And now onto the review!! This kit is the first NG 1/100 kit I've ever worked with, and honestly before I started messing with it I expected it to be like the NG 1/60: a big HG kit. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the kit.
In terms of articulation, Dynames has some pretty nice joints set up. From the top down, the head is on a ball joint and the neck itself can move a bit too, to allow Dynames's head to look up for his reclining sniper poses. The v-fin on his head can also be pulled down to reveal the forehead scope thing. The shoulders can pivot forward and up, and the shoulder armor itself can move pretty freely with the rest of the arm. The shield things on the arm can also rotate to the front and back. The elbows are double jointed, and they reveal the GN strips on Dynames's arms, which I think is a cool little gimmick.
The wrists are just a simple ball joint connection, and are kinda flimsy =\. Moving on, the waist is on a ball joint so it can rotate and pivot a little bit. The skirt armor is, for the most part, very easy to deal with and isn't really ever in the way. The gigantic ass thrusters are the same; they don't really cause any issues with posing other than the HUGE weight offset. The hip connections for the legs are also a bit loose, but Dynames can still hold his poses with no trouble. The knees are double jointed, and allow Dynames to kneel on one knee without looking incredibly awkward. The ankles are a ball joint, and the front part of the feet can pivot forward to make it look like he's on his toes.
Although I didn't build Dynames, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of detail that was put into the 1/100 scale kit. Dynames can hold some pretty... dynamic [ba-dum-PSH] poses with no problems at all! And it really just looks nice, too. It's not quite Master Grade quality, but it definitely does have that MG feel to it.
~*~ACCESSORIES~*~
Dynames has quite a few accessories, and I'm going to start with his gigantic plate shields. Forgive me in advance, though, as I forgot to re-attach the smaller shields to the back of the shield clips on the shoulders D:
Obviously, when the plate shields are deployed Dynames isn't supposed to be very mobile. I don't really understand why they gave Dynames these huge shields, especially since he's a sniper. I guess they might come in handy for the pistols, which you'll see...
NOW!! Dynames's pistols are pretty snazzy looking, and I love the holsters for them. They're absolutely brilliant.
This must be the reason for the gigantic plate armor: for Dynames to use closer ranged firearms without the risk of getting torn to pieces.
Next, we have Dynames's signature firearm: the GN Snipe Rifle.
The rifle comes complete with two legs for the stand, which can pivot, and the rifle itself can be stored on Dynames's shoulder. To hold it, you just slip the handle into Dynames's hand and then struggle to fit the wobbly forearm connection in right, and ultimately give up on that :P
And now, watch as Dynames snipes from a desert plateau!!
And finally, the beam sabers. All you have to do is pull them out of the butt thrusters and pop the beam in and you're good to go!
~*~FINAL VERDICT~*~
Once again, since I was not a part of any of the building process, I interviewed my friend, G, to get his opinion on the 1/100 Dynames kit:
Baby TheEnd: What was your initial reaction after laying out all of the trays?
G: I used to make other models like planes and crap like that, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Being this was my first Gundam, I have to admit I was pretty impressed by the coloring. Dynames has this sort of emerald color to him that looked pretty sweet. As construction begun, I knew Bandai thought about what parts went where and put them in order on the trays so you would only need to tear apart 3 trays instead of 6 at a time for different parts. I was completely excited after opening up the box though. It was like Christmas morning. =)
Baby TheEnd: About how long did the assembly take?
G: I spent around 3 hours before class and I believe 3 hours after class, but I had a screw up with the GN drive and had to take it apart. Luckily it was early so I didn't have half the model to open up. I forgot to color the drive with a green sharpie but I fixed it.
Baby TheEnd: What was something that frustrated you during construction?
G: Not really much of anything. I was trying not to rush, but its hard when you are excited. The polycaps are nice, the finish was pretty good for an injection molding, so nothing really to complain about.
Baby TheEnd: Is there a specific aspect about this kit that you really like?
G: Two words: Sniper Rifle. Even though it is only like 4 pieces, the way it was made was excellent thinking. The scope has a shiny green sticker behind a clear piece that makes it look realistic. It's not perfect, but gets the job done. The muzzle brake on it looks cool, too. I'm a shooter at heart and know that a monster muzzle brake like that has some power coming out of it. The pistols were cool as well. I'm thinking about designing the holster he uses for my real pistols :D
Baby TheEnd: Is there anything that upsets you about the finished kit?
G: My only grips are that the left hand polycap doesn't like to keep the hand in. Granted I understand that the hand is interchangeable, but it could have been better since they knew it was going to be taken in and out often. The rear GN boosters are a pain to pose it with. They make it look like it belongs in the third Tremors movie. The kit does make up for it in sheer awesomeness of a Gundam Sniper.
Baby TheEnd: Aye, that left hand liked to pop out at inconvenient times. So, is the kit fairly priced for what you get?
G: I think it is, but as a poor college kid, I always want stuff to be cheaper. The engineer in me knows how much it cost Bandai to make it and wishes it was that price, but you definitely get some good stuff. Two beam sabers, two pistols, a monster sniper rifle, and a huge set of armor make this a fairly priced kit in my opinion.
G: I used to make other models like planes and crap like that, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Being this was my first Gundam, I have to admit I was pretty impressed by the coloring. Dynames has this sort of emerald color to him that looked pretty sweet. As construction begun, I knew Bandai thought about what parts went where and put them in order on the trays so you would only need to tear apart 3 trays instead of 6 at a time for different parts. I was completely excited after opening up the box though. It was like Christmas morning. =)
Baby TheEnd: About how long did the assembly take?
G: I spent around 3 hours before class and I believe 3 hours after class, but I had a screw up with the GN drive and had to take it apart. Luckily it was early so I didn't have half the model to open up. I forgot to color the drive with a green sharpie but I fixed it.
Baby TheEnd: What was something that frustrated you during construction?
G: Not really much of anything. I was trying not to rush, but its hard when you are excited. The polycaps are nice, the finish was pretty good for an injection molding, so nothing really to complain about.
Baby TheEnd: Is there a specific aspect about this kit that you really like?
G: Two words: Sniper Rifle. Even though it is only like 4 pieces, the way it was made was excellent thinking. The scope has a shiny green sticker behind a clear piece that makes it look realistic. It's not perfect, but gets the job done. The muzzle brake on it looks cool, too. I'm a shooter at heart and know that a monster muzzle brake like that has some power coming out of it. The pistols were cool as well. I'm thinking about designing the holster he uses for my real pistols :D
Baby TheEnd: Is there anything that upsets you about the finished kit?
G: My only grips are that the left hand polycap doesn't like to keep the hand in. Granted I understand that the hand is interchangeable, but it could have been better since they knew it was going to be taken in and out often. The rear GN boosters are a pain to pose it with. They make it look like it belongs in the third Tremors movie. The kit does make up for it in sheer awesomeness of a Gundam Sniper.
Baby TheEnd: Aye, that left hand liked to pop out at inconvenient times. So, is the kit fairly priced for what you get?
G: I think it is, but as a poor college kid, I always want stuff to be cheaper. The engineer in me knows how much it cost Bandai to make it and wishes it was that price, but you definitely get some good stuff. Two beam sabers, two pistols, a monster sniper rifle, and a huge set of armor make this a fairly priced kit in my opinion.
And there you have it! G approves of the 1/100 Dynames kit, and frankly I quite enjoy it myself. And with that, G wants me to remind you to keep your eyes peeled for a custom paint job in the future! See y'all next Friday~
I have to say: these little interviews are a great idea! They're very informative and provide great insight from the builder's perspective. You have some great friends, dude.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chag! :D. I figured that since I didn't build them at all, it'd be interesting to hear what the owner of the kit has to say about its construction.
ReplyDeleteI think i'll make this my next kit after my unholy Christmas wish list is done.
ReplyDelete