Funko Mega Man Review
Hi, again – it’s me, the hopeless toy collecting Mega Man fan. You know, the one who cannot seem to catch a break when it comes to getting a full-blown classic Mega Man action figure line? Well, I find myself back at the same old stomping grounds from previous Mega Man action figure releases to talk about the latest foray into the world of the Blue Bomber because Funko is now on the scene with some brand new offerings. Once I again, I am already getting ahead of myself with hope beyond hope, but damn it, could this finally be the one?
Look, I have talked extensively about my love of the Mega Man property and how it is criminally underrepresented in action figure form in the past, so I am going to try to minimize the time I spend opining in this feature. However, while Funko has been doling out Mega Man merchandise in their various product lines in the past, a few months ago they caught me off guard by announcing a proper action figure series for the end of 2018. Now, we are a couple of weeks behind that, but I found this new series at GameStop this past weekend, and I was thrilled to do so. I don’t get a ton of Funko stuff, but these guys looked good, and hey, Dr. Wily is part of the first series, so there was no way I was going to pass these up.
I have to say, I am really glad I didn’t. I know Funko has been hit and miss at times with action figure quality/etc., but these are probably the best pieces I have ever owned from them, and construction is strong with useful articulation. Sure, these are not going to win any super articulated awards or anything, but what is included makes sense, and all of the joints have a good range of movement. Heck, while not as articulated as the Mega Man(s), even old Dr. Wily moves well and looks good doing so. The point is, I can get these Mega Man and Dr. Wily figures into just about any reasonable pose I need, so I give that a thumbs up. The shoulders, hips, neck, and ankles work particularly well, and once the knees and elbows get moving, you get about the standard 90 degree range on them, too. As a note though, ALL of the joints on ALL of the figures were extremely tight when I first opened these. That is good to hold poses, but I heated all of these up to get them going first, just to be safe.
I have come to like the looks of all of these figures, too, and that is something I was hesitant about when I first say the press release for the line. Now, those were probably digital sculpt images, so not necessarily reflective of the final product, but something about the Mega Man likeness in those shots looked a bit off. However, in person, these look better to me, and while there is still some stylization to them with slightly large heads and “doe” eyes, there is no mistaking the Blue Bomber. In fact, I think these have a bit more of the Mega Man 11 style to them (though, not that style specifically), and since that is what is at the fore right now, it makes perfect sense.
Dr. Wily, on the other hand, looks like he walked out of the classic art turnarounds so the only nitpick I have here is that he *might* be a bit tall compared to the Mega Man figures. Drs. Wily and Light have usually been portrayed as just a bit taller than MM, but this figure is pretty noticeable. I don’t mind it, but if there are going to be future series (FINGERS CROSSED) I hope they stay consistent. That said, I am THRILLED to finally have a real action figure of Dr. Wily!
I noted that Mega Man’s likeness is a bit stylized, and I have actually grown to like it, and that, combined with the scale and proportions of these new figures, make for something I really enjoy. There is something very classic about them that I prefer over some of the other offerings of late. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my Sentinel figures and the model kits, too, but those are centered around the modern interpretations of the classic look, so Mega Man is skinnier with taller boots, and just more realistically proportioned overall. But… I am a fan of the slighting shorter, more square look that was common in the art supporting the first couple of games, and this sculpt hits closer to that for sure. Sure, the arms and legs are still really skinny, but the boots are shorter, the head and hands are a bit disproportionately large, and that is more of my wheelhouse. I totally understand if that original look doesn’t do it for you, but I am glad Funko went this route as all the other companies seems to be working right from modern control art.
With all of that good, I must admit that I find the accessories, or better, the lack thereof in these releases a bit disappointing. Sure, these are $9.99 action figures, and you cannot beat that, but I would have liked to have gotten a few things here and there like an E Tank, Mega Buster Blast, and Mettal figurine, a wrench for Dr. Wily, or something for these figures to interact with and add to the display. Wily gets nothing in this department, but the Megas do include swappable fits and an open hand, and I like that because sometimes I don’t want my Mega Man with the Mega Buster displayed, so that option is good. If we DO see more here, and I am hoping that will include some Robot Masters, it would be nice to get some representation of their weaponry included with them.
So YES! I do like these little guys, and quite a bit, actually. HOWEVER, and you knew this was coming, this series still does not solve my Robot Masters problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting the rainbow of Mega Man figures, so Thunder Beam, Leaf Shield, and the Leaf Shield chase Atomic Fire, are great for me, and they all turned out nicely unique, despite being palette swaps. However, I would trade them all in a heartbeat to get my mits on the characters these powers represent. Please, Funko, you did us right by getting a solid standard Mega Man and Dr. Wily in this set, but how about that Elec Man? Or what about that Wood Man and Heat Man? Ice Man, Guts Man, Fire Man, Bomb Man, and Cut Man would all like a turn, too. I will buy ALL of these figure and I am ready to do so, so PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY. I have moved back from a line with every Robot Master, but if we could just get games 1 and 2 at this point, I will be happy.
So, go support this line now and get your pre-orders in at Big Bad Toy Store!
