HGGT 1/144 Zaku II High Mobility Type "Psycho Zaku" Review
WARNING: If you plan to buy this kit, prepare your sanity first because I'll guarantee you to see flying thrusters that has super small sizes. If you lose any of them, I can say you'll be a madman to find that thruster piece and the Zaku will live up to its name. I literally became a psycho after losing the thrusters so many times and I have to find it while cursing the mini thrusters, they're as big as a mosquito! Not only you'll need cash, but you'll also need guts to buy this kit. (RE4 merchant quoting xD)
This picture is edited.
Before I begin the actual review, there are some things I'd like to point out regarding this kit. First, all of the gold thrusters you can see all over the Zaku are PARTS. That excludes the spiky shoulders, whereas they are fully stickers. Yes, this kit has a freaking lot of thrusters you have to glue in place for them to stay still, which is what I've planned to do with this kit.
Second, you have to do a LOT of masking if you wish to paint this kit. Me? I'm fine with the stickers because some of them conformed nicely, with the most of them in the backpack which I'll show you guys later.
Third, this kit takes a lot of shelf space to display. Otherwise this kit can make a splendid diorama. And with those giant fuel tanks (which is even bigger in MG plus the colossal third tank) makes the Zaku back heavier than the run-off-the-mill Thunderbolt kits. Atlas Gundam not included.
Fourth, why the Reuse (P) Device? This Zaku is the first to utilize direct control, and by I mean is by robotic arms and legs that plug into the cockpit's control system and you move the Zaku with your body and limbs. Daryl Lorenz, the pilot, has been fully amputated for him to unlock the full potential of the mobile suit. Sucks to be that way... and it's even more diabolical that IBO's Alaya-Vijnana System in my opinion. Thus it gains the name Psycho Zaku, not just from the heck of a loadout it has but also because its controls.
Onto the review. I'm not gonna take photos on my worktable because the whole kit takes a lot of space and when I turned it around, surrounding models will be knocked down thanks to its fuel tanks, which are longer than cigars.
Look at the amount of runners this HG kit has to offer! 15 runners including the polycaps!
Includes a huge amount of foil stickers and dry transfer decals. I didn't use all of the stickers because.. screw stickers. Finding the thruster parts that I've lost during the build is a bigger task than applying stickers.
Front&Rear View
Like I said... LOTS of small thrusters. All the gold thrusters you see are PARTS. Literally lost my mind to fit them in place properly and it has given me a headache. No shit.
Rear View w/out Fuel Tanks
Dark brown stickers on a black surface? Less noticeable but whatever... it spices up the detail even more I guess.
This thing even has a pelvic thruster set!! Geez, Zeon engineers sure are crazy. I can imagine if Daryl accidentally peed his pants while using this mobile suit, those thrusters will grant a powerful boost that sends it backwards... xD and EFSF engineers will drop their jaws looking at such advanced technology.
Articulations
Almost every Zakus suffer of the same issue: being unable to look down. But their heads can look up a little bit, also a full 360 turn is possible.
The monoeye can be turned around thanks to the peg beneath the head. Use a toothpick, tweezer, or a sturdy beam saber effect part to make life easier when turning it around.
If the right shield armor hinders your Zaku's right arm movements, you can turn it around since it's on a ball joint. Spiky shoulder armor on the left can swing out that far.
Both arms can swing out that far.
There's your bicep swivel. It can do a full 360 turn with no problem.
You also get a 90 degree elbow movement.
Zaku HG kits nowadays, starting from the previous Thunderbolt Zakus (before the anime was released... way back then), has great leg articulations. That is, if my memory served me right.
The legs can go out that far. You can even replicate the legendary Char Aznable kick with this bulk of a Zaku.
The knees are on double joints, but it's ruined by the power cables.
Accessories
Really worth the measly price!! So many weapons capable to destroy Federation toys!! You get 3 Zaku bazookas, 2 Dom bazookas, so that makes five. Included is also four panzerfausts, a Zaku machinegun with a total of 5 drum magazines (one is already loaded), four Dom bazooka ammo clips you cannot really load into the bazookas, your average heat hawk...
... And six pieces of hands. Two trigger fingers, two open/expressive hands, and two generic holding hands which I've been using all along this review.
Where did all of the equipments go, you ask? They go... INTO THE FUEL TANKS!1!!1 I believe I've already shown it to you. Just in case you forgot. I really love the concept of storing explosive weapons in fuel tanks... safety is your last priority. More like Daryl's last priority... Just send the best MS sniper in your team and tell him to shoot the Dom bazooka ammo clips or the panzerfausts... and watch the fireworks go boom.
Included also is a special action base, with two positioning holes.
The base's top part can be angled, although to a fixed degree. This is due to its locking mechanism that secures the Zaku even with astounding total weight with the full loadout.
Lastly, there are open sub-arms you can utilize to carry weapons. There's an extra part included in this kit that allows you to use these sub-arms on the Zaku II that comes with the Big Gun.
My apologies, but this time I'm skipping the action photoshoot. And I think that's all for the review of the Psycho Zaku. As usual, see you next time.
-Fin
This picture is edited.
Before I begin the actual review, there are some things I'd like to point out regarding this kit. First, all of the gold thrusters you can see all over the Zaku are PARTS. That excludes the spiky shoulders, whereas they are fully stickers. Yes, this kit has a freaking lot of thrusters you have to glue in place for them to stay still, which is what I've planned to do with this kit.
Second, you have to do a LOT of masking if you wish to paint this kit. Me? I'm fine with the stickers because some of them conformed nicely, with the most of them in the backpack which I'll show you guys later.
Third, this kit takes a lot of shelf space to display. Otherwise this kit can make a splendid diorama. And with those giant fuel tanks (which is even bigger in MG plus the colossal third tank) makes the Zaku back heavier than the run-off-the-mill Thunderbolt kits. Atlas Gundam not included.
Fourth, why the Reuse (P) Device? This Zaku is the first to utilize direct control, and by I mean is by robotic arms and legs that plug into the cockpit's control system and you move the Zaku with your body and limbs. Daryl Lorenz, the pilot, has been fully amputated for him to unlock the full potential of the mobile suit. Sucks to be that way... and it's even more diabolical that IBO's Alaya-Vijnana System in my opinion. Thus it gains the name Psycho Zaku, not just from the heck of a loadout it has but also because its controls.
Onto the review. I'm not gonna take photos on my worktable because the whole kit takes a lot of space and when I turned it around, surrounding models will be knocked down thanks to its fuel tanks, which are longer than cigars.
Look at the amount of runners this HG kit has to offer! 15 runners including the polycaps!
Front&Rear View
Like I said... LOTS of small thrusters. All the gold thrusters you see are PARTS. Literally lost my mind to fit them in place properly and it has given me a headache. No shit.
Rear View w/out Fuel Tanks
Dark brown stickers on a black surface? Less noticeable but whatever... it spices up the detail even more I guess.
This thing even has a pelvic thruster set!! Geez, Zeon engineers sure are crazy. I can imagine if Daryl accidentally peed his pants while using this mobile suit, those thrusters will grant a powerful boost that sends it backwards... xD and EFSF engineers will drop their jaws looking at such advanced technology.
Articulations
Almost every Zakus suffer of the same issue: being unable to look down. But their heads can look up a little bit, also a full 360 turn is possible.
The monoeye can be turned around thanks to the peg beneath the head. Use a toothpick, tweezer, or a sturdy beam saber effect part to make life easier when turning it around.
Right shoulder armor can only turn that far, at both directions.
If the right shield armor hinders your Zaku's right arm movements, you can turn it around since it's on a ball joint. Spiky shoulder armor on the left can swing out that far.
Both arms can swing out that far.
There's your bicep swivel. It can do a full 360 turn with no problem.
You also get a 90 degree elbow movement.
Zaku HG kits nowadays, starting from the previous Thunderbolt Zakus (before the anime was released... way back then), has great leg articulations. That is, if my memory served me right.
The legs can go out that far. You can even replicate the legendary Char Aznable kick with this bulk of a Zaku.
The knees are on double joints, but it's ruined by the power cables.
Accessories
Really worth the measly price!! So many weapons capable to destroy Federation toys!! You get 3 Zaku bazookas, 2 Dom bazookas, so that makes five. Included is also four panzerfausts, a Zaku machinegun with a total of 5 drum magazines (one is already loaded), four Dom bazooka ammo clips you cannot really load into the bazookas, your average heat hawk...
... And six pieces of hands. Two trigger fingers, two open/expressive hands, and two generic holding hands which I've been using all along this review.
Where did all of the equipments go, you ask? They go... INTO THE FUEL TANKS!1!!1 I believe I've already shown it to you. Just in case you forgot. I really love the concept of storing explosive weapons in fuel tanks... safety is your last priority. More like Daryl's last priority... Just send the best MS sniper in your team and tell him to shoot the Dom bazooka ammo clips or the panzerfausts... and watch the fireworks go boom.
Included also is a special action base, with two positioning holes.
The base's top part can be angled, although to a fixed degree. This is due to its locking mechanism that secures the Zaku even with astounding total weight with the full loadout.
Lastly, there are open sub-arms you can utilize to carry weapons. There's an extra part included in this kit that allows you to use these sub-arms on the Zaku II that comes with the Big Gun.
My apologies, but this time I'm skipping the action photoshoot. And I think that's all for the review of the Psycho Zaku. As usual, see you next time.
-Fin
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