A new Mega Man release is complete! Get your weapons ready!!!
I love Mega Man. No, seriously, I. LOVE. MEGA. MAN. Or, Rockman, if you please, and while I also dig my Links and Marios and Samuses (Sami?), Mega Man always has been, and likely always will be, my favorite video game character of all time. Ever since I played Mega Man II for the first time (yes, I discovered that one before the original), I have been hooked on the classic saga of the little Blue Bomber and repeatedly made my way through his adventures in stopping the villainous Dr. Wily in their classic saga. Sure, other titles and timelines have been a part of Rock’s legacy for a long time (the “X” titles, etc.), but nothing comes close to the originals in my opinion, and those first six installments are enough to keep me busy any time I have a few minutes to set aside for some fun gameplay.
The thing is, I know I am not alone, so I have been pretty perplexed and very frustrated over the years when a new line of Mega Man action figures starts up, only to end after just a few releases. Are people really not wanting action figures from this universe? I have a very hard time believing that, and if I had guess, I would see the early end to previous lines chalked up to a lack of variety in the releases, or the fact that the releases were not really very good when it comes to being quality action figures. Jazwares had multiple cracks with the U.S. license, and even my beloved Bandai Japan released some figures via their now-defunct D-Arts execution a few years ago, but none of those were satisfying for varying reasons. I mean, it doesn’t seem too difficult, right? Jazwares likely failed because the figures were not great, but Bandai had no real consistency to their releases and showed collectors from very early on that they were not very interested in building out any of the Mega-verses.
So as a sad and frustrated collector, I let reality rest for a few years, but then when Sentinel announced that they were going to take a crack a the Mega Man property, I was instantly hopeful and enthusiastic, but also a bit pessimistic due to being a slightly jaded Mega fan. I knew Sentinel made some impressive action figures of (mostly) Japanese properties, so I wasn’t scared that the figures would not be quality, but at this point, I am not really interested in getting just another Mega Man without any of his cohorts and enemies around to support him. Well, it seems like AGES since the classic Mega Man and his Mega Man EXE incarnations would be released side by side for the first offerings into this line, so I have been anxious to get these. Additionally, some announcements for subsequent figures have also been made that make me somewhat hopeful, but we will get to those in a bit.
Even though I was confident that these would likely be good figures, what was it going to take for me to really be impressed by them? Well, it would be a “Bandai test,” I suppose, and for me to get locked in, I would want this classic Rock to be better than the current best figure on my shelf. I have always liked, but not loved, the Bandai Mega Man figure, and while he was miles ahead of anything else I have ever owned prior to his release a few years ago, I have my druthers with the figure. I have never loved overall look or proportions of the figure as he is too tall, his head is too small, and the materials used to make him have always seemed fragile. His articulation doesn’t function all that well either, but that release did come with a TON of cool accessories, including Rush for Dr. Light’s sake, so I knew Sentinel would be hard-pressed to best Bandai in that category.
So how do they stack up? Well, this “4-inch Nel” release does fall short in the accessories category, but past that, I like this figure more than the Bandai release in every other category. In fact, if Sentinel can really make a go with this property, and right now they seem to be focusing on my beloved classic series, I am going to be all-in with them. I am really impressed with how good this figure looks, and the proportions are pretty much perfect with this figure, and until you stand him next to the D-Arts version, it was hard to tell just how off-model that figure is. When I picture an action figure of Rock in my head, this is what I see, and figure looks great.
The articulation is also improved from an overall standpoint, but it is still not perfect. At first I thought all of the cuts for the joints would be distracting, but, really, they are not, and you get so much more movement out of them being there. The elbows, knees, and ankles are particularly nice on this figure, and he is balanced in a way that make action poses a breeze, so that is appreciated. I do wish the hips and neck had more range of movement to them, but they aren’t bad, and while I REALLY appreciate the thought behind where they were going with the butterfly shoulders, they don’t move quite as much as I would have suspected. I might be nitpicking that last one a bit because you can get some cool poses via those joints, but I must still have the Marvel Legends Wolverine figure on the brain.
The materials on this figure are also good, but they don’t “feel” like the typical Japanese figure release. What is mean is that Figma and S.H. Figuarts toys have a definite feel to them in terms of the kind of plastic that is used, and this figure feels to be made our of a more traditional PVC that I am used to seeing in high-end U.S. action figures. I am not decrying this at all because the plastic is strong and not at all gummy, and, most importantly, this material feels so much stronger than the ABS plastic used for most of the D-Arts Mega Man figure. So, again, Sentinel wins that battle, and even though this figure is slightly shorter than the Bandai, he has more bulk to him and feels heavier in the hand, which, to me, is very important when dealing with a small figure like this.
Now, all of these strengths carry over to the EXE figure as well, and sculpting especially is just as impressive. I have never played the actual EXE or NT Warrior games, so I cannot speak to those, but this costume is definitely growing on me now that I have the figure. I will admit I got it mostly for review purposes and to offset the shipping cost for one figure, but I am glad I went for it. Of course, he will never replace the classic Mega Man for me, but if Sentinel is going to build this out, I might as well make the jump to build a full Mega Man collection for the first time.The costume colors are what really appeal to me here, and it gives Rock a completely different look (especially with the masked face plate), so he could be a completely different character to me.
I mentioned that these figures don’t quite stack up in the accessories category to Bandai, but what they do have is really nice. Both figures feature two different face plates: classic has a happy and “serious” face, while EXE has masked and unmasked, and the plates are easily swappable on both figures. Rock comes with fists, open hands, and his Mega Buster, and EXE has hands, his cannon, and the big sword attachment thing. All of these pieces switch out easily, but once in place, they stay on securely, so you don’t need to be overly concerned with losing small parts here. Both figures also come with two very large and cool display bases that feature an arm to assist with action posing. These are nice, and are common place in Japanese releases, but really, I don’t need them. The figures pose well enough on their own, and I would MUCH rather have seen some “pew-pew” pellets or small enemies included with these figures as an alternative. The good news is that if you have the Bandai release, Rush and the Hard Hat Mac figures still scale perfectly with this classic Rock.
Look, I am a Mega Man fan of simple tastes: I want Mega Man, his accompanying characters like Proto Man, Roll, and Doctors Light and Wily (I am not even into Bass and Treble), and, especially, his ENEMIES. As in, I want ROBOT MASTERS. I really dig these first two releases, and I am looking forward to the other classic Mega Man figures that Sentinel has already lined up, but my biggest want right now is that Cut Man that is coming out in November. To me, he is what represents the most hope for this line to me, and even if they can only get the Masters from game one done initially, I will be thrilled.
However, and not sound harsh, but if Gutsman, Iceman, Bombman, Fireman, and Elecman don’t join Cut, I will likely view this as another failed attempt. Cut Man is the first in the Rock Man ordering, so it makes sense he is up first, but he also uses a lot of Rock parts, so that makes sense, too. If that is what is needed, then Fireman, Elecman, and even Iceman can use some of the same parts too, so I am praying they get their due. I am waiting with bated breath to see what Sentinel announces next (they have teased Mega Man X, to my pretty much lack of excitement) because I love my new classic Mega Man, and I am more than ready to build a satisfying collection. It is time. After so many false starts and failed attempts, I really want Sentinel to make a go of if because they are off to a great start, and I will be supporting the cause all the way. If you want to too, head on over to Big Bad Toy Store and get your orders in NOW. Or you can opt to get them directly from the source! We need those Robot Masters!
