Gundam Wing Model Kit Reviews
OK, we all have them. They've been the rage ever since the series premiered. Toys 'R' Us is filled with the crap ones everyone has & none of the good ones we want like Tallgeese III or Deathscythe Hell Custom. That's right. They're Gundam Models. I have a pretty good collection of the 1/144 (i.e. the cheapest, smallest ones) versions, so I thought I'd do a review of all the ones I have. I also will review my lone 1/100 figure. One thing I must stress is that even if you don't like painting your models, you MUST get a light/flouresent green for the energy weapons! It'll make the beam sabers & stuff look a WHOLE LOT cooler, trust me. Also, there is a product called the Gundam Marker that is able to draw all those black lines separating the metal pieces & junk in the pictures. All Gundams need this to get to look like the picture. All models are in order that I got them in real life. I'll update this as I get more models.
1/144 Wing Gundam
Rating: 8/10
Wing Gundam was the first model I put together, and is still one of my favorites. It's not as hard to put together as some of the later models, and is actually pretty poseable. The stickers do a pretty good job on the body, but the Buster Rifle is pretty plain, being in one color with a gold sticker. The shield could use the white outline paint too. The plane mode stays together pretty well, although the backpack & wings may fall off when you transform back to warrior mode. I suggest not taking off the hands when you transform, as they will probably get lost. Overall, a very nice toy for the intermediate class, although it is kinda loose.
1/144 Gundam Epyon
Rating: 6/10
I dunno about anyone else here, but I have had nothing but trouble with Epyon. Some of that can be directed toward's one of my mom's friends who accidentally broke the leg off Epyon (along with the peg it goes in) while some can go towards the weapons. Epyon, when fully put together, needs to be painted, as the stickers suck unless you place them just right. My shield, for some reason, got loose after only two transformations, and the back flap pieces don't wanna stay on in either mode. The sword handle broke when I tried to punch it out, but just enough remained for Epyon to hold it, however the weapons have severly hampered its posibility. It's as easy to put together as Wing, but like I said, everything's a bit loose for my taste. Maybe it was just mine. Maybe mine's a defected one.
1/144 Altron Gundam
Rating: 7/10
Ah, my beloved Altron. My favorite Gundam of them all. Well, Altron wasn't a snap to put together, and cost $5 more than Wing & Epyon(I got these things online). The stickers are like Epyon's: unless they're placed just right they look dumb, especially on the Dragon Fang. There's more paint needed here than in Wing or Epyon. The Dragon Fangs don't extend very far, but it's OK. For some reason, one of my wings, the one that holds the staff when closed, is very loose, even though it's in the same position as the other one. Sometimes the head ornaments don't wanna stay on, but it's not too often. The trident head that can be removed doesn't necessarily want to stay on after a few pulls. Overall, OK, but coulda been better. It gets extra points for just being Altron.
1/144 Tallgeese
Rating: 7/10
Lemme tell you this: Tallgeese I is probably THE Gundam model kit that you want if you hate painting. All of Tallgeese is white & black except for the shield & head ornament, and the stickers help out just fine. Tallgeese can be a pain to put together, especially the engines on its arms, and the midsection. Having the engines on the arms really sucks when playing with it. They get in the way of the Dober Rifle, which makes it a pain to pose. Everything seems a bit stiff though, it's not very poseable. Probably due to the fact that it's so blocky. Overall, a nice showpiece, but not to play with.
1/144 Gundam Heavyarms
Rating: 5/10
Heavyarms is one of those Gundams who looks so undeniably cool in the TV series, but looks underwhelming when put into toy form. His actions are basically that of the 4.5" figure, but they end up being kinda weak anyway. He has his gattling gun, his chest guns, and the shoulders open to reveal his missle containers, and it has its army knife. The model only came with the single gattling gun, so you can't have Heavyarms looking like it did in the final few episodes. Needless to say, Heavyarms is the skinniest of the Gundams, which doesn't help out much. It's not the greatest model to build. Maybe the bigger versions are better...
1/144 Gundam Deathscythe Hell
Rating: 8/10
Deathscythe Hell just looks cool. It's also one of the most detailed of the 1/144 Gundams out there, thus is a pain in the ass to build. Its double-bladed scythe doesn't wanna stay put to be put together, but once you're done, you'll see an awesome figure. The bat wings usually don't wanna stay on, but it's not that big a deal as everyone says it is. The six "veins" on its chest are a pain to get the stickers on, so you may wanna paint. For some reason, the yellow crest thing doesn't wanna stay on. I've had this happen with my Heavyarms, as well as almost all my Gundam Models from here on in. Strange. Anyway, the stickers do nicely for the wings, which even have those mini-booster things on the inside! Cool. The Buster shield is huge, which hampers posebility on his arm. BTW, the Shield can go on either arm. This is one Gundam that you can get awesome poses out of. Also, his jet on his backpack seems to stay on more than most of the models.
1/144 Wing Gundam Zero
Rating: 7/10
Wing Zero is just plain cool in toy form. It took almost everything good about Wing and super sized it. Key word: *Almost*. Transforming this puppy into bird mode is a pain in the ass. The white wing covers don't wanna stay on, and for some reason the shield doesn't wanna stay attached. I guess the Twin Buster Rifle is too heavy for it. Speaking about the rifle, it's the best rifle a Wing Gundam has yet, even better than Custom's. It's nice and thick, which makes it hard to break, and is sturdy, which is very nice. It also looks very smooth. The shield could use a little painting on the outlines, but for the most part stickers will do. Like most Gundams the crest likes to fall out when it can. The thing that brings it down a few points (besides transforming) is the wings. When in robot mode, the wings can't expand fully, so what they had you do is to push the tops together to make the bottom opening bigger. Lame. If the figure can get the wings out, the model should too.
1/144 Shen-Long Gundam
Rating: 8/10
If you're looking for a sturdy Gundam to play with, look no further. Shen Long simply rocks. Being Wufei's Gundam, that doesn't hurt either. The Dragon Fang is essentially the same as Altron's, except that it is a bit bigger. This makes it hard to pose the left arm when the Fang is closed. The shield is pain to get out once you put it on, although that's probably the idea. The staff can sometimes be a little loose, but mine was tight in its hands. For the energy blade, I suggest using Altron's extra piece (Deathscythe Hell & Altron include extra pieces for their downgrades) since its dark green is closer than Shen Long's Navy blue. Even though the color scheme sucks the big one, this is still a pretty good Gundam to have. It's pretty sturdy and stiff, so it won't come apart easily. It's crest stays on too. ^_^
1/144 Gundam Deathscythe
Rating: 3/10
My god, does this model just suck. Not only is it a pain to put together, it doesn't wanna STAY together at all! The beam scythe is OK, but the Buster Shield seems just as big as Hell's, as such is severly hampers posebility. Not to mention that the arms like to fall out with a few twists. Also, for some reason, like it's upgraded version, Deathscythe's head is loose, VERY loose. The exact opposite of Tallgeese's almost motionless head. What's worse, the crest is the loosest one I have! It falls out if a gentle breeze blows it! Get this only if you are a serious Gundam model fan or worship Duo as your God or something(Which may not be far off with some people). On a final note, the eye stickers suck. Very few of my models actually have had them sticking on without problems. Same goes for the red chin sticker. Better to paint those.
1/144 Gundam Sandrock
Rating: 9/10
My god does Sandrock RULE! It ranks right up there with Shen Long as being one of the sturdiest of my Gundams. Everything that was wrong with Deathscythe is corrected here. For one, it's head is huge compared to the others. Because of the shape, getting the eye & chin stickers to stay on was not a big chore, as it is with all my other models. The Heat Shortels are very study and won't break easily. The Beam Sub-Machine Gun is also sturdy and fits well in its hand. The shield is very weird. They opted to color it white instead of black. o.o I dunno. What I do know is that you can make one of my favorite weapons with this model: the Cross Crusher. What you do is put the Heat Shortels on the backpack, then put it on Sandrock's arm, then put the shield on top of the backpack. ^_^ I love that weapon! Sandrock's pretty poseable & very durable. Two things that count when it comes to these figures.
1/144 Tallgeese II
Rating: 4/10
Tallgeese II was very disappointing for me. For one, it's a pain in the ass to find. (I finally found it online at Toys 'R' Us, but it took a LONG time to find it.) I wanted this model every since seeing this thing on TV. I must say that I'm not impressed. If you get this, get some blue paint to go with it. You'll NEED it. For some reason, the makers decided to be lazy and just repackage Tallgeese I with a new sticker sheet and extra pieces to make the head. Not that that's a bad decision, since Tallgeese I & II are basically the same model, it's that they didn't bother to color the pieces blue. Now, 70% of the white pieces on Tallgeese I is blue on Tallgeese II. All that isn't are the legs. Now, wouldn't it make sense to just dye it blue? All the stickers do is cover up the front a bit. The headpiece isn't even colored yellow! All the same problems that occured with the original are present here as well. If you want a real Tallgeese, I hear III is pretty cool.
1/100 Altron Gundam
Rating: 2/10
Man, you do not know how long I waited to get this thing! As you know, Altron's my favorite Gundam. What's better than a supersized version then? Well, a lot. This thing's got so many problems it makes me wish I didn't spend $30 on this thing. Let's take look at putting it together. Man, this thing is DETAILED. They have separate steps to putting the hands (which the fingers are poseable) and feet together! The Dragon Fangs are super detailed, but for some reason the stickers don't wanna stay on it. Plus, when you extend it out, the thing becomes too heavy for the arm and it falls down. The angel wings are on ball joints, which means they move easily. I would've preferred slot joints. But putting it together was a snap compared to the hardest thing getting it to do: standing up! Serious! This thing's legs do NOT support it! The knee joints give as soon as you let go, so I have to stand it on a wall to support it. Not good. Not only that, but the square form of the hands don't wanna hold the circular handle of the trident. Thus, it needs to be propped too. This really makes me mad. Plus, it isn't even all that tall! It's like an inch bigger than the 1/144s! If you seriously want an Altron figure, either get the 1/60 from Japan or buy the 4.5" action figure.
1/144 Gundam Nataku
Rating: 4/10
Well, this starts off my Endless Waltz model reviews. And it doesn't start off well. For starters, this puppy cost an extra $7 for me, and came in a much bigger box, but don't be fooled. It's just more pieces. There's lots more stuff to put together, as the only paint that's really needed is the Gundam Marker. What's super cool is that the Trident is attached to a separate hand, so you never have to worry about the handle becoming loose. Shoulda done this with the others. Getting the Dragon Fangs to extend is a LOT more challenging in here. Before, all you had to do was pull it out. But here, you have to attach one or two extra pieces to the head. Even then, it's not as poseable. Plus, the crest & two green cheek things don't wanna stay on no matter what! I dunno what they were doing, but it sucks. While you can get some killer poses out of this thing, including the neat Dragon Hang, it's not very durable, like most Endless Waltz models. Get this for showpiece only.
1/144 Serpent Custom
Rating: 9.9/10
If you get just ONE Gundam model, get this one. This thing is about as sturdy & cool as you can get. It is the BEST Endless Waltz model out there. Plus, there's virtually no paint needed, save the marker. The stickers are basically the green eye, the red patches on the shoulder pads, and white outlining of the wrists. It also includes one double-barrled gattling gun & beam cannon, with some super cool jetpacks. This thing is really easy to pose and goes great with any Gundam suit. I also find it cool how you don't have to paint. There's not enough good things I can say about this thing. There's only one minus. You can't open the missle launchers on the shoulder pads. u.u Overall though, Heavyarm's Mini-Me is quite an awesome buy, especially for the $20 they're charging for these things. Plus there's no crest to lose! ^_^
1/144 Gundam Sandrock Custom
Rating: 7/10
Well, if there's one thing this model has taught me, or rather re-affirmed for me, it's that the original Sandrock kicked ass. While this is certainly a LOT better than Nataku, it's still got some problems. First off, the movie version is decidely blue, while the model is clearly purple. Neither color suits Sandrock, but oh well. What's neat is that the giant Heat Shortels don't have a handle, they attach to various pegs to get what you need. Like Nataku, it comes with an extra set of hands holding the handles to the Heat Shortels, which is cool. It also has a new shield that wasn't used in the movie, and makes a sweet-looking Cross Crusher, but needs to be painted. For some reason, they had the backpack attached in a moveable peg...why? I have no idea. While the model itself is very sturdy, yet a pain to get together, it's not as sturdy as the original Sandrock. Unlike Sandrock, the crest doesn't wanna stay on, but it stays on a LOT better than either of the two Deathscythes. It also comes with some spare pieces so you can make that scene in the movie where Sandrock chops off two heads at once. However, you can't get the shield on, so it's your call. I personally didn't deal with it. All in all, while not the worst Endless Waltz suit, it's not as good as Serpent. Of course, none of the Endless Waltz models that I have aren't as good as Serpent, so go figure.
1/144 Gundam Heavyarms Custom
Rating: 8/10
If you go to online shops like Amazon.com or places like that, the customer reviews say that this model is very loose and doesn't wanna pose easily. Well, mine must have been defective because while it isn't as stiff as Serpent, it's still very sturdy. For one thing, I don't think Heavyarm's color scheme in the movie sucks so much now. It actually looks pretty cool on the movie. One of the few figures that helped me realize just how cool it looks. There's a lot of small stickers for the light blue lines across the different plates, but you would be better off painting it. For some reason, they had gold stickers that covered the crest, but the crest is white. Why not just paint it yellow, like the others? o.O At least it stays on, except when pressure is added. What's sweet is that you can open up not only the 3 missle containers on each shoulder, but it came with extra parts to put on the missle launchers on the sides, the flappy thing in the mid-section, and the leg launchers. Have them all open, with Heavyarm's chest guns open and holding both gattling guns for a VERY sweet looking model. Overall, if you are a Heavyarms fan, get this instead of the original. It may be loose for you, but it kicks a LOT more ass than it's predecessor.
1/144 Wing Gundam Zero Custom
Rating: 7/10
OK, I'm gonna say this now: I stand by my decision about Wing Zero in the movie. I still think the body looks sweet & the angel wings suck. Had they been psuedo-metal like Altron's were, they'd be OK. Or better yet, just keep the original! Anyway, the model is pretty sturdy and sweet in its own right, but for some reason the right hand is now very loose. The Twin Buster rifle is longer than the original Wing Zero's, but less thicker and lighter. The crest actually wants to stay on for most of the time too, which is a plus. Like Sandrock, Wing Zero comes with an extra body piece to make a battle scene. In this case it's when Wing Zero fires its Buster Rifle at Mariemeia's shields. However, you can't stand this thing up in this pose without help. The wings can be a pain in the ass, and one of my wings, the smaller right one, is already loose. However, they do sorta look cool. You can make all sorts of poses, like when Wing Zero first appears, its battle poses fighting with Nataku, & its atmosphere entry mode. If you loved the movie version, there's no reason not to pick this up, except the price. This thing costs the most among the Endless Waltz models & is a lot longer. This thing costs almost as much as the original 1/100s! But if you're a Gundam or Heero freak, this is a good buy, although the 1/100s, while costing like $35, come with special, non-moveable Gundam figures. Make your call.
1/144 Vayeate
Rating: 6/10
Yes, I got the Vayeate. That's how obsessed I am. I got the two crappiest models out there. Anyway, Vayeate has little to paint, just some minor details like the visor & that's it. It comes with extra parts so you can have the visor up or down. The gun can really be in only one position, much like the model itself. I dunno about you, but I've had an especially hard time getting the generator in the back to stay on. Anyway, it's not very complicated to make, good for beginners. Like Tallgeese I, this has very little to paint. Boy, there's not a lot to talk about here.
1/144 Mercurius
Rating: 2/10
God I hate this model. Just like Deathscythe & 1/100 Altron, this one is loose as hell. It's about as easy to make as Vayeate, and about as much to paint, except for the pinkish Crash Shield sword thingy. The planet shields are ultra-loose and won't stay up without prompting. Plus, they can't come apart or circle the suit, so you have to make do with straight lines. The saber is too heavy for its arm, and makes it drop down a lot. I had to prop it on my Pokémon card box in order for it to stay up! Plus, the legs sway a lot, making it hard to stand up. Final conclusion: This model SUCKS! >.<
1/144 Gundam Deathscythe Hell Custom
Rating: 8/10
Finally, I managed to get DS Hell! You'd never guess how long it took to get this thing! Oy! Luckily, Toys 'R' Us finally got it in the stores (and now can't get rid of them) and it was cheap too, in EW Model terms anyway. This model is about as hard as any of the other Endless Waltz models. For some reason, they colored the beam yellow (For god sakes, can't they just dye the beam stuff in green? Is that TOO MUCH TO ASK!?) The stickers work about as well as they usually do, and the crest is as reliable as the rest. The cloak is neat, but too much work to make it close. Instead of making a chain-like closing mechanism, they have you put together the cloak in such a way in that you have to use these peg things to make it close at a 90 degree angle. Anyway, the stickers look dumb if you don't place it in the right spot (as usual) and since the scythe handle is square instead of round, it can only face two directions, front or back. The posing is pretty limited, but I'm sure you can come up with something. However, it looks awesome, the best Deathscythe yet. Pick this up if you're a Gundam fan.
1/144 Tallgeese III
Rating: 7/10
Well, this is the final incarnation of the Tallgeese series, and it's the best yet. The worst part, besides the still hampering posibility, is the fact that all the pieces are in white. It also comes with parts to build Tallgeese I or II. I mean, come on, if I was gonna build Tallgeese I or II, I would buy those sets, instead of the more expensive Tallgeese III. Anyway, it comes with the rifle, which can't be closed, and the Epyon whip. The crest, which is very different from any other crest, is also the hardest to get on. The shield is also harder to put together, as is everything else, but it comes with a balljoint waist, so its chest can finally be poseable. Just like Epyon, the Heat Rod is either fully extended or not at all. You can't pull it out. Oh well. Anyway, get this only if you really liked the suit on TV and have lots of blue & grey paint. You'll need it. Oh, don't forget, its sword is red instead of green.
Well, that's it. I have a pretty good collection, no? If you're just starting out, I suggest either the original Sandrock, Wing Gundam, Tallgeese I or II, Vayeate, Mercurius, or Serpent Custom. If you get any of the Deathscythes be careful with it. And if you like 1/100s, then you better have a lot of time on your hands, although I hear some of the other 1/100s, like Deathscythe Hell & Epyon, are a lot easier to pose. Probably because they have small, light weapons, compared to Altron & Wing Zero. Anyway, that's it! Take this what you will. Oh, and if you get any of these, except original Sandrock & Serpent, then get some glue for the crests, you'll need 'em. You might wanna buy at least light green paint too. The other color paints aren't neccessary, although, if you make Tallgeese II or III, blue paint is recommended.