MS-06R-1 Shin Matsunaga's High Mobility Zaku II (Asian Release Vers 2.0)

Synopsis: I took way too long to get this figure.  In fact long enough that the Johnny Ridden's and Tri-Star's Variant are no longer as widely available then about a month ago.  I guess thats always the way though.  When I had first started collecting MSiAs a few years ago I had found a few of the first version Zaku IIs, only having enough money for one I was torn between getting the Mass Produced ZakuII and the Shin Matsunaga's High Mobility Zaku.  Not knowing much about the series or the Units themselves I choose the Mass produced one and later regretted it upon finding out how hard it is to find Shins MS.

   With the release of the Version 2.0 I made sure this was the first MSiA to get.  Im not disappointed in the slightest.

 
The Figure:  Like the Version 2.0 Zaku IIs released before it this Figure is loaded with detail and while the accessory loadout is less then the Char and Mass-produced variants before it the figure supports a few surprises! 

  The Head is well painted and well detailed.  The sculpt job of the head is great with the area of the mono-eye being made of a separate plastic almost leading one to believe that the area of the mono-eye could swivel around but it cant really move.  The overall sculpting job is similar to Char's Zaku with the only significant difference being a command antenna shaped in a different way.  Like the previous version 2.0 Zakus the Head stands on a rather odd joint that allows for 360 degrees of rotation and good head elevation.  I say the joint is odd because the head has to be lined up with part of the joint in a particular way.

  The arms are the same as the other Zaku IIVersion 2.0 in terms of articulation.  The shoulder joints can swivel forwards and backwards freely as well as rotate without being hindered.  Only thing the arms cant do is spread the arms out to show its arm-span.  The elbows feature the trademark double joint debuted in the RX-78-2 Gundam Version 2.0 which allows for almost complete natural bending at the elbow.  Twisting of the elbow is achieved not at the elbow but in between where the deltoid and triceps would be.  The Hands rest on a ball joint providing natural pivoting.  Hands included are 2 closed fists, 2 gun hands, and 2 sword hands.  One thing to note is that the hands dont have painted on panel lines whereas the rest of the Zaku has panel lines drawn in.  The only cosmetic differences are that the right shoulder is sculpted differently to reflect the MS-06R-1 Design and of course Shin's White Wolf emblem is featured prominently on the shield.

   The Legs differ the most from the other Zaku figures since it is a high mobility model after all.  Unfortunately the knees arent as Highly Mobile as the Suit's designation would infer.  While this is due in part by the larger lower leg the movement is still on par with most MSiAs just not Vers 2.0 figures.  The rest of the leg has great articulation matching the other Version 2.0 Zaku Figures.  In fact the foot excels the previous figures due to the absence of some of the lower skirt armor.

  The Torso is well sculpted and well painted.  An added bonus is that the Waist articulation is better then the past suits due to the rerouting of the power cables that wrap around the waist and into the backpack.  This reveals that the waist joint is a ball joint allowing for SLIGHTLY better movement then the other Zakus.  The thruster pack is removable revealing internal mechanics however is NOT compatible with the Mass-produced or Char's Zaku.  That also means the minelaying accessory can not be worn either. The internal workings of the backpack are different then the other molds and the thruster nozzles on the backpack do not move. 

The Accessories: This Zaku II is sadly lighter on accessories then the Mass-produced and Char variants however the loadout is still somewhat decent considering the weapons the figure usually sports

Zaku 120mm machine gun: Like the old version 1.0 this gun looks a little oversized however that is where the similarities end.  The forward handle can swivel to allow for more accuracy to the animated counterpart.  The figure holds the weapon well.  The Weapon's color is a darker gun metal color compared to the blue-grey color of the Mass-produced and Char variant.

Zaku 280mm Bazooka:  This was a pleasant surprise from the old Zaku Bazooka that although the Zaku could hold well could not swivel like the animated design.  This Version 2.0 is essentially made up of 3 parts the back end with main grip, the scope, and the barrel with forward handlegrip.  Each part rotates independent of each other allowing for better posing.  The Weapon's color is a darker gun metal color compared to the blue-grey color of the Mass-produced and Char variant.  The bazooka doesn't have the attachment for the main rear armor skirt possessed by the Mass-produced and Char variant though this is due to the interference the larger backpack places on this figure.  

  Heat Hawk: Same Heat Hawk that comes with the Mass-produced and Char variant.

Play Value: Decent Accessories but lots of articulation make this figure have a good deal of Play value and can be used as a greater bad guy to face the Gundam when Pink Zakus just wont do;-)!  Please note that with all the extra hands and small parts this figure can present choking hazards kids that are too young.

Display Value: This guy has the uniqueness to stand apart from your Zaku Army along with being able to hold some great poses by itself or with one of its weapons.

Dollar Value: This guy I had won in an auction on ebay for about $20 with shipping (the approximate price it would take me to ship it from Japan had I ordered it from there). The price is a bit high but the quality of the figure is very good so it kind of evens out.  The price factor makes buying these things a once in a while pleasure since buying too many would be cost prohibitive. 

Conclusion: Despite some flaws, this Figure lives up to what we expect from Version 2.0 MSiAs.  Great-articulation is always a nice feature for a figure and had there been more accessories this would make it next to perfect!