautifully with the more effeminate characteristics of Threepio. Everything swaps out easily enough with no delicate parts to worry about when doing the swap.
The figure itself has many new unique parts which makes it stand out from the rest of the collection. The overall gold metallic paint app is fantastic. The face sculpt is very nice too, with moveable eyes and mouth. You can get him into all sorts of derpy faces!
The articulation in the neck joint and lower neck piece allow quite a lot of motion for more expressive poses. The shoulders work well, but it's the elbows that need a bit of care. As always with Threepio figures, the pistons are an area of concern. The ones on the inside of the elbow aren't too delicate, but if you try to bend the elbows close to 90 degrees, the piston will flex. So I wouldn't push them too far in case they snap.
The rest of the articulation is on par with the previous figures. There is torso and hip movement, and the legs, knees, and ankles all work well. I love that they painted his right lower leg silver in keeping with the movie. The unique sculpting details in the feet, shins, and through the arms are a highlight.
I love the red drinking gourd, but have no idea what the key is meant to represent. If anyone knows, please let me know via Facebook message! Would love to know if that means something from feudal Japanese days!
Overall, this is another fantastic release by Bandai in this series. I have seen the IG-88 prototype figure shown at some toy fairs. I really hope they show a prototype of the Gamorrean Guard one day! Hopefully they keep this series going for a few years yet with some more original trilogy characters.
If it's been slow for me with 1/6th scale figures this year, it's been even slower on the Transformers front! G1 related Masterpiece releases have been very slow this year, so I have picked up a few 1/12th scale figures in the meantime, amongst a few other things too.
Click through below to check out the collection update video over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel to see all my upcoming videos :)
I love Street Fighter, and there have been some nice 1/12th scale releases from Bandai and Storm Collectibles this year. I decided to go with the slimmer style from Bandai in their S.H.Figuarts series. Together the figures look great and have some nice articulation. I especially like the new Sakura.
My kids have loved Super Mario ever since we got the WiiU with games like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and Mario Party making them love the characters. So I also decided to get some of the S.H.Figuarts Super Mario figures and accessory sets during the recent Big Bad Toy Store sale.
Despite Bowser being far too small in scale compared to the other characters, they do look amazing posed up together. My son loves having these on his own shelf!
For me, I love the 1/12th scale Star Wars Movie Realization series. The latest release of the Snowtrooper is an incredible set and I think a must-have for fans of The Empire Strikes Back! I have pretty much all the figures released in this series, and it continues to be a unique stylised representation of the characters that drives a lot of discussion when friends come over to see the collection.
With the MP releases being so slow, I have tried out some manula camera settings recently with some of the Decepticon figures I have. Can't wait to get the repaints of Megatron and Shockwave later this year. I should get the repaints of Prowl and Sunstreaker by the end of October, so stay tuned for more review and pics then!
These coneheads certainly had issues during release. Luckily mine turned out mostly OK, I think they are the most cartoon accurate versions of the coneheads released by any company.
And I still love MP-36 Megatron. Based on what I've seen of the cartoon recently, the extra height on Megatron is actually quite accurate to the cartoon, where there were many scenes showing his standing taller than Soundwave.
Hopefully next year when the new Optimus Prime releases we can have the two leaders standing next to each other with the perfect cartoon aesthetic. With Hound also coming next year and a repaint of Wheeljack, it should be a decent year. I'm still hoping for a couple more announcements that will take the year to another level!
Bandai seem to be taking it very slow in their Star Wars Movie Realization series. I really wish they would speed things up and just release the figures from their concept art, but they seem determined to drag things out for collectors.
Luckily when a figure is released, it's normally worth the wait. And for these new Snowtroopers, the wait was most definitely worth it! I'm glad I preordered two! Click through below to watch my full video review on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel - make sure to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe too! 😃
Usually the troopers come with a larger variety of hands. But this time, Bandai has put those hands aside and given us an amazing rendition of the E-Web cannon. I for one am totally OK with that because this thing is beautiful!
The cannon comes in separate pieces, with the main barrel, three legs, and central join all needing to be assembled together. It all clips or slides into place easily and firmly without ever feeling like something will break.
I especially love the cannon handles that are on little ball joints so that they can have a bit of movement. This really helps when placing the provided gripping hands onto the handles. You should definitely heat up the hands in some hot water to make them more flexible.
The design itself is perfectly in keeping with the samurai aesthetic of this series. I love the little pointy tips on the feet, and the massive style of the cannon is reminiscent of the massive rifle of the Sandtrooper. The cannon can tilt up and down, and also rotates on top of the join.
The silver paint application is nice and metallic. There is also a fairly consistent rusty paint wash over most surfaces to give it a nice weathered appearance. Connected together on the tripod with a Snowtrooper at the helm, this E-Web just makes for an awesome interpretation of the attack on Hoth.
The Snowtrooper itself is mainly a reuse of various parts from previous figures. The only major differences of note are of course the head sculpt and the chest/torso piece. I love that they provided the option of having the face cowl on or off, with nice details on both.
I decided to use the cowl for the Snowtrooper handling the cannon, and having it off for the sword wielding Snowtrooper to show off the uncowled details. I do like the black stripes on the face that contrast the stark white of the rest of the costume.
The chest plate is nicely detailed, and the paint app is very sharp. I particularly like the bright red spots as highlights and the silver centre section. I'm not sure how closely that matches the actual Snowtrooper chest plate, but it's a nice variation from the standard Stormtrooper chest plate.
The figure also has a pouch on the side that's nicely weathered and textured. It comes with a unique backpack that has the same silver metallic paint app as the E-Web. The rusty wash is also applied, but it seems only to the main top part of the backpack. It would've been nicer if it was evenly distributed to the curved surfaces to the bottom and sides, but that's really a pretty small nit to pick.
I think all other parts of the figure, from the shoulder and forearm armour, to the kama and longer skirt, are all taken from previous figures such as the Royal Guard and Sandtrooper. I think the boots may be a slight variation, but overall the figure keeps with the consistent style whilst having enough differences to be interesting.
Posed up, these Snowtroopers are incredible to look at, and are a welcome variation to the Movie Realization series. The E-Web cannon is a standout feature, and fans of The Empire Strikes Back should jump on board to get this set ASAP!
With Threepio coming early 2019, I really hope Bandai announce more characters from the original trilogy. We still haven't seen anything regarding a Scout Trooper yet, so that would be the next logical choice for a trooper variant. If they decide to do that and announce some sort of horse as a mount, that would absolutely blow my mind! One can only hope Bandai get their act together! 😃
I love Street Fighter, and these Bandai S.H.Figuarts figures have scratched the itch to have some smaller figures to pose up. The overall quality has been great, and the recent releases of Ken and Sakura are no different.
Click through below to watch my full review of both warriors over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a like and also subscribe to the channel :)
As you'd expect, Ken is a very similar figure to Ryu and Akuma. The range of articulation is essentially identical, and the sculpted details are nice. I'm not that big a fan of the head sculpts, but this smirking one I used in the photo below is my favourite.
The skin tone on the face is a lighter shade than the body, which is really my only other complaint about the figure. The accessories are decemt, and he looks great posed with the others.
Sakura turned out to be a great figure! I especially love the way they designed the shoes so that the range of ankle articulation is not affected. The front and rear tops split as they normally would, giving a great range of motion.
The knees are nice like Chun-Li's, and not the terrible ones used on Cammy. I think the face sculpts are nice too, and I prefer the broad smiling one I used below. The paint app on the costume is sharp too, and the skirt design didn't hinder any movement.
Together, the gang looks pretty damn good so far. I just saw the other day that Blanka has now been shown at toy conventions, so a preorder for that should be soon. Hopefully we see other classic characters like Guile, E.Honda, and Zangief in this series too. If they're able to make the original cast from Street Fighter 2, I'd be very happy!
I've been playing around with some manual camera settings recently to get my photography skills up. These figures certainly made for great test subjects!
My kids love MarioKart, Mario Party, and Super Smash Bros on the WiiU, and love the Super Mario characters. With the recent Big Bad Toy Store sale, I decided to get the Bandai S.H.Figuarts Super Mario figures.
The kids loved the previous S.H.Figuarts Pokemon figures, and I've liked their series of Street Fighter figures too. These Super Mario figures turned out pretty nicely too, and look great on the kids' shelf!
Click through below to watch my video review and thoughts on the figures! Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel! :)
Bandai have been pretty slow in releasing figures in their Star Wars Movie Realization series. Most of been variants of Stormtroopers, and this latest is no different. Luckily they're still keeping the series going with the upcoming Snowtrooper and Threepio.
But for now, click through below to check out my full review of this Yari Ashigaru over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! Hope you can give the video a like and subscribe to the channel too :)
Box art and array of accessories are nothing really new in this series. All done nicely and with little fuss.
The only major issue I had was the looseness in the wait joint where it popped out very easily. After a bit of a closer look at the joint, and some discussion on the Sideshow Freaks Forum, the cause was identified. The waist joint is on a double hinge, and the lower was actually bent lower than normal. This meant the torso wasnt attached properly and was easy to pop off.
You just have to reach in there and move the very tight lower joint straighter so that the ball peg sticks up higher. Then the torso will attach nicely and it won't pop off easily.
The new Spearman fits in beautifully with the rest of the Stormtrooper gang. It shares much of the style and accessories as the previous drummer and archer. Whilst a nice figure, these Stormtrooper variants are getting a bit boring. It's great that a new look with the Snowtrooper is coming to change things up a bit.
I really hope more new molds are coming. Threepio has been teased, but even a feudal Japanese version of Yoda or the Emperor would be fantastic!
