Gundam Converge EX 32 : MS-06R Zaku II High Mobility Type "Psycho Zaku"

Bandai released four Converge EX figures in 2020 which is consistent with 2019 and down one from 2018 or two from 2017. The Premium CORE brand meanwhile rose to seven releases from five each in 2019 and 2018 respectively. The EX figures in 2020 were generally larger type Mobile Suits and Armors with suggested retail prices between ¥3500 and ¥5170 while the CORE releases fluctuated wildly between ¥1650 and ¥6300. Today's review will concern itself with the last EX figure from 2020 which hit the shelves in November and carried a price tag of ¥3600. When I finally grabbed one in January the price had risen a little to ¥4000.

 

The EX32 pack introduces a new variation on the High Mobility Zaku II mobile suit taken from the Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt storyline. Just like some of the other mobile suits that we saw modified for the Thunderbolt Sector it carries a huge load of extra equipment but where the E.F.S.F. machines generally bulked up with extra armor and multiple shields the Zaku is all about speed and mobility instead.

 

Being a Converge figure you generally expect assembly to be really minimal so this figure may come as a bit of a surprise as it comes with a fair number of components on sprues. I found the assembly of these a bit bewildering initially, until I remembered that there was also an instruction sheet in the box.... duh. Basically, it is all about lining up the components correctly before you attempt to attach them.

 

The components have a really nice finish and colouring to them even though I was a bit apprehensive about removing the gold coloured components from the sprues so as not to damage the coating more than necessary.

 

First things first. Let's begin by looking at the basic High Mobility Type Zaku II figure. Here it stands using its one pair of standing feet holding one of the optional weapons included in the pack. I really like the figure in this fashion and could well end up dumping all the booster extras in the box and keep the figure simple and clean as above. For now the boosters remain on but I haven't made my mind up yet. Notice that this figure does not come with a base plate, nor do any of the figure's feet come with a compatible peg hole. While this doesn't really bug me I do find it a curious omission.

 

Posing here with the old High Mobility Type in Johnny Ridden's custom colors from Converge vol. 6 released in 2012.

It will be interesting to compare this figure to the upcoming Black Tri-Star High Mobility Type Zaku II figures due out in April. This is another curiosity. Why is the High Mobility Type Zaku II not made available in the basic Converge figure line? I get that you may want to bundle the Tri-Star trio but it would seem suitable to place e.g. Matsunaga's or Ridden's machine in the retail line in parallel.

 

Alright, so next up we attach the booster set-up to the figure. This is done by switching the back pack to one that has a huge peg hole in which to slot in the main booster unit. All those little boosters are now attached and covered up with the components from the sprues. I have also replaced the machine gun with the large beam Bazooka accessory. No support is needed since the booster unit also doubles as a support. There is really a phenomenal amount of detail on this thing.

 

Finally we send the Zaku into space. The feet are replaced with dangling limbs and the whole rig is lifted up on a base by plugging the mobile suit into the main support while the aft booster tanks get to rest on two additional supports. It feels reasonably sturdy. Notice also that we have replaced the two folded extra arms with extended ones and plonked in two Zaku Machines guns into them. These are also compatible with the Beam Bazooka or one of the Zaku Bazookas carried on the back, but I didn't want to fiddle with those but you get the idea.

 

Here we have the still tiny MS-06S Zaku II figure from U.C.0079, an Origin Style Zaku II (which is way cooler) and the High Mobility Type as they all are represented in the Converge #Sharp figure line.

 

Interestingly there still hasn't been a Thunderbolt Sector Full Armor Gundam (or GM for that matter) released since the old FA-78 (released in July 2016 before the #Sharp reboot as figure EX 13). I wouldn't mind seeing some more Thunderbolt Sector figures in Converge going forward. Right now you can get a Thunderbolt fix from a Banpresto Ichiban-Kuji figure set released in 2016 but beyond that things are surprisingly barren if you are a figure collector.

 

I found the Converge 2020 EX line-up to be a bit of a mixed bag. Out of the four I definitely favour the Neue Ziel II the most with the Psycho coming up a close second. The other two releases were pretty lackluster to be honest. The constantly falling apart Byg-Zam has the two Core Boosters as its main redeeming factor and I found the Penelope so uninspiring that I prefer to keep mine in its Odysseus configuration. 

 

Conclusion

The Thunderbolt Psycho Zaku figure is a bit of a gem that would get an easy recommendation to most Converge collector out there. Still, if you are on a bit of a budget you may want to hold on to that money and get your High Mobility fix from that upcoming pricy CORE Black Tri-Stars set instead.