BOULDER the Construction-Bot - Transformers Rescue Bots

After literally weeks and weeks of searching, my Transformers Rescue Bots team is finally complete! My six-year-old came back from Target this afternoon with huge news: Boulder was finally here! As so often happens, Boulder was the one Rescue Bot I was really looking forward to, and has been the most difficult to find (figures!), so to say I was excited would be a huge understatement.

I don't know why I like Boulder so much- maybe it's because he seems to be the Rescue Bots counterpart to Transformers Prime's Bulkhead, who is a character I really like. Maybe it's the green. Whatever it is, I like the way the toy came out. The head is appropriately robotic, and I just like the overall look of the figure. The colors are vibrant, and the black and yellow hgihlights  pop nicely against the green body. The hands are in curled "fists" of a sort. I'm predicting limited to no articulation, like with the rest of the line.

The packaging is consistent with the rest of the line: the toys is strapped onto a bubble-less card back, prominently displayed with an in-action pose, complete with the human counterpart as highlights. Boulder's transformation is a 1-step pull-apart a little like Chase's. I haven't opened the package yet to transform him, but I'm predicting the head will tuck in  when the legs are slid back- we'll have to wait and see.

Boulder is a great looking addition to the Transformers Rescue Bots line. He adds some color to the team, and looks like he'll be a pretty cool bulldozer. I don't think he's completely screen-accurate to the show, but then again, none of the Playskool versions seem to be. These are durable, easy to transform versions of the show characters. I'm not a huge fan of the show, and I'm less enamoured of the toys as time passes, but I'm glad to add Boulder to the collection. If there was only one Rescue Bot I'd want to have, it would be Boulder...

Batman Arkham City - Legacy Edition Harley Quinn In-Pack-Peek

Tonight's look is at Mattel's Arkham City version of their Legacy Edition Harley Quinn action figure. Harley has been released along with the Arkham City Nightwing figure in this latest wave (I'm not bothering with the first version Batman or Catwoman figures- neither has much appeal for me. Harley here, is top-notch, though...

The packaging is the same as with the previous Arkham video game releases. I think it looks great. It's intricate, attractive and eye-catching, and it does a super job of showing off the figure. It's probably larger than it needs to be, but I don't care at this point.



The card back has the Harley prototype in a couple of neat poses, along with some great personalized background info and a shot of posed prototype Nightwing. Prototype Harley actually looks really close to the final version (proto has painted fingernails, final does not; proto has no tatoos, final does, etc.).

Harley Quinn comes with a candy-striped baseball bat, a display stand, and a mini poster from the video game. Since I haven't opened the figure yet, I'm not sure of what the poster looks like, but I'm hoping it's the same shot as the one along the left side of the bubble, which shows Harley flashing the "L" in Batman's face...

As far as the figure itself goes, she really does look terrific. I don't often find myself gushing, but Mattel has really knocked this one out of the park.

The sculpt is terrific- full of details throughout the outfit. The paint is sharp and clean (for the most part- my figure has too much reddish tint seeping up from under the white face-paint, but it's not serious), and the tatoos are incredible! She's got one on her left hip ("Mr. J") and another that wraps completely around her left bicep. I'll need to get a magnifier out to see all of the details in those! Not having opened the figure yet, I can't promise too much about the articulation, but through the bubble it appears to be pretty standard DC Universe stuff. In any event, she's an awesome-looking figure. She's good enough to where I won't be picking up a DC Direct version. Speaking of which, I don't think she's QUITE as good-looking as the DC Direct Nurse Harley from Arkham Asylum, but I think she fullfils the requirements of the City version quite well...

Transformers Prime Cyberverse Commander Class BULKHEAD figure

The first wave of Transformers Prime Commander Class figures has been out for a little while now. They are a nifty looking set, comprised of Bulkhead, Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Starscream. It looks like the next couple to be released may include Dreadwing (which I'm looking forward to) and Ironhide (has he appeared in the cartoon yet?). The Commander class figures fall between the small Legion class figures and the Deluxe versions. I haven't seen Bulkhead in ANY form on store shelves aside from this one, and since he's one of my favorite characters from the show, I jumped at the opportunity when I found him on the pegs. So, let's take a look at how he turned out...

The card is a smaller version of the standard Deluxe card, in terms of shape. But the artwork is very different. There's a standard "Autobot" and "Decepticon" version, showing their legion of characters along the edge. The card back IS character-specific, with a little background info and a shot of the figure in each mode.

Bulkhead looks great in robot mode. He lives up to his name, as he's just as wide as he is tall (about 4" in either direction). The face is nicely done, even if it is quite tiny. There's a ton of detail, and he's very faithful to his look on the show, though his thighs aren't quite thick enough for my liking. He's got ball joints at the shoulders, elbows and hips, along with cut knees. As I said, he looks great from the front, not as much from the back or side. He's got a huge gaping hole for a back, and he's fairly "thin" from the side. Incidentally, Bulky's head as no articulation, nor does his waist. These two missing points make dynamic poses difficult to find.

Bulkhead is a nice shade of olive green, with translucent blue for the windows. Paint details are clear and sharp. Overall, Bulkead the robot is a strong offering. He looks like he should, overall, despite any small detail differences he might have when compared to the screen version. Oh, and the two wheels sticking up from his back are present in the cartoon, just not quite so high up. In case you don't like the look, they can be folded down behind his back to hide them a bid more.

Bulkhead comes with a translucent blue "mace", which plugs into either hand in robot mode, or onto the roof in vehicle mode. It looks good, and fills the role of Bulky's changing "fist mace" from the show, without being exactly accurate...

Bulkhead and his fellow Commanders are listed as Level 1 Easy transformation, and I must admit, he fits the bill. The transformation is straightforward and simple, with clear and easy to follow instructions. In vehicle mode, he looks terrific! I love the shape and heft of the thing, and the wheels have just enough clearance underneath to maintain their roll. That said, there is a good bit of robot visible in the undercarriage, but, hey, what are you going to do? It's got to go somewhere!

Commander Class Bulkhead is a fun figure, and he's easily my favorite from Wave 1. He looks great in both modes, transforms easily, and is durable and accurate enough to the show to make me happy in all respects. He should be available at places like Wal-Mart and Target for about $9, or at ToysRUs for $12.

Arkham City CATWOMAN - Unpacked

A little while back, I picked up the Arkham City Batman & Catwoman 2-Pack. Well, I've finally gotten around to opening the set, and I wanted to post a couple of pictures, and quick thoughts about the results. First off, Batman is just as lame as I thought he'd be. His face is goofy, his arms are short and stubby, with useless clenched fists. His rubber cape is too heavy for him to stand. In short, he's a hot mess and will remain binned and forgotten. Now, on to the star of the show: Catwoman...

First, the good. She looks amazing- even better out of the package. Loads of fine detailing on the costume. The proportions look good, her legs have some shape to them, and the face is terrific. Her goggles are sculpted so well that I thought for a moment that they were removable. I wasn't too thrilled with the way the hair was sculpted and painted peeking out from under the cowl, but out of the package it looks awesome. The paint is great, even on the buckles and there's some neat matte vs. gloss work on the costume. Really, really great; the pictures really don't even do her justice.

Then, there's the bad. Catwoman teeters on some pretty tall heels. As if that wasn't tough enough to deal with, mine has a warped left ankle as a result of how she was stuffed into her tray. I can get her to stand, but it isn't a pleasant process. Worse still, her head seems to be on a ball that only works as a cut. I can only get side-to-side swivel, and she's sculpted with her face tilted slightly down. QC issues or poor design, I don't know, but it's annoying. Oh, and there's a third one, as well: her right shoulder joint won't allow her to put her arm down fully. It moves all around, but won't come in towards the body completely (kind of like NECA's Duke Nukem figure, but not quite as badly). As a result of all this, Catwoman is really unpleasant to pose for me. She's got articulation aplenty, but it just doesn't work well enough for me to enjoy. That said, she looks great on the shelf as an integral part of my Arkham display...

This is as far down as her right arm goes...

Play Arts Kai ARKHAM ASYLUM BATMAN figure - Quick Shot

Here are some quick pictures of my new Arkham Asylum Batman figure from Play Arts Kai. It blows the Mattel offering out of the water, and has enough to set it apart from the DC Direct version to make it worth picking up. Batman runs about $60. I had him pre-ordered, and when he finally arrived I must admit that I wasn't too impressed. Out of the box, though, he looks terrific. The shading and detail is definitely up to par, and he sports tons of great articulation. The face (which is usually the deciding factor for me on Batman preferences) is great, as well. He comes with 2 fists, 2 "gripping" hands (that aren't really tight enough to grip very well, a batarang, a grapple gun, and an alternate "billowing" cape attachment. In case you are wondering, he's looks slightly smaller than the Street Fighter, Resident Evil and Assassin's Creed Play Arts figures that I have, though I'd expect him to be in scale to the other Arkham Asylum figures in the line...

UPDATE: Ok, it's been several months, and I wanted to re-visit this figure. I've decided that I LOVE this Batman. He's loads of fun to pose, and can achieve some really cool looks. On the down-side, the left shoulder ball pops out VERY easily, but it's simple enough to just pop back into place. The arm articulation is really limited by the shoulder portions of the cape, and the open left hand is useless for holding anything. Other than those small nits, Arkham Asylum Batman is awesome! I've already got Arkham City Batman on pre-order, and I'm in for all of these Play Arts Kai Batman figures. Square Enix, keep 'em coming!

CHUN LI - Street Fighter IV Play Arts Kai Action Figure

He's a quick peek at the new Play Arts Kai Street Fighter Chun-Li action figure...

The packaging is consistent with Ryu's, and everything is well-displayed and appropriately protected. The box art is attractive and shows off the figure well. Chun-Li comes with alternate open hands, an open-mouthed alternate head, a fireball and clear stand (for the fireball). The fists pop off pretty readily, but the posts are fairly dainty for my taste, so I plan to be very careful when changing out the hands.

Chun-Li is a good looking figure. The face is attractive on both faces, and match one another pretty well. The hair buns peg into each head, so they need to be switched out depending on which head Chun-Li's using at any given time. The paint work is all good, with a high-gloss metallic sheen on the blue parts, and a flat maroon for the leggings. There's a good amount of airbrush highlighting to bring out the sculpt. All of the gold filigree is sharp, the boots have some nice gray airbrushing, and her face sports a great "makeup" application. The one I got had a brown spot above the left eye- annoying, but not really a huge deal. Otherwise, the paint is impressive.

 

The articulation on Chun-Li is plentiful, and she can take some great poses, but the hip joints are visible and pretty ugly. Also, I can't find rockers in her ankles, so her feet have a hard time staying flat side-to-side. The knees are relatively hidden when her legs are extended, but bend them and the enormous knee joint gives the figure a pretty odd look.

 

So, there you have it. Chun-Li is a good figure- she's probably a stronger offering than Ryu. She looks good, poses well, and includes the necessary accessories. That said, I actually prefer the NECA offerings. I like the sculpt, paintwork and articulation more on those smaller figures than on the Play Arts versions, and with these (though I do like them), I just don't feel like I'm getting $50 plus worth of figure...

 

RYU - Street Fighter IV Play Arts Kai action figure

 

A year or two ago, I randomly ordered a pair of figures I knew nothing about, from a company I had never heard of for a property that I liked: Kai Play Arts Resident Evil 5. I pre-ordered the pair, despite a pretty hefty price tag ($35 each at the time) and promptly forgot about them. When they finally arrived at my home several months later, I was pleasantly surprised. The Play Arts figures exist in their own scale, with loads of sculpted detail, extravagant (sometimes overly so) paint applications, an interesting assortment of articulation, and some pretty cool accessories. They don't skimp, but they certainly don't come cheap. Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar were a welcome addition to my collection- they were unlike anything else I had. So, when Assassin's Creed's Ezio came along, I gladly pre-ordered him, as well. He raised the bar even further- I was so impressed with him that I decided not to hedge any further on licenses I cared about. Hence, the topic of this review. I'm a fan of Street Fighter, but not the games- I never got into them. But, I think SOTA's action figure line is one of my favorites ever, I've gotten through the entire Udon comic collections more than once, and I've plowed through the animated movies and series' with glee. So, when Ryu and Chun-Li popped up for pre-order, it was a no-brainer for me. So, what did I get myself into...

Ryu comes in the "standard" Play Arts Kai packaging: a window box, with the figure and its accessories neatly displayed. It's collector-friendly in that everything can be replaced easily, and you can clearly see what you are getting. My Ryu's plastic "sandwich" insert didn't fit snugly against the holding shell, with the result being (as you can see in the picture) that his alternate face was spun around, and one of his open hands was rattling around in the package. Otherwise, the box is functional. Ryu comes with a fire-blast effect and a clear display stand to support it, as well as two sets of hands (fists and open) and an alternate "screaming" face. The face switch is pretty nifty, in that the front half of his head can be popped out by pulling on the chin, which will cause his face to separate behind the ears and just underneath the headband. Slide the face down and out, and replace in the reverse order. It's a cool effect, and it's so cleanly done that I never would have the seams.

Personally, I don't like the screaming "alternate" face at all. It doesn't sit as well in place, and there's something about how it makes the whole head look that doesn't agree with me. Speaking of the head, the stoic face doesn't quite match the prototype pics on the back of the box, either. The prototype seems to have narrower eyes, giving Ryu a more serious and mature look. The actual product has giant child-like doe eyes. Not terrible, but not as good as the box version for my tastes. The box back shows Ryu in several fighting poses, as well as a shot of the other figure from Series 1, Chun-Li.

Another way that the final figure differs from the prototype is the paint. My one consistent issue with the Play Arts figures has to do with their paint work. The basic features are usually sharp and clear, but the "washing" technique they use is so heavy and inconsistent, that it draws attention. Case in point: Ryu's knees (especially the left) are so dark that it looks like he's wearing protective knee-cap covers or something. There's no trace of that on the back of the box, but check out the pics of the actual figure and you'll see what I mean.

The rest of the work is good, despite an occasional "oops"- my figure has a glop of white paint around his tricep where it touched the white paint of his outfit before it was dried, I guess- with some muscle and creasing highlights. The lettering on his belt is clear and clean. The translucent-ish fireball is really cool, and the stand it sits on uses a ball-joint connection, so it can tilt well.

Ryu sports a considerable amount of articulation, but I must confess I don't find it easy to maneuver. His ankles are on balls, but don't seem to want to tilt side to side, so I can't get them to sit flat. The hands switch out on small, thin balls/posts, and I'm afraid to snap them. The base of the neck as a joint, in addition to the head's, but it looks odd, and doesn't work very well. As I mess around with him more, I hope to discover that the action poses I'd like for him to hold are possible, though I don't think I'll be able to get the looks I can get from my NECA Ryu.

Many of the joints are the "clicky" kind, and ratchet audibly to hold his poses. The makers declined to include a stand with Ryu (Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar each came with one), so the jumping and off-balance poses are out without one of your own.

Ryu stands about 8 3/4" tall, and he's got some heft to him. He's well-designed and painted, for the most part. Is he worth his price tag? I'd be comfortable paying $30-$35 dollars for him. Sadly, he costs a bit more than that. There are very few figures I'd be happy paying $50 for, and he's not one of them. Nevertheless, I'm in for the long haul with this line. I've got some nits to pick with the final figure, but overall I'm pleased with him. I love the characters from Street Fighter, and if we're only talking about a few figures a year, I can see collecting this line well into the future. Play Arts Kai certainly put more care and thought into this than Jazwares did with their offerings, so I'm willing to go for the ride here.

Despite the fact that Ryu has had more action figure versions of him created than many characters would ever dream of I'm glad to add this one to my collection. His size, unique articulation, blast effect and detail set him apart from most of my collection. He looks terrific on the shelf, and I'm predicting that he'll be fun to pose and play around with once I get the hang of those joints. Not to mention how great he'll look surrounded by Chun-Li, and the upcoming Akuma and Cammy figures (heck, he and Chun-Li look awesome together now!). I can't wait to see what the future of Play Arts Kai Street Fighter figures have in store...