MG RX-78-2 Gundam Ver. 2.0

This is THE Gundam. The one that started it all. The RX-78-2 have more than its fair share of recolor/rehash/versions and this is just the latest (and actually significant) one, boasting an all-new look and fully designed inner frame.  I actually forgot why I picked up this model though >_>. I was never fond of the retro look so maybe the articulation intrigued me or I just did it for the lulz.

12 frames of runners… that doesn’t sound like much but many parts are tiny (mostly for the new inner frame). Going accurate with the anime, I skipped the stickers and decals for this model and use black panel lines instead.

Core Fighter

I never had an interest in core fighter but I must admit, this one is pretty impressive (the way it was assembled that is). It could almost actually be kinda confusing trying to follow where to slide the parts in and much.

Body

The body is very impressive… or just the inside that is. All the fine details, the mechanisms, and all the parts working smoothly together… it’s one of those rare times you want to compliment Bandai instead of cursing them out. The parts for the shoulders are serious business and serves a function for how they are assembled and no parts are there just for the sake of having more parts. The beam saber hilts are one piece.

Arms

Like the body, the arms are all business as well. The elbow design allows you to rotate either the forearm or the upper arm individually, allowing for a full range of motion. In contrast to the arms, the shoulders are extremely simplistic (all the more better)…

Lower Body

More sophisticated stuff here. Love how the feet can bend like that so it can do proper kneeling poses. I believe this is the first Gundam to have such articulations. One part I really despise though… the armor part behind the ankle/foot just sits there and can easily wobble around (and maybe fall off).

While not many pieces for this assembly, it still does what it intends to do. It’s a shame to hide the mechanisms behind plain armor panels because it just look so well designed.

The waist design is unlike that of any previous MG waists and requires a little more work putting together. All the armor skirts are connected through ball sockets so they have a bad tendency to pop off from time to time. Besides the armor plates having limited movement (for clearance purposes), there isn’t anything special about this part.

Head

The head is a very solid construction and it has a full skull! I like how the vulcans are separate from the head armor so you can actually detail it, and the same goes for the side vents too! I think the Gundam looks more menacing without the face plate…

Weapons

Instead of your usual half pieces that snap together to make the beam rifle, the beam rifle 2.0 here is pretty thorough from inside out. Many pieces to cut out and nubs to clean up… it was almost frustrating. I thought some of the bits were a bit unnecessary since there wasn’t really a function and the only moving parts are the scope and front handle.

This is the nicest bazooka for a Gundam I’ve ever seen! Love how the barrel is just one piece so you don’t get that nasty nasty seam line down the bazooka. The sad part is that the peg slot on the handle isn’t really usable because the Gundam can’t hold it there properly…

I don’t know why the javelin’s beam effect parts came in clear plastic but it doesn’t matter because I painted it clear red and I must say… that was a good decision! The javelin needs a beam saber hilt to be complete..never knew that.

Plain and simple. Nothing more. Nothing less. I like how there’s a window cover that you can slide up and down to play peek-a-boo with your enemies ^^

There’s also a Gundam Hammer included but I didn’t assemble it because I didn’t want to put up with 27 nub marks on the spikes ^^;. I was gonna use the OYW Gundam Hammer for the photoshoot but it’s lost somewhere. The Gundam Hammer included in the 2.0 is the only recycled frame from a older model; the year stamped on the runner (forgot) is definitely before the 2.0 was released.

The Inner Frame

Two-Face Gundam. Bandai did a marvelous job on the inner frame and all the little completed details are just amazing. At the end of the day, I’d prefer to leave the model looking like this. It really is a total shame to hide the engineering behind the armor completely.

The Gundam really do look a lot more menacing with some of the armors off xD… Kinda give off a Terminator vibe to it.

Some silly poses to show off its crazy range of articulations.

RX-78-2 Generations

RX-78-2 Gundam Activated

You know… The Gundam 2.0 isn’t really as “anime accurate” as one might think. I was watching MSG’s opening several times to get posing ideas and noticed the proportions are marginally different (such that probably even less people will like this kit if it was anime accurate/proportionate). The 2.0’s design is retro yet still retains a sense of modern aesthetics so it is more like paying homage to its original self than trying to look like it. Either way, I don’t really like this retro look stuff… xD

Now for the real action poses… let’s see how many of my renditions of its anime poses you can spot :)

While this Gundam can move very freely, it is hard thinking up of good poses because it is so plain ^^;

Gundamm JAVELINNN!

TOBE! GUNDAMU!

The 2.0 is a solid performer both on the ground and in the air. The whole model has a solid and rigid feel to it so you can feel safe playing around with it. I wouldn’t worry too much about loose parts.

Can’t say you can really do much with the bazooka. The Gundam can’t even hold the bazooka properly and it can easily slide off. Unlike the Zaku II ver. 2.0’s bazooka where are there two peg slots for different angles, the Gundam’s bazooka only has one and it doesn’t work. How did Bandai overlooked this part after getting everything else right?

The Last Shooting

I would call this the “Perfect Gundam” if the name weren’t already taken. Really, there’s nothing about this kit that has a significant adverse effect on the kit itself. My only complaints are aesthetics, the back foot armor plate, bazooka clip, and the shoulder and skirt armors can easily slide/pop off… All of which are negligible and subjective at the end of the day. The model feels very sturdy and solid so it won’ t be falling anywhere and will probably survive a little fall. There are still no loosen joints even after the photoshoot so that is also a positive aspect. While this is the best RX-78-2 in terms of playability, it is also the most expensive (generally $40-45). Since there’s really nothing wrong with this model, it really just boils down to how much you like/dislike the looks of it. I personally don’t like this retro look but I can accept it, and if you can’t stand that then you can opt for the Ver. OYW or Ver. Ka.

OTHERS’ REVIEW:

Shinpla, a Gunpla Blog

Martin Wandering

Something is approaching 3x faster than a normal Zaku…

CHAR GA KURU!!!

ALLL-YOU-CAN!!!

Missed…

… For old time’s sake

GUNDAM BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!

HISSATSU!

TRIPLE GUNDAM BLADE!!!

Karma…