With the Nintendo die-hards (or more accurately, Tears of the Kingdom die hards) salty over the game not winning Game of the Year (CONGRATS to Baldurs Gate 3) I figured it was a good time to write up something about a Figma that I thought would be getting more hype, but it's actually kind of quiet, the Metroid Dread version of Samus Aran.
At the time of this writing, my understanding is that it seems the US sourced figures aren't out yet and are scheduled for next Spring or so. I usually stick with my usual Japanese stores (in this case Ami Ami) as numerically it makes no sense to buy from anywhere on this side of the planet, especially if there's no preorder bonus from Goodsmile to consider.
Like the DX Lancer Artoria, this figure came in a box though in this case it's a slip cover rather than an entirely separate box. Not sure if this is specific to the initial release as this isn't some fancy deluxe version or anything.
Like its predecessor, the Metroid Prime 3 version, the focus of this figure is on articulation, because from an accessories perspective this is pretty bad. Samus has no alternate heads,and only has one hand, which is why she comes with whopping 3 hands and an Arm Cannon in EMMI killing mode. Otherwise, it's Morph Ball, a magnetic plate to simulate hanging poses, and the typical Base/Stand.
If you've not played Metroid Dread, the Power Suit is nowhere as bulky as the Metroid Prime 3 version and is more aligned with the Other M in terms of general bulk. I think like with the other suits, Goodsmile actually allocated resources to getting the proportions of the suit right... or at least as accurate as they can, which isnt' something I can say for most of their other releases. Detailing on the various parts are nicely done.
Sculpting on the helmet is as good as you'd expect it to be (and as accurate). Like Doom Slayer, the Power Suit helmet is iconic and has never really changed since the 80s, and in fact is pretty much the most consistent part of her outfit from game to game. I always found it neat that Samus crusies around space in what is effectively a giant version of her head.
Morph Ball is... a ball. That's really about it. It's certainly different all the others, which have been basically armoured spheres, whereas this version has some stringy sections.
If you haven't played the game, slight spoilers, during the EMMI sections (after an area boss) you typically have to fight off some super armoured enemy that can only be overheated using some super laser, conviently only accessible during those segements. It's a stupid plot point, but it does look pretty cool.
So, articulation. Samus definitely has more articulation that your standard run of the mill Figma. This includes doube jointed knees, combination ball joint/butterfly joint for full shoulder movement. double jointed pull down hips and ab crunch. Stubbornly, Goodsmile still didn't give the figure a waist swivel (or a back arch). Having said all that, the figure is still a delight to pose, though there are some bulk related restrictions (far less, but still a thing). Overall, your biggest obstacle to posing will the balance, which of course the stand will address. I just don't like to pose with stands, and perhaps I've been spoiled by the stability the heft of Die Cast metal brings.
The magnetic plate features a fixed pose hand and foot, so you can simulate the wall hanging pose of Samus. The fixed pose helps with stability and all that, but you're basically just going to be doing this pose with the part, or at least the left half of her body will be like that.
Paint Application wise, a few minor masking errors here and there, but overall the figure is brilliantly painted. I think what makes this figure stand out even further is the colour pallette selected by Nintendo to begin with. Looking at the older figures, it wasn't that they were badly painted, but rather they were all one colour, or at least the suit is. This version is vibrant all over, and all surfaces, as far as I can tell, are actually painted, which undoubtedly adds to the price. Like the DLX Arcee, there'sa few places missing paint apps, in this case under her boot. Not one that most people would miss, but I'm not most people.
Build Quality isn't an issue either, though to be fair there aren't exactly that many parts to swap on and off the body. I have no issues with the rest of the figure - joints are good, finishes on the parts are good. No squeaky or overly tight parts to worry about it, though I did have some joints kind of stick upon opening so you probably want to do a slight warm up on the joints first before going full tilt.
Another excellent Figma release, at least to me. It's entirely possible the lack of buzz has to do with the US fanbase not receving their figures yet (their relucatance to purcahse from an overseas source confuses me, but that's a story for another time). It's main weakness is that if you're one of those effects/accessory driven collectors, there really is nothing here for you. The money really is all in the posing options and the glorious paint work.
So if you're not a poser, you're probably a hard core Metroid fan to even consider paying the Nintendo tax on this release.
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