Review – Gundam Converge RMS-099 Rick Dias
This is the second of the Gundam Converge (Amazon.com search*) series that I bought while I was in Hong Kong last week and I figured it a good idea to rip the box open and share him with all of you. I like the Zogok design better (review here), but this Rick Dias is also neat in its own ways. And, surprisingly, the toy features more accessories and different articulation.
Articulation
Only three swivels this time around — the two shoulders and the neck — but I actually find this toy’s articulation better than the Zogok’s four points. That neck swivel makes a big difference because, to me, toys are always a little more fun to pose and play with when the head moves independently of the body. I’d still love a waist swivel, but for 2-inch tall toys these guys work fairly well.
Seven Parts
Where the Zogok (review here) only included three parts, this Rick Dias toy comes packed with seven separate parts that you have to snap together. We get the clear plastic base and the robot, but then we also get the carried cannon and four parts that snap onto the toy’s back. Those back parts don’t add anything except some depth to the design, but that’s plenty to make me happy.
A Great Series
I can’t decide if it’s a good or bad thing that I cannot walk into any store here in Austin and just start buying Gundam toys (Amazon.com search*). It makes me a little sad that I pretty much only ever see Gundam toys when I visit Hong Kong, but I am sure my bank account appreciates that these aren’t for sale in Target or Walmart. I’m assuming dedicated Gundam fans do a lot of online shopping, but I think I’ll pretend that these toys don’t exist except for when I actually see them in person.
Closing Thoughts
I only bought two Gundam Converge series toys (Amazon.com search*) while I was in Hong Kong last week . . . I should have bought more. The plastic’s great, the sculpts and paintwork fantastic, and everything about these makes them fun little display toys. Bandai does awesome work, and I’ll definitely be watching for more of these when I’m at DragonCon then end of this month.
Well, I assume I’ll see these at DragonCon. But maybe not.
Did you really pay $45 for that? They go for like less than $10 USD here in Los Angeles. Ebay too. And they’re fairly easily available in Japanese Grocery stores.
@William Noetling – That’s $45 Hong Kong dollars so divide by seven for the US price. Roughly $6.50 or so.
I always do that in Hong Kong. I’ll look at something and say “$350!!!???!!!!” And then stop and think and realize what the US cost is.
GOTCHA! Thanks for setting me straight, that’s a great price for those figs – the problem with the line is that there are several “special” pieces that are really hard to find. I have a cool Char’s Zaku II that I got from a Magazine, but that’s it.