Review: Gundam HGUC 1/144 RX-79(G) Ez-8, Part 2

 This is the second installment in the Ez-8 articles, and this time, we get into some details about mechanics and compatibility plus points for the kit.

 

 Epic posing is epic.

As with the original kit, the chest armor is removable. However, the original HG 1/144 kit had extending arms for the front chest plate, (more on that in the next article), which, while fragile, made for a more interesting build.

  

It's a given, of course, that the shoulder mounts ended up different, as the Ez-8 now uses the ball-joint shoulder. The advantage with this is that it allows for more posability, but the disadvantage is that it ends up with sagging shoulders more easily than the original stick joints - and even more so with the original HG version, which had no shoulder articulation beyond the basic stick and polycap joint.

 

The arm articulation for the new kit is actually just slightly better than the older HGUC version of the RX-79(G) standard kit.However, the older kit had full ABS joints, and this mean that as time went on (and if the person loved playing with the kit as an action figure), the joints would loosen. The current construction has returned polycaps into the center of the joints. One sticking point for the shoulders, though: the shoulder latches where the parachute straps are tied are not movable in this version, but was fully articulated in the older HG kit.

 

This is where the new polycap set wins mightily, as the newer torso has two balljoints versus a large stick joint for the earlier types.

 If you were wondering... yes, the backpack attachment holes are the same - you can technically use all HGUC RX-79(G) accessories with the Ez-8. And once the 08thMS GM comes along, it'll will probably be just as compatible.

In the next article: Some stickers and detail concerns.

Update: Click on the following links for the other parts of this multi-part review.

Part 1 - Part 3

 

Click here for more reviews of other kits.

Review: Gundam HGUC 1/144 RX-79(G) Ez-8

 

08thMS Team was one of those sleeper hits that opened a whole new vision for Gundam - whereas Gundam tended to have a rather epic feel - a leftover from its space opera origins, 08thMS was literally a microcosm - jungle operations, earthside! And nowhere was the philosophy of the OVA more apparent than in the "upgrade" for the RX79(G) - the Ez-8. And even that is tongue-in-cheek, as the Ez-8 is basically field modifications brought about by the need for better amor and literally repairs from what was left lying around - it was a "downgrade", actually, to make it more effective in the environment it was in.

Over the next few entries, we'll take a look at the HGUC version of this kit, a worthy successor to the old HG kit.

If anything, though, the Ez-8 is rather spare in its accessories, with saber handles and translucent saber parts the only ones not being shown in this equipment photo....

The big improvement of the HGUC kit version, of course, was posability. Heck, most Gundam kits can't even kneel like this.

If you want the Ez-8 to look even more nasty, all you need are the RC Weapons Systems - some of which are seemingly made for the EZ-8, like this Shield/Claw system.

Update: Click on the following links for the other parts of this multi-part review.

Part 2 - Part 3

Click here for more reviews of other kits.

Kotobukiya Frame Arms Custom Mecha: Lightning Crasher

While I'm finishing up some Gundam stuff for future entries (hint, hint...) here are some photos of a Kotobukiya Frame Arms project that's been ongoing for me. The idea was, I would have a spare internal Architect Frame I could use for spare pieces from my FA collection. Apparently, this idea has now borne fruit with the Lightning Crasher (yes, named after the song).

It uses parts from a Ryurai, a Revenant and a lot of other parts from various weapons sets, notably the new Unite Sword weapon set for the ankle and forearm blades.

It used to have more stuff on it (like thrusters mounted on the shoulder), but common sense in the apartment prevailed, and I minimized the weaponry and add-ons. I still feel that having only a gun and a knife, four blades and two "brass knuckles" are pretty thin on the weapons side, but hey, it looks sleeker, and is more in keeping with the speed and skate ideas.

Next up to build... EZ, er, easy!

Looks like I'll be having a few more blog entries before the local Gundam Nationals comes in...
Update: Click on the following links for the EZ8 multi-part review.
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Click here for more reviews of other kits.

Hazel Sundays: Advance of Zeta, Gundam El-ahrairah!

A few years ago, I became rather obsessed by a whole subsection of Bandai's HGUC Gundam line, the Advance of Zeta series. I guess it's because it had a nice, somewhat obscure literary reference (Watership Down!), and the mecha had a lot of.... Well, they were meant to be bashed together.

For the next few Sundays, I'll be uploading some AoZ/Hazel ideas that I'm sure will be fun to see.

Hazel Gundam "El-Ahrairah"

 

One of my favorite designs - and probably the most insane. It's got all the big weapons of the AoZ line that its kind of mecha can carry (and which are available as model kit add-ons). I still have no idea how it moves, hahahah!