22 June 2006
NEO 4 Released 
NEO 4 has been released in Japan, though HLJ hasn't sent me a shipping notice yet... Anyway, it looks like the secret figures are a bit of a let down, but if you want to check out all the variations there's a list here.
Guess it is time to start looking for NEO 5 news... Oh, and if you have not seen them, I am a little jealous of the new Strategy of Gundam 1/300 scale line... the quality is very nice, and their second volume features several figures from 08th MS Team that I've been wanting from Gundam Collection for quite some time, including the Mass Production type Guntank and the Gouf Flight Type.
Guess it is time to start looking for NEO 5 news... Oh, and if you have not seen them, I am a little jealous of the new Strategy of Gundam 1/300 scale line... the quality is very nice, and their second volume features several figures from 08th MS Team that I've been wanting from Gundam Collection for quite some time, including the Mass Production type Guntank and the Gouf Flight Type.
17 June 2006
Gallop Review
I finally finished the 1/400 scale B-Club Gallop model last weekend, so here at last is my review!
Overall, I am very pleased with how this model turned out. The scale looks right, the model is nicely detailed, my paint job turned out pretty well, and as you can see from the pictures, it just looks cool. Was it worth 80 bucks? That's hard to say...
The quality of the resin casting, as I noted in my initial post, is fantastic. There are virtually no air bubbles (a common flaw in resin models) and aside from a bit of flashing, it is an excellent cast. My only complain is that some of the panel lines are a little shallow... I assume some molds would be better than others, but I found my panel a little hard to fill in a times. Still, a minor flaw. I should warn that some of the fitted pieces, particularly the replaceable hatch door pieces and the turret mount, are so tightly fitted that unless you file down the edges beforehand, you'll find they are impossible to move without damaging your paint job. I had the foresight to take care of the doors, but my turret mount is glued in place lest someone try to move it and take all the paint off the back of the model.
So I am pretty happy with how it turned out... yellow is a terribly unforgiving color, but after using a light sand-colored primer and a couple coats of yellow paint, I think it looks pretty good. Though I must say, painting a huge chunk of resin (i.e., the body of the Gallop) is rather tricky... painting something that heavy and awkwardly shaped is harder than you'd think! ;-)
Anyway, it took a couple months for me to get around to it, but my Gallop is finally complete... Ramba Ral would be proud. Enjoy the pictures!
Overall, I am very pleased with how this model turned out. The scale looks right, the model is nicely detailed, my paint job turned out pretty well, and as you can see from the pictures, it just looks cool. Was it worth 80 bucks? That's hard to say...
The quality of the resin casting, as I noted in my initial post, is fantastic. There are virtually no air bubbles (a common flaw in resin models) and aside from a bit of flashing, it is an excellent cast. My only complain is that some of the panel lines are a little shallow... I assume some molds would be better than others, but I found my panel a little hard to fill in a times. Still, a minor flaw. I should warn that some of the fitted pieces, particularly the replaceable hatch door pieces and the turret mount, are so tightly fitted that unless you file down the edges beforehand, you'll find they are impossible to move without damaging your paint job. I had the foresight to take care of the doors, but my turret mount is glued in place lest someone try to move it and take all the paint off the back of the model.
So I am pretty happy with how it turned out... yellow is a terribly unforgiving color, but after using a light sand-colored primer and a couple coats of yellow paint, I think it looks pretty good. Though I must say, painting a huge chunk of resin (i.e., the body of the Gallop) is rather tricky... painting something that heavy and awkwardly shaped is harder than you'd think! ;-)
Anyway, it took a couple months for me to get around to it, but my Gallop is finally complete... Ramba Ral would be proud. Enjoy the pictures!
16 June 2006
Only One Clear Figure in Each NEO 4 Box?
Tin-Woodman's Hong Kong contact has returned with another report, this time claiming that there is only one of the new clear figures in each box of NEO 4. That still sounds like far too many of those stupid things for my taste, but at least they aren't more common...
15 June 2006
NEO 4 Secret Figures and Other News
Tin-Woodman has posted pictures of a couple of secret NEO 4 figures, courtesy of a fan in Hong Kong. Apparently the sets are already on sale there. Check them out!
The official Bandai-Hobby Gundam Collection site has posted information about the special "40,000,000th Anniversary" figures, which include a couple detailed 4.5 mm pilot figures. Could someone who can read Japanese give us a hand with this?
Also, I have finally finished the B-club Gallop model and I hope to post pictures and a review this weekend. Stay tuned!
The official Bandai-Hobby Gundam Collection site has posted information about the special "40,000,000th Anniversary" figures, which include a couple detailed 4.5 mm pilot figures. Could someone who can read Japanese give us a hand with this?
Also, I have finally finished the B-club Gallop model and I hope to post pictures and a review this weekend. Stay tuned!
07 June 2006
B-Club "Egeel" model in June [Update]
HobbyLink Japan says this month will also see the release of a B-club 1/400 scale model of the Egeel from MS IGLOO. I have no idea what the Egeel is, but it looks like a giant underwater cannon or beam weapon manned by a Zaku Marine. If any knows more about it (MAHQ and the Japanese MS IGLOO site don't seem to have anything), please post to the comments.Anyway, it looks pretty nice... it is a high-quality resin model and costs about $86.
[Update] Apparently the official Romanized spelling is "Aegir" and it is an underwater beam cannon from the MS Igloo manga.
06 June 2006
Alpha Azieru in August for ¥5250
Hobby Shop Midori lists the 1/400 scale Alpha Azieru as an August release for 5250 Yen, which is about 47 US Dollars. HobbyLink Japan has it available for preorder for about $43...
01 June 2006
NEO 4 Variations and Release Date [Delayed]
The release schedule on the official Bandai Hobby Site says NEO 4 should ship on June 5th, which is only a few days away. [Update] The release date has been pushed back to June 19th.
Meanwhile, it looks like another of Bandai's Japanese sites, GUNDAM BASE.SIDE 1, has posted pictures of the full line-up with alternates... check out their site for pictures.
No word yet on what the secret figures are for this volume, or how likely we are to get a stupid translucent figure in each box.
