At SDCC 2013 NECA released the Classic Video Game Jason, which was based on the way he looked in the classic NES Friday the 13th video game. When he was announced I had no idea this would turn into one of my favorite NECA toy lines. Shortly after that, NECA announced that we would be getting more “classic video game” figures. Freddy from A Nightmare on Elm St. followed shortly after in the fall of 2013, and now we have the third figure from the line: Robocop!
The general idea behind these classic game figures is to make the packaging looking like old NES video game boxes and to paint the figures like they just jumped out of the 8-bit goodness of Nintendo. NECA does this with amazing attention to detail. Normally I couldn’t care less about the cardboard and plastic that hold my toys prisoner, but with this line I can not help but fall in love with the boxes. The pictures of the box can do more justice then my words, but to get someone like me to care about a box — that’s saying a lot.
We saw it with Jason and Freddy before; these figures are repaints of existing figures from NECA. However, calling these figures just repaints may be true, but it doesn’t really do them justice. That is even more true with Robocop than it is with the first two figures. The first two NES figures were great, but had very basic paint schemes. Robocop, in contrast, has so much more detail in his paint job. The term “cell shading” comes to mind when I look at Robo. He has a mix of flat and metallic blues, with black as the other major color. Unlike the first two NES figures, Robo has some extra face paint details to closely match the video game look. In the side-by-side pictures of this figure vs. the original NECA Robocop, you can see how much a paint job can make it look like a totally new figure.
As far as the actual figure goes, he is 100 percent the same Robocop with the spring loaded holster. You can see in the picture there is a button on the back of his right leg that activates the holster feature. Press it down and his upper thigh opens to show where his Auto-9 pistol can be stored. The pistol is painted with the same flat blue paint seen on the main figure. Unlike the normal release, Robocop does not include an extra hand.
The figure comes with over 20 points of articulation, including some cool-looking articulated pistons on his power legs. I would warn you to be careful with the pistons; the plastic is really thin where they attach to his calf. Even though he has a good amount of articulation, you really can not get him in a ton of poses. But the important part is that you can get him in all the RIGHT poses. I mean, he is a huge cyborg cop; not really a gymnast.
When you get all three of the NES figures together, they really are a treat for the eyes. The colors are so out there that you can not help but love them. If you are on the fence about this guy, I suggest getting off the fence. Once he is gone, there will be no more. These classic game figures are going to be one-run-only figures. Jason is impossible to get without paying up to nearly three times retail or more. Freddy is starting to run low and Robocop will be sure to follow in their steps.
I for one hope this line goes on as long as NECA can come up with great NES figures. We know that Classic Video game Predator is coming from the pictures NECA has tweeted, and they have hinted at more to be shown at New York Toy Fair this month!
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