21 September 2005

 

DX3 Revealed!

Posted by A at 5:23 PM | View All 0 Comments | Post a Comment

The complete contents of DX3 have been revealed at the 2005 "All Japan Plamodel Radicon" toy show in Tokyo, thanks to photos from Hobby.co.jp. The six figures up front are, of course, from Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: Wing Gundam Zero, Tallgeese III, Nataku (Altron), Heavyarms, Deathscythe Hell, and Sandrock. Behind them are the Xamel (from 0083), Palace Athene (from Zeta), a Gaplant with booster rocket (I think...?)(from Zeta), Devil Gundam Final Form (from G Gundam), a pair of Asshimar (from Zeta Gundam), Hamma Hamma (from ZZ), and the Perfect Zeong.

Also from the show are picture of NEO Vol. 2, the SEED Destiny version of the Meteor, and two huge dioramas featuring the re-released White Base and the upcoming contest-giveaway Musai. The Musai looks amazing, I wonder if the model comes painted up that nicely, like the 1/1700 EX-Model Musai...

  
  
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17 September 2005

 

War in the Pocket Forums

Posted by A at 11:40 AM | View All 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Do we really need a forum? I don't know, but I thought I should try it...
Visit the new War in the Pocket Forums for Gundam Collection news, discussion and so much more!
I am hoping the "Community" section will allow all of us English-speaking Gundam Collection fans to get to know one another. Plus, I've set up an area for buying/selling/trading, so please feel free to post your wish lists or for-sale lists. I think we'd all agree that's what we really need, a figure trading board. ;-)
    Comments:

14 September 2005

 

Big-Zam Review and Pictures

Posted by A at 7:45 PM | View All 0 Comments | Post a Comment

I got my 1/400 scale Big-Zam in the mail over the weekend, and I am very impressed with it. The paint job is the best of the Gundam Collection models, complete with panel lines. The figure is far more poseable than the Queen Mansa, and the body is light enough that balance is no problem. It is easy to build, because the top part is one pre-assembled piece and the legs are fairly simple. Big-Zam is easier to build, better painted and much more poseable than the Queen Mansa, and I highly recommend it. The three figures are very nice, and the Gundam has a translucent beam saber and ball-and-socket joints like the NEO collection figures.

Here are some pictures of the completed model. I've included the 1/400 Queen Mansa and my 1/144 scale Gouf Custom model so you can see just how big Big-Zam really is.

  
  
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13 September 2005

 

At Long Last, a Musai! (Sort Of)

Posted by A at 8:37 PM | View All 2 Comments | Post a Comment

An anonymous Malaysian fan of War in the Pocket (yes, that's us) has pointed me to a Japanese advertisement for a contest that will coincide with the October release of NEO Vol. 2... The grand prize is a 1/400 scale Musai! The Musai is almost 2 feet long (585mm) and features a mobile suit hangar bay and a detachable Komusai capsule. I assume this is a Japan-only contest, but just as the White Base started life as a promotional set, I would hope that this Musai will eventually be sold to anyone with 13000 yen lying around.

[UPDATE] Mark Simmons was nice enough to decipher the ad for us... thanks Mark!
According to the promo ad, it has clear sections in areas like the Komusai cargo bay, MS hangar, and engines, so you can see the internal mechanics. (Perhaps in a regular release these might be removable panels rather than transparent pieces.)

The promo says they're giving away 303 of these things in total - 101 a month, from October through December of this year, with the prizes expected to start shipping in December. Each month, a hundred winners will get the standard Musai and one will get Char's version. Thus there'll only be three of the latter, and I imagine they'll fetch a pretty penny in the Yahoo auctions...

If I'm reading this correctly, it looks like you enter the drawing by sending in box tops from either of the two Gundam Collection Neo series - five to enter the drawing for the standard Musai, fifteen to enter the drawing for Char's Musai. But the details probably aren't important, since as you point out the illegible fine print probably disqualifies overseas contestants. Let's just hope we get a regular commercial release next year...
It will be interesting to see if any of these make it on eBay...
    Comments:

  1. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/14/2005 4:34 PM:  

    I can only hope they turn this into a regular product release - it looks great! According to the promo ad, it has clear sections in areas like the Komusai cargo bay, MS hangar, and engines, so you can see the internal mechanics. (Perhaps in a regular release these might be removable panels rather than transparent pieces.)

    The promo says they're giving away 303 of these things in total - 101 a month, from October through December of this year, with the prizes expected to start shipping in December. Each month, a hundred winners will get the standard Musai and one will get Char's version. Thus there'll only be three of the latter, and I imagine they'll fetch a pretty penny in the Yahoo auctions...

    If I'm reading this correctly, it looks like you enter the drawing by sending in box tops from either of the two Gundam Collection Neo series - five to enter the drawing for the standard Musai, fifteen to enter the drawing for Char's Musai. But the details probably aren't important, since as you point out the illegible fine print probably disqualifies overseas contestants. Let's just hope we get a regular commercial release next year...


  2. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/17/2005 3:58 AM:  

    Mark you did read it correctly, 5 token from the box of either NEO1 or 2, for normal MUSAI, 15 token for Char's version. You know why is 15? That is because every gundam fans in Japan know that Char's MS are always 3 times stronger, faster, better than ordinary MS (due to its truster engine) so they make it 3 times more token if you want to bring Char's Musai home, the only different from the outer look is only the bridge has different design, and of course, you can "believe" it is 3 times stronger than normal Musai! :P



06 September 2005

 

Things We'd Like to See...

Posted by A at 8:55 PM | View All 6 Comments | Post a Comment

The 1/400 scale White Base and Big Zam models were featured at numerous Japanese toy shows before they were released. These toy shows have featured several other models, ones that I am sure many of use would love to get our hands on. Will we ever get the chance?!

So here you go: a Musai, the Apsaras III, a Bigro and a Gaw. Several different versions of the Musai have been shown, so perhaps we'll get one someday...

    
    
    Comments:

  1. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/13/2005 5:44 AM:  

    Hi, i am a GC collector from Malaysia, regarding MUSAI they are atrating the lucky draw for Free MUSAI while lauching NEO2.
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/1c62ae66.jpg

    And dear Bill, i have to tell you that your expereince doesn't apply on GC, as MUSAI first appearance in TOYFAIR was at least 2 years back, so is big zam and others, and ZAMEL has been shown together with GP01 last year but still not appear in the past GC DX2, hope will appear in DX3. :)


  2. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/13/2005 8:06 AM:  

    Thanks for the information, I'll post on it later today. As for the Xamel, they did release a non-GC figure that looks a lot like the one in that picture you mentioned... I believe that was it, and there is no planned 1/400 GC Xamel.


  3. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/13/2005 4:36 PM:  

    From "Bill"Dear anonymous, you don't know what you are talking about. The White Base was being shown 2 years before they ever put the 1/400 scale figures out and then when the White Base did come out it was basically a premium that you could get with so many purchases of the original 1/400 scale figures. Sorry man these models at shows are always precursors of what is to come. AS long as Bandai has buyers interested in it, which they do, they will produce it


  4. Posted by Blogger A at 9/13/2005 5:14 PM:  

    I think our anonymous Malaysian friend was just noting that the Musai first appeared at toy shows two years ago, as did Big Zam and White Base, which implies the Gundam Collection toy-show-to-production timetable may be much longer than the 6 months we see for MSIAs and such. I think we all can agree that as long as GC sells well, we have pretty good chances of getting a Musai someday.


  5. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/17/2005 3:28 AM:  

    Hi all, i am the Malaysian guy. Actually 1/400th scale GC product start off as a trading figure series, and the very first product was GC vol 1. While launching Vol 2 BANDAI start to put in 1/400 White Base for a lucky draw contest like now they are doing for MUSAI, so you can say they should have finished the development of whitebase and put it in some toyfair at least 6 months (according to BILL's experience?)or even more.

    GC come out with new volume in every 4 months(3 vol in a year, you can go and track it down if you doubt me),so if 6 months time it with be around the time they launch vol 1 or before, so you can say they develop GC series at the same time they demonstrate the conceptual WhiteBase around the time they launch vol 1 or maybe like BILL said: 2 years before vol 1! But remember the actual time for White Base availabel for buyers is around the time Vol 4 GC rolled out.

    Pellaeon, the Musai will be out in the Market in year 2006 for sure, i gurantee you that(or you can study the history or WhiteBase: from toyfair to luckydraw item). Look at the attached photos and you will find there are 2 version of Musai and the one with less panel line and detail is the one isaid at least 2-year-old the one with better detail is the version for lucky draw and for production later on. The development team use the detail from Musai EX model to add on to the original conceptual 2-year-old MUSAI.
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/CIMG0087.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/shs44_038.jpg

    Regarding the Lucky Draw reward campaign, you need to understand how the Japanese toy manufacturer interact with their local customers. Is a norm and trend the manufacturer left a paper token or a leaflet for the buyers to send back as feed back and as lucky draw qualification form. The prize for lucky draw are some time a repainted version for existing product(for example Chars' Rick Dom lucky draw for 1/200 HCM Pro series) or the product which will be launch soon enough, with the aim to create a demand in the market (for example 3 Chars' Musai for you to chase after, if you failed sure you would buy one for yourself once Musai is open for any buyers with $$). One only need to attach the exact amount of paper token on every GC small box to take part in the draw.


  6. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/17/2005 3:43 AM:  

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/54.jpg
    This is the 1/400 zamel i am talking about stand face to face to a vol 3 1/400 GP01 gundam. THis picture was taken during a toy fiar when the first time Queen Mansa first appear in a form of conceptual demonstration model.
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/msz006-0003b.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/msz006-0002b.jpg

    I hope it will be out in DX3 which is coming after Neo2, but let me show you guys some old picture when White Base was still a conceptual demonstration model (around vol 1 and 2 launching time), then you will know many things they finish so many years ago but wait until now only release some, and more still in "reserve".:)
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/smallgundam3.jpg
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/smallgundam2.jpg

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/aiktat/smallgundam1.jpg

    You guys are welcome to come and have a look at my forum thread for GC at:
    http://www.xltoysforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=953&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75
    for some info exchange, especially pellaeon, i think we can have some interesting discussion over there as well. See you there.



03 September 2005

 

White Base Re-Released

Posted by A at 10:06 AM | View All 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Following up the earlier post on the "new" White Base... It does appear that this is simply a rerelease of the 1/400 scale White Base. There are a couple very minor changes to the paint schemes, according to one Japanese blog, as shown below (new versions on the left). It seems that sites such as the Japanese Amazon.com or HobbyLink Japan are simply treating this rerelease as a restocking of the older 1/400 White Base model.

Anyway, if you've been waiting to drop $150+ on a gigantic three-foot-long model, now's your chance!

    
    Comments:

01 September 2005

 

NEO Gundam Collection Vol. 2

Posted by A at 1:23 PM | View All 1 Comments | Post a Comment

Behold!

    

It looks like the black Taurus Mobile Doll and the white Sanc Kingdom Taurus figures are identical except for the paint job. The set is available for preorder at HLJ.
    Comments:

  1. Posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 9/03/2005 5:54 AM:  

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