You can replace the fisted hands for the ones molded to hold the weapons. The articulation is very good, with various ball joints and swivel joints. Also, diecast feet!
This toy is just a lot of fun.
You can add on the blast effect to the tip of the gun.
Details:
The extra head is smaller, but it has all the detail as the larger head. You actually have to switch to the smaller head to transform it from Battroid to Gerwalk and Fighter. I suppose you can just leave the smaller head on, especially if you are transforming this a lot, but the big head is what the SD is all about.
The gun pod transforms. But unlike the 1/60 valkyries, the bottom piece comes apart an attaches at various points to simulate the close and open gun pod look.
Final thoughts:
Pros - Very well made for such a small figure with so much detail. The transformation is different than its 1/60 counterpart, and it's actually a lot of fun! The added details like the clear visor, the diecast parts - all of it works very well. Finding diecast in such a small toy was a huge bonus. I didn't expect it, so imagine my surprise when there was diecast not only in the feet, but in the hip hinges! It is shockingly faithful to the spirit of the original valkyrie. Size. It's small, but that's the point. There's a really cool fun factor with this toy that makes it so different than the 1/60 scale valkyries. This thing is certainly cute!
Cons - Lack of detail in the canopy and legs not attaching at the hips to stabilize Gerwalk mode are drawbacks, as well as no landing gear, but really, you can't complain too much considering it manages to pull off so much despite its tiny size. The size itself is also a con. While the small size was a pro earlier, it's also a con due to the cost of the figure. It's about 4 inches tall, which really is tiny. This toy originally came out over a year ago and retailed for 4,500 yen, which was about $55-$60 at that time. Only diehard Macross fans would pay that much for such a tiny figure. But what you have to realize, is that there is so much detail that goes into it. Trying to fit a near perfect transformation into a 4 inch toy is why the price is so much. It would be a perfect transformation if it weren't for the swapping of the heads.
Overall, I really like this toy, and it represents all the fun of Macross very well. It's near impossible to find now for a decent price. I saw one of these sell for $170 in an auction on eBay just a couple weeks ago. It's certainly NOT worth that. I certainly didn't pay anywhere near that. But realistically, most people should wait for a re-release, if there ever will be one. I am doubtful on it. There was supposed to be an SD Gurren Lagann as well, but that hasn't seen the light of day ever since this was released over a year ago. My guess is that while these things did sell out initially, perhaps Bandai didn't sell enough to warrant future releases. I don't know. You'd have to ask them. I hope they release more, though. I would love a full Skull squadron of SD figures.
And now, some fun comparison pictures with its big brother:
Fighter mode:
Gerwalk mode:
Battroid mode:
Family portrait!
Awww...
Coming soon: Reviews of Alto's Ex Gear from Bandai, and Yamato's 1/60 VF-11C from Macross 7!!!
