Sentinel: 4-Inch Nel Super Mega Man and Cut Man

I have been waiting for this Cut Man action figure for a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY long time.

I am a tried and true, dyed in the wool Mega Man fan. Ever since meeting the little Blue Bomber for the first time by rolling the dice and renting a copy of Mega Man II, I have loved the guy. He is my favorite video game character and his classic game series is my standby when it comes to video game playing (coming to mobile platforms this week!). Those adventures never get old to me, and when I was younger, there were very few things I anticipated more than a new Mega Man game.

I know I have talked about my affection for the game before, but one of, if not THE most important things about my love for those games is the Robot Masters, hands down. Meeting the new enemies and learning how to contend with them is what made the gameplay so much fun. Sure, there was a definite pattern across the series, but I have always loved the designs and powers of the new Robot Masters, and I have always wanted TOYS based on them as well. All the designs lend themselves so well to toys too, so I cannot believe that I am waiting like a damned fool for action figures of the Robot Masters. That is, until now …

Sentinel has been putting out some great Mega Man figures via their “4-Inch Nel” line, and if you have read the features here and here, you know I have been really enjoying them. My only complaint thus far is that the line has been comprised entirely of Mega Man iterations, and that has been okay since they are sensible and important variations that have been executed well, but that is not what I am really after here. I want the Robot Masters. Badly. And I am getting a little impatient here, but finally, Sentinel has thrown me a bone, and I am the very proud owner of the best Cut Man figure ever made. I got this figure on the next-to-the-last day of 2016, and I almost amended my “Best of” article to include this figure because it makes me so damned happy.

Essentially, this is what I have always wanted in a Robot Master figure, and my biggest action figure hope heading into 2017 is that Sentinel will give us more, as in at least make good progress on getting us the lineup from the first Mega Man. Sure, Cut Man was an online Gentinel exclusive with Super Mega Man, but maybe, just maybe, this was Sentinel’s way of testing the waters with the Robot Masters, and hopefully it has been a success. Cut Man is listed as DLN03 in terms of his numbering, so he is technically the first Robot Master, so at least they are starting off correctly. Sure, Mega Man X is the next wide release, but I think we should be getting close to another figure announcement, and if it is Guts Man (DLN04), I will lose my mind. Heck, it could be ANY of Guts Man, Ice Man, Bomb Man, Fire Man, or Elec Man and I would lose my mind. C’mon, Sentinel, you can do it!

I can honestly say that if this figure wasn’t so well done, I would not be nearly as excited for the next announcement, but Sentinel knocked Cut Man out of the park. Sure, he is made mostly of classic Mega Man parts, but everything has come together perfectly, and I find him to be the best figure of the line so far, and that is not just the affection of character talking. It feels like all of the stiff bugs have been worked out since the classic Mega Man was released, and, with the included accessories, this is everything I have ever wanted in a Cut Man. He looks like he leaped out of the character style guide, and the overall quality of sculpt, articulation, and accessories help to sew the whole package up nicely.

For those accessories, Cut Man comes with two faces (one smirking, and the other frowny), his detachable head blades, six swappable hands, and the requisite Sentinel display base. Cut Man is not like his brethren wherein he shoots never ending blasts as his attack; his “Rolling Cutter” is like a boomerang and he launches his scissors to attack and must wait for them to return. Thus, the removable portion is important, and I really dig how his open hand and “throwing” hands help to sell his signature attack. Additionally, both of his faces are very well done, and the two expressions are absolutely perfect for the the character. His fists are nice for basic or “vanilla” posing and he even gets an alternate fist to create “Super” Cut Man when you combine parts with the included Mega Man variation.

Sure, there is not a TON of accessories, and a little enemy bot from his level would have been a fantastic edition, but I love this figure so much, I don’t even care. This is EXACTLY what I want for Robot Masters figures, and if Sentinel will just take the chance, they are going to make some great ones for sure. Please, stand with me with fingers, toes, eyes, and whatever else firmly crossed in hoping for AT LEAST the original Mega Man bosses; they will be outstanding.

Oh, but wait, there is an entire second figure included with this set, so let’s not get too excited and forget about Super Mega Man. This figure makes a lot of sense for inclusion in this set, even though I was not aware of one of the reasons until recently. Apparently in a manga from a few years ago, Cut Man becomes “Super” Cut Man by combining with this this particular power-up. That might be a little obscure for U.S. audiences, but if it helped get Cut Man to market, I am all for it. But really, this variation stands on its own, especially after the release of the Super and Jet Mega Man figures. Those were the separate new Rush adaptors for Mega Man 6, and with Mega Man 7 (the series’ only foray into the Super Nintendo), the powers combined to make for one “Super” Mega Man adaptor. It really was a natural progression, even though I think I am more of the fan of the Jet and Power costume designs on their own.

That does not take away from this figure, however, and, once again, Sentinel really nailed it in terms of design, sculpt, and paint. They have a remarkable ability to create very clean figures with sharp lines and fluid joints, and all of that lends to the property very well. Mega Man character designs have the robotic quality requiring clean lines, but since almost all of the designs are anthropomorphic in some way, a more organic quality has to balance with that for success. Super Mega Man is another great example of success for Sentinel, and it is is an important and viable variation, but I wonder if maybe they are burning through these power-up a little too quickly.

This figure will stand with Jet and Power Mega Man very well, and that is obviously the plan. I mentioned before that Super Mega Man is just the next upgrade of the other two, so I appreciate how the designs flow from one to the next. The color palette is essentially the same, but the chest insignia looks more superhero-esque than before, so that is a neat design cue. The back jets have been streamline from the Jet adaptor to be more streamlined and compact, but the larger fists from the Power suit are mostly retained as the same. Most of the bulk form the Power suit has been brought back down in size, but the shoulders recall the effect well.

Super Mega Man does not fare quite as well in terms of accessories as Cut Man does, and most everything is a rehash of something we have seen before. He has the standard smiling and “gritted teeth” face plates, some swappable hands, arm cannon, and another base. Nothing is out of place, but nothing is really all that exciting either. I would have gladly foregone the hands, or even the arm cannon for maybe some thruster effects for the jets, or even a way to pose the flying fist with some kind of effect, but to no avail. As Sentinel continues with this line, I hope they get a bit more creative with the accessories; the figures are expensive enough to justify more newness and diversity.

YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes! Finally a Robot Master! Cut Man is so awesome, I really cannot stop talking about him. I am so glad we have gotten the first Robot Master in this line from Sentinel, and they better keep coming. I get that Mega Man is the star and that his variations are what really sell, but every collector that I talk to wants to see more Masters. I know I do, too, and as a sign of good faith, I have bought into Mega Man versions that I don’t care much about, like EXE and X, but that is all to help get me those Masters. At the very least, that first game has to get done now that we have Cut Man, so I will be keeping hopes and expectations high. This line is just too good not give us those Masters.