Synopsis: Before the Zaku II Version 2 figures were released the Zaku I figure was the best articulated Zaku around. After the Gallop and Ramba Ral's Zaku I was released a mass produced Zaku I was anticipated by many Gundam fans. Very few bad things could be said about the figure with exception to purist debates of the optional shoulder armor placement on the right shoulder or the many fans hopes of Top's Zaku I from 08^th Mobile suit team.

The Figure: The head of the figure features bright colors in conrast to the Zaku II figures. The sculpt is well done with the possible exception of the a ill fitting plate over the monoeye. Two of my Zaku I figures share this flaw and the battle scarred variant shares this similar flaw. The head rotates nearly 360 degrees with minor interference of the shoulder armor. The head can tilt up due to the ball joint at the head, a big upgrade from the peg joint of the Zaku II version 1.0.

The Arms are a great improvement from the version 1 Zaku II. The slightly exposed mechanisms space the arm further away from the body to allow for better movement. The elbow joints bend 90 degrees in a typical fashion while the hands that were included consists of 1 left "sword" hand, and a right gun hand.

The legs are well painted and gratly articulated. The upper leg is hampered by the skirt armor however the rest of the leg is better articulated around the knee and ankle.

The torso is well painted and detailed. The skirt armor has one hole on the left and right side to fit the heat hawk. The torso can rotate 360 degrees. The backpack is as pretty bare of detailing however that is a flaw of the design not the figure. The Zaku I features the movable thrusters on this backpack with a slightly better range of motion then the Zaku II version 1.

105mm Machinegun: The gun is identical to the machinegun which came with Ramba Ral's Zaku I and the mass produced Zaku I. It is a nice gun fitting the scale of the figure nicely. The clip is removable and the overall color of the gun is the standard grey found in version 1 Zaku II figures..

120mm Machinegun: The machine gun is identical to the Zaku II version 1.0 Machinegun and the clip is removable.

280mm Bazooka: The Bazooka is identical to the Zaku II version 1.0 Bazooka.

HeatHawk: The Heat hawk is identical to the Zaku II version 1.0 Heathawk. The heathawk is attachable to the waist via a peg connection.

G-3 Nerve Gas Grenade Launcher: Identical to the Zaku I gas launcher of the earlier release this weapon can be collapsed into 5 separate pieces.

Punch Shield: a two piece shield with a handle connected to the shield via a ball joint. The number decal is found here.

Play Value: Grunt mobile suits are always a nice addition to use especially when they are the antagonists. And if you do not have enough Zaku Iis then these Zaku Is are great filler for your Zeon Forces.

Display Value: The detailing on the figure is well done with a good deal of options to pose in dramatic scenes. The inclusion of the nerve gas launchers may draw attention given if the viewer knows what those are.

Dollar Value: Priced as a standard release this figure is worth the $5.99 price tag without question. With all the weapons and articulation capabilities of this figure, the price of this figure is practically a steal. The only downside is that at the date of this review the figure is currently available only in the secondary market from fellow collectors or stores with outdated merchandise.

Conclusion: A Great figure. The detailing is great, articulation is good, and accessory loadout is great. The figure has more pluses then minuses.

Above: Zaku I armed with the 105mm Machinegun