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Sunday, March 04, 2012

Play Arts Kai Cyborg Ninja - Gray Fox Metal Gear Solid Review

When i first saw the Play Arts Kai Cyborg Ninja - Gray Fox pics on the web I had goosebumps all over thinking about the path that Konami and Square-Enix is currently taking with regards to their Metal Gear Solid line. We've got Fox right now, Solid is due later this month, Meryl not far behind and we've also seen the unpainted model prototypes of Solidus and Raiden; it is evident that the great people on both sides are really doing their best to bring us the characters that we definitely wanted to see. And, additionally,  "Kojima Kami Nandesu" indeed.
"That's good Snake, do you remember me now?!"
Gray Fox or Frank Jaeger is the only Fox-Hound operative to ever be given the codename Fox because of his skill in the battle-field. He's got a love-hate relationship with Solid Snake, sharing an ally-enemy-ally-enemy kind of camaraderie with him though ultimately sacrificing his life to help Solid defeat Liquid piloting Metal Gear Rex on Shadow Moses. I love the new packaging they employed for this new line. All along i was expecting a dark box typical of the theme used by the Metal Gear Solid game for the PS1 but i was surprised to find a rather minimalist box design for Fox. Take note also of the 25th Anniversary sticker on the lower right side.

"Uh, so, what are you in for?
I was wondering all this time why after Fox, Solid Snake and Meryl they will skip the other characters and go with Solidus from Sons of Liberty; it's just my speculation but perhaps all the next releases will be under this 25th Anniversary line, except perhaps for Raiden who is the main guy of MG Rising. Now there is hope to see Liquid, Otacon, Ocelot (whooohhh!) and the rest of the gang, it's a far fetched theory but i'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Gray Fox's design is absolutely stunning, IIRC, he's the first Play Arts Kai figure to actually employ a glossy metallic paint application. Well, other than the HALO figures, but definitely glossier than them! The details of his armor is really faithful to his game design. Also, no "thunder thighs" for him, i'm glad they took that out of the finish product.
Just call me "Deepthroat".Errr...ok, deepthr...*snicker, snicker*

The print on his exoskeleton is also minutely detailed and the crevices and joints are well defined. His crotch armor piece is made from soft PVC, they don't hinder thigh movement. 
Paint job isn't perfect though, from the 3 sealed figures i previewed i got this one with a wayward dark-gold paint on his right bicep which is actually unnoticeable. I picked him because i like the effect, looks like weathering or a battle-worn spot on his armor, well, with all the action he's getting you can't expect him to look like something just out of the car-wash. Hey, it's either that or the other one i saw with a dried fingerprint on the back of his head. His weapons are also game-accurate:
He's got his sword, an alternate right hand for holding his katana and the prototype, hand rail-gun. I love how the gun is produced, noticed the white lines? those are finely printed words. It's also made up of softer material that will lessen the risk of breakage. He used that to blast Metal Gear Rex's "Radome" in the game. Too bad the gun replaces Fox's forearm (left or right) when in use, meaning it can't be used or carried by other MGS figures. I was hoping that they have an alternate unmasked Frank Jaeger head included as well as 2 closed fists for hand-to-hand combat which Fox is famous for but *sigh* they left those out.





Snake. We're not tools of the government, or anyone else. Fighting was the only thing... the only thing I was good at. But... at least I always fought for what I believed in.
Articulation is typically Play Arts Kai Metal Gear but with the addition of the "Dissidia" hinges on his arms. It's a nice feature for added articulation but after my encounter with a broken hinge (i.e. Play Arts Kai Chun-Li), i'm starting to wonder if it is really a good idea. The Sneaking Suit Snake has a different version of that hinge which is sturdier though sacrificing a few extra movements.
As for the cons, Gray Fox can really work on his balance. He's a Ninja for crying out loud but he's having trouble standing up on his own. I don't know if that's an isolated case on the figure i got but he's a pain in the @$$ to stand let alone pose. He's got small, narrow feet similar to the Sneaking Suit Big Boss figure but since Fox is top-heavy, he topples over easily. I suggest using a stand if you wish to have him hold a pose. His shoulder armor also prevents him from aiming his rail-gun sideways though they are ball-jointed in addition to the hinges i mentioned earlier.Well, surprise, he can aim sideways you just have to be careful when you lift his shoulder armor (which are made of soft material) to angle the arms.
Solid Snake: Who are you, anyway?
Gray Fox: One of your fans.
Scale is consistent with the Peacewalker figures, it's good to know that they are keeping it that way. SRP is 60$ on S-E's online shop and i got him slightly higher (68$) though still discounted by virtue of my sponsorship, considering shipping charges, it's not that bad. Greattoys Online is selling him for about 3.5K (est. 79$).
One thing's for sure though, the Metal Gear Play Arts Kai line is really getting better and better with each new release. It's slowly but surely becoming a stand-alone line on a league of their own. If you are a Metal Gear fan you can't pass Gray Fox up especially with Solid Snake lined-up next.
Gray Fox:  Good! Now we can fight as warriors! Hand to hand! It is the basis of all combat! Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon!



A cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal! 
You don't agree with me about Fox? You can join the guy above.

21 comments:

  1. nice review brother.... can't wait... i've pre ordered..maybe on the way

    heart me more... make me feel alive again... :D

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  2. ^^LOL, thanks for dropping by bro. i'd put that on one of my captions when i do a play and display of Grey Fox.

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  3. Great... can u tell me what is the difference u.s version and japanese version of play arts figures ?

    why optional head is not included... i'm a little bit dissapointed.. :(

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  4. ^^i think they are basically the same except for the exclusives that are not available outside Japan. Though in the case of the FF13 figs, the second batch features a corrected face paint apps for Lightning. I'm just not sure if that is the version that reached the US.

    Yeah, i'm disappointed also with the alternate head, i've seen the prototype pics before of those and i was expecting that it'll be included.

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  5. on the play arts kai facebook page, it says the his helmet opens...

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  6. ^^i'm not sure about that bro, the pic on the FB page looks like a "planned" alternate Frank Jaeger head which i don't think made it to the finished product. I've been inspecting my Ninja's head for some time and i don't think it opens.

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  7. awesome...When will solid snake ,solidus snake, merly silverburgh, raiden mgs rising be released ? can't waittttt.....

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    1. Solid Snake is due later this month, end of March perhaps since they've just released Akuma and Cammy for the SSF4 line. No schedule yet for Meryl, Solidus and Raiden though for sure Meryl will arrive first.

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  8. i already have solid snake hehe

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  9. Check this out....

    https://twitter.com/#!/Kojima_Hideo/status/195065800464412672/photo/1

    Remember the Alternate Costume for Cyborg Ninja after you play MGS many times... I think they will release the Red Color Cyborg Ninja with an open helmet...

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  10. ^^yeah, i do hope they do that bro though i believe it will be an exclusive similar to the alternate costumes of the PA Kai SSF4 figure. that would be awesome though but pretty bad for the wallet. lol

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  11. Yup, It's pretty bad for the wallet. Actually i prefer the Original than the Alternate Costume of Gray Fox. I'm not planning to get the same figure with just alternate paint scheme, i just want that Helmet! Hmmmm....Why didn't they included it in the first place ?? Marketing Strategy, huh?

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  12. ^^well, i don't mind since i really get all the "human" figures in the PA Kai MGS line what i'm afraid of is that they may release him as an exclusive. Yes it's a very good Marketing strategy since fans can't resist that d@mned alternate head for Fox, me included. hehe

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  13. I was kinda hesitant on buying Play Arts Kai figures since the price is a bit steep compared to the regular figures that I collect(Mcfarlane) but your review on Solid Snake was able to convince me to buy one. The figure is awesome and worth every penny. I want to ask for your advice regarding Grey Fox. Is is safe to get the item on ebay knowing that "TOKUGAWA" is written on it's forehead?

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    1. ^^Hi, it's a good thing i was able to convince you. Anyway, yes, so far the ones with the TOKUGAWA print on the forehead are safe and 100% legit.

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  14. Just a question...is the ninjas butt/ass really a bit lose??? Kinda falls down on some poses where the legs aren't holding it up. Low waist ninja??? Kinda concerned if I need to fix it or not...i'm having a bad luck streak on both my sneaking suit and cyborg ninja...both have problems on the waist. Atleast I fixed snakes waist...now I don't know if gray fox's waist is normal or if I got a lemon.

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    1. ^^yup, that's a common problem with Fox so don't worry about it. if you wanted to tighten it up i suggest using a clear nail polish. Worked well with my TFs before and worked well with my Ezio's 'loose dangling' legs straight from the box. LOL

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  15. One thing I noticed re this figure is it is missing the usual articulation from the thigh area and you can hardly turn the leg sideways...poor elbow pad connectors...other than that it is almost perfect just like snake is.

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  16. Hey jerri, sent you an email regarding cyborg ninja on Ebay get back to me when you can, really want your take on it

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  17. Hey jerri, just got my gray fox a few days ago. Box is authentic and im sure tge figure is too as it has bicep articulation and tokugawa on head. The box has same serials as my other mgs figures and the sticker is matte. He did in fact come with thumbprints on his bicep but not noticeable, im not picky anyway. Im just glad to finally have him after soo long in the hunt for him... Cost me $247 :/ but i regret nothing. He did come with a few paint qc issues but the inly question i have, is it naturally sorta loose on his shoulders. I move his arms and his shoulder armor thingies move too like if theyre not properly attached? I would like to know if its okay if that happens because its kibda freaking me out. Though im sure he is authentic. Get back to me when you can thanks :)

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    1. hey buddy, congrats on getting him. anyway, yeah, unfortunately that's one of his many issues. you can try tightening the joints though. Fox is not really that playable and do be careful of his shoulder pads.

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