Re: HGUC Zeta Gundam Build-Up review

my favorite Zeta MS is the Pallas Athene. Hopefully they release an HGUC of
THAT one lol.
"Heavyarms" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "Gary Yung" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > thanks for the review!
>
> Thanks for reading it!
>
> > Well, i have the old HG kit as well (unbuilt    :-P ), and i'll probably
> > start both at the same time once i actually find the HGUC Zeta in
Toronto.
> >
>
> I bought it back in 2000, and finally got around to building it this year.
> I spent about 4 or 5 months (off and on) building it.  The WEEK I finish
it,
> there's an announcement that the HGUC version is coming out this year.
> GRRR!  The HG kit, other than that darn puke green plastic, was a nice kit
> IMO.  I usualy transer ownership of my old kits to my son's collection
(like
> my old HG Gundam, that US release "Char's Zaku," the 0080 GP03) once I
> upgrade to a HGUC version, but I may keep the Zeta.  A lot of folks
complain
> about those old HG kits, I think the HG Zeta and ZZ were pretty good.  I
> even like the old Gundam and MkII, they just aren't up to modern
standards.
> I think the old HG Gundam is closer to the original design than the HGUC,
it
> just doesn't pose as well.
> Thanks for reading my review.
>
> > BTW, i agree with you that The-O is the best HGUC to date. I LOVE that
> > thing, it stands in the middle of my display cabinet (it's a china
> cabinet,
> > but i digress).
>
> It will be a while before ANY kit impresses me as much as the The-O did.
My
> favorite MS + a GREAT kit = awesome.  Bandai will have to come out with a
> HGUC Dom or GP02 to impress me as much.  Really, with everything else that
> is available now, those are the only two suits that haven't seen HGUC form
> that I really want.
>
> > "Heavyarms" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > Okay, finished this bad boy (except for some painting.)
> > >
> > > Head - Usual set up, front and back half with another peice for the
> face,
> > > yellow part for the V-fin, and a red part for the center of the V-fin.
> > > Stickers are provided for the head cameras.  Nothing special, but the
> > > sculting is spot-on, a pretty good representation.
> > >
> > > Arms - Construction is a little different, if only for the suit's
> > > non-standard desing.  Shoulder armor is made of four blue peices.  Two
> > > front/back halves, and two hinged peices, one covering the upper
> shoulder,
> > > and one covering the lower shoulder and upper arm.  These peices swing
> up
> > > and out.  Stickers are provided for the small yellow striping, but the
> > > yellow in the shoulder "thruster" will have to be painted.  Shoulders
> are
> > > the usual front/back halves with a
> > > poly-cap for the shoulder joint.  A single hollow peice is provided
for
> > the
> > > upper arm armor.  Elbow joints are poly-cap with a gray peice to cover
> the
> > > joint.  Forearms consist of two gray halves that form the inner part
of
> > the
> > > arm, plus a three sided blue peice that slips onto the forearm from
the
> > > back.  There is an addition blue peice that attaches to the elbow and
> > serves
> > > as elbow armor, these insert into polycaps in the forearm.  One can be
> > > removed to insert the shield.  Fairly good detailing on the arms.  The
> > hands
> > > (BOOO!) are old-school two halves jobs.  One half in gray that forms
the
> > > fingers and thumb, one half in white that serves as the armor for the
> back
> > > of the hand and top of the thumb.  Only two hands are provided, fists
> > only.
> > > Wrist joints are ball and socket, polycap socket in the fore arm, and
> ball
> > > on the back of the gray half of the hand.
> > >
> > > Torso - Pretty cool.  The chest portion can flip up or down for the
> > > transformation, but you have to remove the neck assembly before you
can
> > > flip.  This serves to lock the chest down in MS mode, but can also
wear
> > out
> > > the neck joint.  The Neck joint is two peices, a yellow flat peice and
a
> > > gray peice that provides the ball for the ball and socket neck joint.
> The
> > > hinges for the chest peice to swing up or down are ABS, with a top and
> > > bottom half for the chest and two yellow inserts for the chest vents.
> The
> > > cockpit is also hinged, with two gray ABS peices serving as the hing,
> and
> > > two red halves front and back that serve as the cockpit.  The hips are
> > > standard, one hinge for the front skirt armor, two separate peices for
> the
> > > side armor, and an immoble rear skirt armor.  The rear skirt has tiny
> > little
> > > gray inserts to serve as the thrusters, but these are molded in ABS
(as
> > are
> > > all of the gray peices) and may be a little difficult to paint.
> > >
> > > Legs - Okay, I have mixed feelings about these.  The thighs are
> standard,
> > > two halves, plus a socket polycap for the hip joints.  The lower legs
> are
> > a
> > > little different.  Here, Bandai attempted to mold these legs with the
> > > standard HGUC modeler in mind (non-painter).  They molded the legs
with
> > > separate white and blue parts.  In addition, they needed to include a
> > > specialized knee joint that can serve the transformation process (i.e.
> > > double jointed.)  In execution, however, I think it is overly
> complicated.
> > > What you basically have is a knee joint that is two halves, left and
> > right.
> > > These two halves, once assembled, are sandwiched between two blue
halves
> > > that serve as the blue area around the knee as well as some inner
> > structure
> > > for the leg.  This assembly is then sandwiched between the two white
> > halves
> > > of the leg.  The end result is an assembly that does not fit together
AT
> > > ALL.
> > > I had to rubber band these together to get them to "squench" together,
> and
> > > I'll still have to putty and sand them to get rid of the seam line.
It
> > > seems like they didn't take into account the inner blue halves when
> > > constructing the two outer white halves.  The two blue halves prevent
> the
> > > two white peices from fitting together well.  For the small amount of
> the
> > > lower leg that is actually blue, I would rather have had a leg that
fits
> > > together
> > > well, and just had the blue part to paint in.  Back to the model.  The
> > feet
> > > are what has become the standard for HGUC kits, two red peices for the
> > lower
> > > foot (top and bottom) and a white peice for the top of the foot.  The
> > heel,
> > > since it has to collapse for the transformation, is two peices.  A red
> > lower
> > > peice and a white upper peice.  The front part of the foot is hinged
on
> > this
> > > assembly, and the front foot is the peice that actually folds down for
> > > transformation.  The polycap socket for the ankle is in the "heel"
> > assembly.
> > > There are two yellow inserts for each leg, these are for the thrusters
> on
> > > the outer leg.  The inner leg thruster will have to be painted (I
think
> > its
> > > yellow, the old HG kit line art showed them as yellow)  There are
> separate
> > > white peices for the knee "armor" and the armor for the back of the
> lower
> > > leg.
> > >
> > > Thats it for the body, here's the low down on "accessories."
> > > Backpack.  This isn't really a back pack in the traditional sense, the
> > parts
> > > that form the back pack actually serve as the "tail" and the wings for
> the
> > > MS in Wave Rider form.  The "tail" of three peices.  Two black peices,
> and
> > a
> > > white peice for the "cockpit" looking thing on top.  You will have to
> > paint
> > > the little red area at the bottom, stickers are not privded.  The
wings
> > are
> > > made from five peices.  There is a red inner peice that forms the
little
> > > wing stub that swings up and out, this is sandwiched between two black
> > > halves that also swing down and out.  This is again sandwiched between
> two
> > > halves that serve as the main housing for the wings when they are
> > retracted.
> > > Stickers are not provided for the red striping along the outer edge of
> the
> > > wings, so you'll have to paint that, and paint black onto the red
> > "winglets"
> > > as well.  These are attached to the body with a U-shaped peices of ABS
> > with
> > > two poles on either side that are inserted into polycaps in the wing
> > > assemblies and tail assemble.
> > >
> > > The sheild is three peices.  Two red halves make up the long, skinny
> > > portion, and a black peice that makes up the rounded portion at the
end.
> > > This attaches to a polycap in the lower arm, and one of the blue elbow
> > armor
> > > peices must be removed first to attach the shield.
> > >
> > > Weapons.  Zeta comes with three weapons, two beam rifles and a beam
> saber.
> > > The standard beam rifle is four parts.  Two parts are the left and
right
> > > halves, and a third part provides the "barrel" and "muzzle."  This
peice
> > can
> > > extend and retract.  The handle is an ABS peice which can rotate down
or
> > up.
> > > Not bad, but it isn't quite as long as the gun that came with the HG
> kit.
> > > The "Hyper Mega Laucher" is also pretty standard.  The main assembly
is
> > just
> > > two halves.  There are three grips, one on the bottom and one on
either
> > > side.  The grips are also ABS, and there are hinged blue peices that
> cover
> > > the handles when retracted, and act as hand protection when extended.
> The
> > > "muzzle" is also a gray ABS peice.  This gun is HUGE, it stand two
> inches
> > > higher than the figure and makes for some cool poses.
> > > The beam saber is disappointing.  It isn't molded in clear plastic
like
> > most
> > > recent HGUC kits.  It doesn't even come separate.  The hilt and a
third
> > > "hand" are molded into one peice (think Endless Waltz Atlong), all
> white,
> > so
> > > you'll have to paint the fingers, blade and hilt (which is black, I
> > > believe.)
> > >
> > > Stickers.  I never use them, but I for those who do, I rate a kit on
how
> > > many parts that are not molded in the right color are provided with
> > > stickers.  I don't take off points for parts that are difficult to be
> > molded
> > > separately (like thrusters, eyes, etc.)  This kit is provided with
> > stickers
> > > for the eyes, head cameras, and some of the yellow striping on the
> > shoulders
> > > and sheild.  However, the thrusters on the shoulders and inner legs
must
> > be
> > > painted yellow, and the wings will have to be painted with red and
black
> > to
> > > make them look correct.
> > >
> > > In all, the HGUC Zeta is closer to the original design than the old HG
> > kit.
> > > I still like the old kit (except for the mint green plastic) so I
don't
> > > really see this kit as a "Godsend."  That being said, this kit is
pretty
> > > good.  There are a few things I don't like about this kit, and a few
> > things
> > > that I liked about it.  The only thing that is keeping me from just
> raving
> > > about this kit is the fact that it doesn't have any features that just
> > make
> > > me say "WOW!"  I don't know if this is limited by the design of the
> actual
> > > mobile suit, or what.  I personally feel that the HGUC The O is the
gold
> > > standard by which all HGUC kits should be measured as far as detailing
> and
> > > the way the peices are molded and designed to go together.  It is as
Zen
> > as
> > > a HGUC kit will get.  Sure, the The O is one of my favorite, if not
THE
> > > favorite, MS, but the Zeta is my absolutely my favorite Gundam design.
> I
> > > wasn't quite as impressed with this kit as I was with, say, the Zaku
> III,
> > > Quebeley, or even Char's Zaku and the original Gundam.  It is a nice
> kit,
> > > though.  Zeta fans won't be disappointed.  HGUC fans may be a little
> > > disappointed at first, if only because of extremely high expectations
> > raised
> > > by other recent HGUC kits, but you should be pleased with the finished
> > > product.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>