NG 1/144 Strike Gundam

Well, to kick off my No Grade 1/144 Seed model reviews, I figured I’d start with the Strike, just the basic, GAT-X105 Strike, with no Striker packs or Skygrasper, just your generic beam rifle and shield. Despite that, though, I had the choice of picking up either the Launcher Striker, Sword Strike, or just the normal one. I went for the normal one cuz I wanted it to be basic with the Beam Rifle and Shield. If I picked up the other ones, my poor little NG Duel Gundam would’ve felt out-staged.

The model itself needs plently of painting, and only has basic artulation at the head, shoulders, legs, and feet. No waist or elbow movement, or hand and knee movement. You can’t really do much but just make it stand and look cute. However, if you give it a decent paint job, it’ll look that much better.

Most of the model comes molded in white, other than the chest and stomach area, which are molded in blue and red, as well as the feet being molded entirely in red. All the black on the model that you see in the pictures were painted by me, as well as the white on the feet. The v-fin is molded in yellow, while the head is white, so theres plenty of painting involved. Whats more, no stickers are included!!! Yeah, I know…sometimes Bandai gives you useless stickers for their models, but couldn’t they have at least included an eye sticker? I hate using stickers in general cuz I think the paint makes up for it, but eye stickers are another matter. Thanks to that issue, I had to use a toothpick to paint the eye and faceplate…and it took quite some time too…

Overall, though, this is a well-sculpted model, and it  looks great when painted. If you just like to have a little piece of eye-candy standing on your desk, then this is the way to go! Just take your time with the painting and don’t give up. However, if you have an unused eye sticker then that would make things a hella easier. You’re getting what you paid for this model; it shouldn’t be over $6.00, considering what you’re getting.

More pictures of the Strike with diffrent Striker packs (I.W.S.P.) will be up soon! For now, the plain old Strike in some happy-go-lucky poses will have to do. xD

Don’t hate the No Grades!

haha, hey guys, just another day updating this blog. I’m not gonna slack off and update this every five months so check back more often. Anyways, today I just wanna talk a bit about my No Grade 1/144 scale models from Gundam Seed. I’ve done a few reviews of these guys on YouTube but most people hate them due to the horrible articulation, detail, and the fact that you have to paint them to look good. However, from my eyes, thats a good thing. If it doesn’t have much articulation it won’t flop around and its very stable, and I enjoy painting, so I give these models my all when I paint them. They look like HG models now, hunh? xD

I currently have 4/5 of the orginal GAT machines from Gundam Seed, including the Strike, Aegis, Duel, and Buster. Just gotta get the Blitz and my collection will be complete! I also have the NG Slash Zaku Phantom and Luna’s Gunner Zaku Warrior, but I’ll showcase them another time. I don’t understand why people hate these models…I mean with some paint apps these can look great! Just go to Home Depot and buy a few little paint testers, each bottle is only $2.00. Once painted they’ll look great together in your display case!

NOTE: The Duel and Buster both began their lives being painted with white-out and Sharpie, thus they aren’t as good as my Aegis and Strike. I went over those two with real paint but the rigid texture of the White-out still shows a bit. I didn’t bother cleaning off some edges to make them look perfect, cuz right now they meet my standards.

Enjoy this little fun-filled gallery! Individual reviews coming soon!

 

Mix-and-Match!

I was bored sometime ago during the weekand so I decited to have some fun with my SD models by mixing up their limbs and weapons and whatnot to make a new hybrid model. I started out with my SD Exia and SD 00 Gundam, which turned out quite nicely. The 00 turned out to be a bit too complicated, having most of the weapons, but I love how Exia turned out. It just looks so cute and simple. 00 looks a bit more menacing. Doesn’t Exia just look so cute you wanna hug him? (Although I suggest you not, Exia is known for its “sharp points”) Anyways, I’ve long since re-painted these two models with Gundam Marker and Testing Paint, so they look much better instead of the Sharpie and White Out you see in the pictures. Check out my Exia Re-Review on my YouTube channel if you wanna see more. A re-review of the 00 will be coming soon with the re-painted colors, but not until later. Enjoy this little gallery while 00 and Exia get part-swapped. xD

Still Alive…

Finally got a break from schoolwork and the ranting of my parents so here I am…heh…bet alot of you guys thought I wasn’t ever gonna update this dump blog again, hunh? Well, school’s been hard, and the whole “social life” thing isn’t going too well. Nothing new besides that, just got a few new models like Trans-Am 00 Raiser w/ GN Sword III and 0 Gundam type A.C.D. Other than that, life’s been the same.
Those of you who stay tuned on my YouTube channel know that I’ve been busy and can’t exactly upload a review everyday, but its now Thanksgiving break, so if i can muster up enough strentgh to stop watching Gundam, I’ll update this site more often.

Anyways, on to more pressing matters: should I get a PG Strike + Skygrasper or about 3-5 MG models instead? I’ve had my eye on the Strike for a while now but the new MG Blue Frame Second L looks promising, as well as Impulse, and Infinate Justice. So which should I choose? I’ve been ripping my hair out over this matter and I really need someone to confide in.

Here’s a little gallery of my WIP on MG Exia Ignition. I finished this model a few months ago, but I’ll upload the pictures now.

 

Nataku!!

New Gunpla! Just went to my local hobby store and picked up the 1/100 NG Nataku Gundam from the OVA Gundam Wing Endless Watlz. Have to say, really great model. I like it alot. Downside is that I’m moving, so I won’t be able to do that many Gunpla reviews on YouTube anyone.

Transformers II: Revenge Of The Fallen

Notes/thoughts on Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen

 Ok, I admit, I was a real Transformers geek back when I was a kid, up until I was 6. By then I got my first Gundam Model and thought it was better than Transformers, so I switched. However, all those facts and things that I know about Transformers (Original Series) were still with me so I remembered everything from the original series. >.>

 Transformers II was great, and I made some connections to the original series that aired way back in the 1990’s. ^^;

 First off, in the original series of Transformers, Jetfire (known as Skyfire back then) was a Decepticon, and good friends with Starscream. However, later in the series, Skyfire switched, and became an Autobot, just as in the movie…but Jetfire wasn’t an old man…

 And…in Transformers Armada, Jetfire was the deputy of the Autobots until Prime died…but then he came back to life…and Jetfire could also combine with Prime in Armada…you know, in almost every single Transformers series that I watched when I was lil, Prime always died…and then came back to life…

 Also, Devastator, that giant, kick ass robot that combined to form one giant, sand-eating monster was also present in the original series. He was also known as devastator, and he was formed from the…contructicons, I think? Back then in the Generation 1 Transformers he was a giant robot formed from construction vehicles to make a giant green robot…same as the movie only he wasn’t a complete idiot and he wasn’t multi-colored. >.>

 Kinda pissed me off a lil cuz they didn’t include Soundwave in the final fight…I know that he was a satellite, and that kinda irked me too…I know that they didn’t want any mass changing in the movie, (Soundwave was a tape recorder back in G1) but still…

 Nice that they included Ravage, he was awesome. In Generation 1, Ravage was Soundwave’s “pet.” He was a tape and he fit inside Soundwave. Soundwave even patted Ravage on the head once. xDD

 Like Jazz in the first movie, Sideswipe didn’t get enough screen time…

 You know, funny thing is…I loved the movie, but I still hate all the merchandise…I mean the toys were horrible, I remember getting my first Transformer back when I was 5 and it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was expecting more articulation and better detail. Guess tats why I switched over on to Gundam Models. I guess the present day Transformer toys are better, but screw them, Gundam Models FTW! >.>

 The Fallen was one of the original 13 Transformers created by Primus in the orginal series, and the same is true in the movie. The Fallen betrayed Primus in the G1 series but in the end he was sucked into a black hole…but in the movie he was killed by Optimus.

 The fact that Megatron is alive, (only without half his face. >.>) means that there’s gonna be a third movie…I suspect that Megatron will want revenge for his master. And it’s a good thing Starscream got more screen time in the second movie! xD

 Oh, I almost forgot, Jazz was my favorite Autobot in all time…in the first series and in the movie…he was awesome…so…

 R.I.P – Jazz – Loyal deputy of the Autobots

*salutes*

Quest For Destiny Part I

Here’s a lil something I whipped up in my spare time. When I don’t have any Gunpla’s the work on, I just write! I’m planning to make a whole series outta this. This is the result of combining Bionicle, Metroid, and Gundam into one. I have to say I did a good job in my opinion.

This is a made up fiction story by me. I used mostly metroid and bionicle, but the shield that Volek gains is similar to Kyrios’ sheild.

Quest for Destiny Part I

           Volek woke up to find himself on an abandoned beach, startled and frustrated. Volek was a biomechanical being, made up of armor and organic tissue that held his metallic limbs together. He did not know where he was, or why he was there. The being sat up and looked around but all he could see was water and sand. The beach was long and had some plants growing here and there, but was mostly barren. One could almost call it a miniature dessert. Volek got to his feet and started walking up the beach. He walked for what seemed to be an eternity until he hit a lush green jungle. The biomechanical being walked into the jungle, looking around with awe. However, he found something that was incredible. In front of Volek was a large metal platform with a glowing blue center. Nearby was a glowing panel with text on it. Volek walked over to the panel and waved his right hand over the panel. The next instant, the panel turned green and the platform glowed underneath. Curious about what he did, Volek walked over to the platform and the next instant, it roared to life and shot upward. Startled by the sudden ascent, Volek lost his balance and hit the floor of the platform. However, the platform kept going up, powered by rockets built underneath it. It was then that Volek realized he was on a sort of elevator, possibly built by the inhabitants of the island. Volek looked up, and he saw a light. The next moment, the platform ground to a halt. The biomechanical being found himself in a large cavern, decorated with carvings and statues. Volek got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. Nearby was an advanced door that looked like it would take some code or password that would open it. Volek started for the door, as it seemed to be the only way out of the place, when he stopped dead. One of the statues that were to the left of the door came to life, and it stomped over to Volek, sword at the ready. Volek, who was without a weapon, was tempted to flee, but he didn’t have anywhere to go. The only exit was blocked by the stone giant who stood to keep Volek away from his destination. The statue represented someone much like Volek, but with slightly different armor. Then the giant statue charged, and with a mighty swing of its giant sword, hit Volek and sent him hurling backward and into the wall of the cavern. Volek moaned and tried to get back up, but he couldn’t move. Unfortunately for Volek, the stone being wasn’t going to give him time to recover. Readying his sword, the giant charged. Volek thought quickly. He looked at the stone statue charging toward him, and realized something: the ground beneath the giant’s feet was cracking with every step it took. He glanced back at the wall he was leaning on, and he realized that it was cracked from the impact when he hit it. What he was about to do was risky, and Volek knew it. But now it was a situation of life or death. At the last moment, right before the stone giant was going to hit, Volek ducked down and let the giant go over him and charge at the stone wall behind him. The giant hit the wall, and it collapsed as the giant hit it. With its balance lost, the giant fumbled. With one great kick, Volek sent the stone being through the wall. To his surprise, beyond the stone wall was nothing but empty air. The giant went down into the abyss screaming. Volek stood at the edge and looked down, wondering how much things could have changed if the statue hit him and drove him through the wall and into the dark abyss. The biomechanical being shuddered at the thought and turned back to the cavern. He walked over to the door and noted that it was locked. Looking around, he found a strange encryption above the door. Feeling around the stone doorway, Volek found an unusual stone. He pushed the stone in, and a panel slid into view. There were holographic keys on the panel, and strangely enough, the letters matched the ones on the wall above the door. Volek pushed the keys in the order that they were in the encryption above the door and the lock around the door disappeared. With nothing else barring his way, Volek proceeded.

            In the next room was a great sword wedged in a stone slab. The sword was massive, almost as big as Volek. It radiated intense heat and it glowed red. The blade was made of the finest metal one could find, and the hilt had ancient encryptions on it. Volek walked calmly up to the stone slab and the great sword, and with a tug, pulled it free. Volek expected the sword to be extremely heavy for its size, but it proved to be extremely light and durable. This would give him a speed advantage in combat. Volek swung the sword at a nearby wall and it cut a clean, deep mark into the stone. He swung the sword again, but this time the results were completely unexpected. Instead of cutting the wall, flames danced out of the end of the sword and seared the stone wall. Amazed at the sword’s power, Volek swung again, this time willing a great flame to come out. The next thing he knew, a giant fire erupted from the sword, heating up the room by several hundred degrees. The heat was too much to bear, so Volek drew the flame back into the sword. The biomechanical being looked down at his new-found weapon and smiled. Then he strapped the sword to his back and stepped out of the room. Volek surveyed the cavern where he fought the massive stone statue before again. He found a carving that represented a door, but there was no real door in sight. Unlimbering his sword, Volek swung and a massive fireball erupted from the sword. It flew over to the carving and melted it. Behind the melted slab was a door, this one real and active. Volek grinned with satisfaction and walked over to the new entryway.

            The door opened when Volek came over to it, and what he found on the other side of the door was a hallway. It was a corridor built of stone, glass, and crystal. He was inside a sort of tube, with the circular walls around him being transparent but the ground beneath him being made of stone. He walked through the structure looking outside the pipe and admiring the sight he saw. Outside it was raining, with thunder crashing softly overhead. The land was lush and green, with little creatures skittering about, looking for shelter against the rain. The rainwater formed little streams on the ground and turned the dirt to soft mud. Volek continued on and he later saw a door that marked the end of the corridor. The door opened and he found himself outside in the place he saw from the pipeline. It was then that Volek realized that the corridor he was traveling in slowly wound downward, and that it led to the outside world. Volek walked around the place looking around with wonder at the wonderful display of life around him. He discovered that the island he was on was largely uninhabited by intelligent beings. Apparently the natives of the island that built the structures left many years ago or died out. They also seemed to have left a great deal of technology behind. He continued to walk until he found a tunnel that was hidden beneath a patch of earth. Volek went into the tunnel, using his sword to generate a small flame and light the way for him. At the end of the underground tunnel was a doorway that led to another tunnel that went up. Volek continued to walk up the tunnel, never hesitating along the way. At last he emerged on top of a very large structure. On top of the structure was a hovering item that emitted an unearthly glow. Volek moved toward it but then a large dragon flew up and blocked Volek from obtaining the item. Unlike his last encounter with an enemy, Volek felt no fear.  He drew his sword and charged at the dragon while swinging his deadly sword. If Volek thought that one swing would bring down the fierce creature, he was wrong. The dragon shrugged off the blow like it was a simple breeze and with one mighty swipe of its tail it downed Volek and sent him flying into a wall. Volek tried to channel his power through his sword and fight the fearsome creature but he had no strength left, the dragon was just too strong. The last thing Volek saw before he passed out was the dragon bearing down on him, ready for a fatal strike.

            When Volek woke up, he found himself inside a cell, the bars made of solid crystal. He looked around, and realized something very disturbing: he was underwater. Volek wasn’t sure how he could breathe while still underwater, but he resolved to find that out later. Volek was surprised to find that he still had his sword with him. Whoever had captured him wasn’t that smart, as they didn’t think about removing a captive’s weapon before throwing them into a cell. Aiming his sword, Volek willed a fireball to come out, but it didn’t work as he was underwater. All his sword could do was give off a weak glow. Frustrated, Volek used his sword and cut an opening to the roof of his cell. Making sure that no one spotted him, Volek swam out of his cell and raced for the surface. However, to his shock, Volek discovered that he wasn’t going up toward the surface; rather he was going down deeper into the ocean pit. Volek stopped and looked around but he had lost all sense of direction. Even so, Volek continued to swim around, looking for a way to get out of the water, but it seemed that the sea itself wanted to consume him. A movement in the corner of his eye caught Volek’s attention. It turned out to be nothing more than a thick patch of seaweed, but there was something about them that drew Volek further in.  He swam toward the seaweed, mystified at how they move and how they seem to dazzle his eyes. Then he realized that there was an object behind the seaweed, and they seemed to be guarding it. Volek smiled. No patch of seaweed was going to stop this warrior from obtaining his prize. Readying his sword, Volek charged into the patch of seaweed and cut some of them away. However, the seaweed seemed to have a mind of its own. The plants wrapped themselves onto Volek’s legs and attempted to pull him down, but he cut them away. Unfortunately for Volek, this action just seemed to anger the seaweed more as they began to take more aggressive action. One strand covered Volek’s mouth, and to his surprise, once he couldn’t breathe water, he started chocking and fumbling. Desperate to get away, the warrior used his sword and willed it to heat up as much as it can. The sword’s temperature raised only a little, but the light generated by the heat was enough to scare the plants away as they were accustomed to living in total darkness and light was like poison to them. As the seaweed retreated back into the ocean floor, Volek finally got a clear image of what they were protecting. It was an object that looked like it would its user great strength if used. Volek approached the item, and to his surprise, it shot up and went into Volek’s immune system. After a moment, his armor started to change, and he felt more power surging though him. He raised a hand and a small flame lit in his palm. Volek’s eyes widened at the sight. He now controlled fire itself. With the added power of his flame sword, he would be unstoppable. Using his new power over fire to light the way, he began looking for a way back to the surface.

            It took quite some time, but Volek managed to find his way back to the surface of the abandoned island. Along the way back, he had to fight fearsome sea creatures that attempted to block his path, but with his new power over fire, he managed to defeat them. Now he stood on the marshy ground of the island, with plants and undergrowth everywhere. The rain still fell, and Volek used a small sample of his power to light the way into the woods. He still had no real idea of what he was doing on the island and what his true destiny was. The warrior continued on and walked for endless hours, seeking something that would give him a clue about where his destiny lay. Lost in thought, Volek never saw what was coming. A giant fireball hurled past Volek’s head, almost close enough to melt his head clean off. Volek assumed a fighting stance, and drew his sword. He looked in the direction of the attack to see who his enemy was, but there was no one there. The biomechanical being looked around franticly, trying to figure out if there was going to be another attack, but he saw nothing. Then, suddenly, there was a bright flash, and a powerful jet of flame hit Volek square in the back. He stumbled forward and fell face-first into the mud, groaning with pain. He lifted his head just enough to see a being standing over him, and Volek’s eyes widened at the sight. It was Volek that had downed him. The attacker looked exactly like Volek, with the same armor and weapon. He regarded Volek with cold, dead eyes. The being standing over the master of fire seemed to be dead inside, with no sprit housed within the armor. Volek was about to face the hardest challenge he has ever faced: fighting himself. Now the evil being standing over Volek readied its sword, and prepared to destroy him. However, Volek had other ideas. He forced his body temperature to shoot up several thousand degrees, and the other being backed away screaming at the intense heat. Volek gazed at his enemy, and noticed that the heat did little damage, as his copy also had power over fire. Realizing that he couldn’t defeat this entity with fire or heat, he resorted to something else. Focusing his energy, Volek drew all the heat in the atmosphere into himself, and soon everything started turning cold and icy. He wavered and fell to his knees from the effort of containing all the energy in his body, and as more time passed, more things iced over. The copy of Volek tried to move, but he was frozen. With all the heat sucked out off the atmosphere, the entity couldn’t even generate a small flame. At last the being completely froze and disappeared into thin air. Volek, who was exhausted from the strain of containing all the energy, finally let out an incredible blast of fire into the sky and collapsed.  He was still conscious, laying there on the marshy ground, thinking about what his fate would be in the end. After several hours, Volek regained his strength and got back up to his feet again. He looked around, seeking something else that would lead him to his fate, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the rain, plants, the sky, and the ground moving beneath him. That last one made him look twice. Yes, the ground was moving, and Volek was moving with it. It seemed that it was a door leading underground, and Volek was right. As the door slowly ground to a halt, Volek stepped into a stairway. He went down into the darkness, using his power to light the path. It wasn’t long before he reached a door at the end of the stairway, one that wasn’t locked or guarded. Volek went inside and found something totally unexpected.

            After all that he had been through, Volek expected an enemy to leap out at him once he passed through the door, but he was wrong. In the center of the large chamber that Volek was in was a shield. It was wedged into the ground, the point of it at the bottom. But this did not look like an ordinary shield. It was thin, and the bottom was extremely sharp. The middle of it also had a straight hairline crack that made it look like it could separate into two pieces. Volek stepped forward and took the shield in his hands. He then tested it by experimenting with blocking techniques. The one thing that interested Volek the most about the shield was the hairline crack in the center. It seemed that it could spit apart. Volek tested it and amazingly, the shield spilt in two into a claw. Because the point of the shield was extremely sharp, it could operate as a claw weapon for Volek. The warrior smiled. Now he had an offensive weapon and a defensive weapon. After a few more moments practicing with his new weapon, Volek strapped the shield to his arm and looked around the chamber again. He could go back the way he came, but there was another locked door at the opposite side of the chamber. Unlike the other locked door he came across before, this one had no code or password to open it. Left with no choice, Volek drew his sword and slashed at the door, but to no effect. The door was made of the hardest metal in the universe, and was designed to keep intruders out. Volek looked around again and found an opening in the roof. That could lead to another place, but how he was going to get up there was another matter. The biomechanical being scanned the room again and found an unusual slot in the stone floor under the hole in the roof. It seemed to fit the new shield he acquired. Aiming it, Volek slotted the shield into the ground. Once the shield made contact with the stone, a great staircase erupted from the ground that ascended to the opening in the roof of the chamber. Without a second thought, Volek went up the stairs and into the opening in the roof. However, what lay above was something totally unexpected…

            When the warrior emerged from the chamber where he found his shield, he saw a giant hurricane of dark energy swirling around and destroying everything it touched. Somehow, Volek knew that this was what destroyed the original inhabitants of this island. He studied the giant hurricane and noticed that the storm itself came from a portal. It was linked to another dimension. Volek knew that the only way to destroy the hurricane was to destroy whatever was creating it which was inside the portal. However, after calculating the odds, he would most likely get killed the moment he touched the hurricane and its source. But Volek had been through a lot lately and he wasn’t about to give up. He wasn’t about to stand by and let this island be destroyed when he could do something about it. Bracing himself, he threw a force field of fire around himself and jumped into the portal. While inside the portal, he felt as if his entire being was being split apart and then being reconstructed again. The entire process lasted mere seconds…or it lasted for days, Volek wasn’t sure, he was in too much pain. At last he wound up flat on his face in another dimension. He looked up, and found that the entire place was covered in shadow. There wasn’t a spark of light anywhere. The darkness seemed alive, eager to feed on light. There were creatures here too, repulsive creatures that seemed to destroy anything they made contact with. The sight disgusted Volek, but he forced himself to stand up and look for the source of the dark hurricane that was menacing the island in the other dimension. Looking around, he saw the portal that he came through, as well as something that seemed to be a power source. He sensed great power from the object, and he guessed that it must be the object of power that keeps this dimension together. Destroy it, and the entire dimension collapses. Volek started for the power unit, only to be knocked backwards by something incredibly strong. The fierce warrior hit the ground hard, but he managed to rise again. He looked up, and he saw something very disturbing. Standing in front of him was someone similar to him, only with slightly different armor and weapons. However, that wasn’t what disturbed Volek. It was the fact that this being was coated in deep shadow that disturbed him. It seemed to radiate intense shadow, and it seemed that the original being was very kind-hearted and warm, but shadow and darkness had corrupted this being and turned him into a monster. Volek readied his weapons and prepared to strike. The shadow entity in front of him raised an arm. It took Volek a few moments to realize that the right arm of this being was in fact a sword. It radiated shadow energy and it had a razor sharp point. At that moment, the shadow being vanished. Or, it seemed he did. He just turned out to be moving too fast for the eye to see.  Volek raised his shield and sword and blocked the shadow being’s first attack. He bounced off Volek’s shield and perched himself on the ceiling. Volek looked up and fired a bolt of fire at the shadow being, only to have him dodge it and blow a hole in the roof. Frustrated, Volek slashed at the shadow being with his sword, only to miss. However, Volek wasn’t out of ideas. Channeling his power through his sword, he forced it to emit a flame. The heat shot up the temperature by a hundred degrees. The heat slowed the shadow being down just enough for Volek to use his ignited sword and land a solid blow on the shadow entity. However, the shadow being got back up and charged at Volek once again, arm sword at the ready. Volek parried his enemy’s sword with his own, and the two were forced into a deadlock. However, the shadow being wasn’t out of ideas. The shadow entity sneered as he used his free hand and generated a bolt of dark energy directed at Volek. By the time Volek realized what his enemy was up to, it was too late. The shadow being fired the bolt and it struck Volek dead center. Volek went flying backwards into the ground, while the shadow being planted one foot on Volek’s chest and aimed his sword. Volek was desperate, but not out of options. Using one hand, he generated a bright intense flash of light using fire and jumped back while the shadow being was blinded. Volek took up his shield and used its claw mode to pin the shadow being to the wall, but it didn’t last. The shadow entity broke free and charged at Volek. He barely managed to raise his sword in time to counter the master of shadow’s attack. Sparks flew as they clashed on and on, until they were both exhausted. Volek and the shadow being both readied their weapons for one final attack. They glared at one another, and with their swords raised, charged at one another. There was a bright flash of light, one that blinded every living being in the shadow dimension. The light would be a sign of triumph, for the shadow was defeated. However, of Volek, the hero of the island, there was no sign.

HG 1/100 00 Gundam

 

 The 00 Gundam (double-oh) is the main mobile suit used by Celsetial Being in Season 2 of Gundam 00. I wanted the High Grade 1/144 version at first, but It was a bit hard to come by so I picked up the 1/100 scale instead. At the end of Season 2 of 00, the 00 Gundam was badly damaged by Ribbon’s Reborn Gundam. Setsuna, 00’s pilot, had no choice but to transfer to another mobile suit because one of the 00’s Drives was stolen, so it was a sitting duck in space. It is not clear yet if the 00 was repaired after 0 Gundam’s Drive was lost, so nothing is certain. Anyway, the model is very nice, though not as articulated as it’s 1/44 counterpart, it makes up for that with sheer looks. The contruction is very simple, just like a 1/144 but with more peices.

 

Note: I used Sharpie and White Out and painted all the clear pieces on the model. I didn’t apply any stickers besides the eyes. The original stickers that went under the clear pieces were very dark and they didn’t look that nice.

Gimmick

The main gimmick on this model is the light up GN Drives. They reqire two LED lights to make them work and I had to run all over the place to get them. It was also difficult to get them inside the LED case, and then into the GN Drive, but all that work pays off as the lights are very bright and nice. It adds an amazing hue to the 00 Gundam, as well as give it a nice glow in the dark.

Weapons

The 00 comes with two GN Sword II’s and two GN Daggers/Shields. The GN Sword II’s can change into rifle mode by wiggling the blade out of the little peg and rotating it until it becomes sideways. It also includes extra pegs to put it on the sideskirts for storage. The GN Sword II’s can also combine to form a double bladed weapon by use of a small connecter that is included. The GN Daggers can be pegged on the arms or you can put the blue part down and mount it on the GN Drives. You can also combine them to form a shield. It also comes with two beam sabors which are stored in the backskirt and it also includes two clear pink beams which can go into the beam sabor handles. 

Overall, the 00 Gundam is a very nice model which requires very little paint and panel lining. I recoomend it to modelers who don’t like to paint their models but still want them to look badass. If you find it for $30 or less, pick it up, it’s definetley worth the money with the light up GN Drives included.

Look for my review of this model on YouTube! Four part review which I go over all the parts and details in depth.

 

 

 

MG Wing Gundam Ver.ka

I really really love this model, it’s amazing……..the best Master Grade model I have so far. This isn’t the original Wing Gundam as seen in the Gundam Wing series, it’s the “Ver.Ka” or “Version Katoki” version of the mobile suit. Katoki is a master designer of Gundams and mobile suits, and this is one of them to get the Katoki treatment. Like the original Wing Gundam, this one does have the giant beam rifle and shield with a beam saber. It also has a Neo Bird Mode where it transforms into something of a bird…obviously, as you can see by the name, it has wings. Two giant wings sticking outta it’s back. One of the reasons this model is so appealing to me is the fact that it’s very colorful. Colors include yellow, green, white, blue, red, gray, and black. Most Gundams are just the basic Gundam colors, which include red, white, and blue. However, this is the colors of the rainbow! =D (No, not really, just over-colored for an average Gundam.) Anyway, the cockpit does slide open to reveal a little sitting figure of pilot Heero Yuy. It also comes with a standing figure of him in all white.

Accessories

• The giant beam cannon is huge, the Wing can barely hold on to it. It’s always a pain to pose with the beam cannon, it’s too barrel-heavy, so it sags down toward the front. There are also three little energy fillers attached to the beam cannon that can be removed. The beam cannon fires one shot and uses up an energy filler for each shot, true to the show.
• The shield is rather unique, as it has more of a dome shape. It doesn’t have a handle, only a clamping peg that goes around the arm, but it always falls off, so it’ s kinda a pain to pose it with it unless you have the claws to secure it. You also have the dry transfer decals that you need to slap on the shield which is an uneven surface, so it’s gonna be a pain in the ass. (I messed up on the “Lagrange One” and the “XXXG01″ decal and had to throw them away.) I only managed to put on the “Colonies Liberation Organization” decal which was supposed to go on the Wings…..-_-
• Inside the shield is the beam saber, which bandai only gives you one of. it’s tucked neatly inside the shield so when you don’t use it you can keep it there. Also, it comes with two clear green beams, although you only need one. It fits in the hand nicely and looks awesome with it.
• Ammo packs, or ammo racks are also included. They’re pretty much little energy fillers on racks that can be attached to the arm. There are two racks with three removable energy fillers in each.
• There’s also two yellow claws on each forearm that can unfold
• There are also two small little vulcans inside two little yellow…uh….how do I say this……erm, well, there are two little yellow parts on the side of the head beside the neck that open to reveal two little vulcans.

Articulation

Good articulation, but because it transforms, some parts can move alot, like the legs and shoulder armor. Working our way down, the head can rotate a full 360 degrees, with some slight up and down movement. Both arms can bend forward at the shoulder and can rotate below the shoulder. It can also bend all the way up at the elbow. the hand can wiggle around somewhat and can rotate. The trigger finger and thumb of the hand can move on it’s own while the others are connected together. There are two joins in the waist and stomach to allow it to bend down twice as well. it can rotate a little, but not all the way thanks to the tall backskirt getting in the way. the side skirts can go in and out, the front skirts move by themselves, and the backskirts go up slightly. The legs can bend forward and backwards and the knee is double jointed allowing it to bend all the way back. The foot can bend down a lot and the foot guard is secure and moves with it. The foot can also move side to side and wiggle around. However, it does not bend upwards for the kneeling pose because it needs to bend back for bird mode. The wings can also move backward and forward as well as up and down.

Transformation

To transform this model, turn the arms forward and bring the shoulder armor down. Then bend the knees backward and let the front armor come forward. Straighten the limbs out and attach the beam cannon onto the shield via a clip on peg. Then bring down the backpack and the wings to connect them to the backskirt via a small peg. Then attach the shield onto the back of the Gundam and bring down the blue armor on the beam cannon to cover the head, but leave the ends of the V-fin pointing out.  After all this, attach the ammo packs to the arms and you’re set to go!

One interesting thing to note about this model is that the mold is the exact same thing to the Wing Zero Gundam Custom, only the colors, wings, and the claws on the arms are different. I’m guessing Katoki wanted it this way. And about the decals, don’t try putting them on unless you have very good experience with them and you’re a Gundam expert. The decals go on un-even surfaces and they have cracks all over them. I screwed them all up and was left with only two “Colonies Liberation Organization” decals that I put on the shield and one of the wings, and they don’t even look that good. (Dammit, Katoki, WTF?!) Anyway, moving on, it is a nice Ver.Ka model, and I do highly recommend it, but it isn’t very playable, and you might need an action base to go with it as it looks a lot better in the air than on the ground. (It’s called the Wing Gundam, no duh) But anyway, if you want a visual explination on how to transform it, visit my about page and visit my YouTube channel. I posted a full review of it there, with visuals on everything that I stated here.

 

 

 

MG Aile Strike

My third Master Grade out of the four that I have so far. The Strike was piloted by Kira Yamato in the SEED series, but it was later crippled by Athrun Zala’s Aegis Gundam. Orb found the mobile suit and repaired it, and then the pilot became Mwu la Flaga, but it was destroyed in episode 49 of SEED trying to protect the Archangel, and Mwu was presumed dead. However, Mwu survived, though scarred and suffered from memory loss. Anyway it is a nice model, despite being released in 2003, only complaint about it is that it can’t stand….-_- (Was a pain in the ass to take the photos) It’s pretty much your average Gundam colors, red, white, blue and yellow. There are decals included, but you have to be careful not to touch them too much otherwise they’ll mess up…………and if you mess them up, good luck trying to get them off, because you’re pretty much screwed.

Articulation

Pretty decent articulation for a Master Grade, the head can rotate a full 360 degrees, the waist can turn slightly, the arms can go all the way around, can rotate below the shoulder, can bend all the way up at the elbow, and the hand can rotate and wiggle. The front skirts can move independently, and the legs can go all the up, and go back a little, as well as bend all the way at the knees. Foot guard can move up and down a bit and the foot can bend forwards at the front. The fingers can also open up while the thumb and trigger finger are independent, the rest of the fingers are connected.

Weapons

• Beam rifle, all gray, transparent scope with movable second trigger handle.
• Shield, simple, red white and yellow, has a handle on the other side that has holes to connect it to. There’s also a peg on the shield that can move.
• Armor Schider, gray and white, I painted it silver instead of leaving it white.
• Beam saber, simple 2-piece construction, comes with 2 clear pink beams to accommodate.

Overall, nice model, straight-forward assembly, and goes well with the other Striker-packs realeased. Only real problims it that it can’t hold the beam rifle, it can barely stand, and the wings of the Aile Striker sag down after a while. But overall it is a nice model, I do recomend it to anyone who is a Strike fan or likes simple mobile suits, as this is one of them.

Armor Schinder

Beam Saber

Sheild

Beam Rifle