The Converge Space Battleship side series has been plodding slowly along for the past couple of years with a single release per year, usually around the summer or autumn. In 2024 however Bandai are stepping up the pace with a total of three separate releases, but before you get all too excited two of the three are revisiting old ships and taking them for another spin. The fourth brand new sculpt - the Archangel - is scheduled for release in October but before that we have a reissue of the White Base in slightly new colours coming out in September and the Nikaya, object of today's review, which is a retake on the Argama-class carrier.
The Nikaya is one of a few named Argama-class Assault Carriers and has its origin in the long-running Manga series MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden which premiered in 2010, so this is a real latecomer seeing as the original Argama was introduced in 1985 in the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam anime. Personally I really enjoy seeing existing mobile suit and vehicles introduced into new settings and storylines, the more colour schemes and unit insignias the better. As a figure collector it is of course never as exciting to see a rehash of something you bought last year but this is a really harsh reality in the current market.
Like the other Space Battleships before it, the Nikaya is a Premium Bandai exclusive and launched with a price tag of ¥4500 and was delivered in March 2024. It was released in tandem with the Johnny Ridden Gelgoog-set and as such has received a completely new size of packaging. I don't know if the new box is intended to ease shipping and handling of the two figures. P-Bandai figures usually come in oversized outer cardboard boxes anyway but I suspect the reason is purely logistical.
The parts included here follow the Converge SB tradition; hard plastic helps components retain their shape but also make the figure that much more delicate. I was surprised to see that this is not a simple repaint, there are actually some modifications to the sculpt as well, changes that started with the Pegasus III entry into the class. More on that in a second.
Walk-around of the ship. My main complaint with the Space Battleship series is that it has only featured ships of a similar type and colour scheme. The Nikaya at least changes things up a bit with the bolder colour scheme and looks much better than I expected. There are some issues with the aft fins being bent inward. I am not sure if these fins are supposed to be movable, they don't appear to be however and I dare not put that much pressure to them to find out.
Much of the pant applications are seen from above and even below. As usual, the boring black base does not allow for any dynamic poses and there are no peg-holes on the underside, a slight oversight I think since you could do so many interesting pictures if the base was compatible with say Assault Kingdom bases for example. I suspect that Bandai omitted such for fear that careless display may break the model and better safe than sorry when it comes to customer complaints.
The appearance of the battle bridge has been redesigned, the basic shape is different and it now also includes a pair of extra side-antennas which give me distinct Archangel-vibes.
According to the Gundam Wiki, following the Pegasus III ships of the class no longer feature the rotating habitation blocks so I guess these should always be locked in place for the Nikaya. Still, Bandai included the option part, probably since it is already available, so you can decided which mode to go for yourself. Notice also the exposed Mega Particle Cannons hanging out of the yellow side compartments.
Side-by-side with the original SB02 Argama. The Nikaya may not be as famous but I think she looks much better. Notice the revised design of the battle bridge and its antennas.
All the previous space battleships can be stored in the boxes they came in (the Nahel Argama required removal of some of its fins), so how about the latest entry? Well, the figure does fit inside the box but that is a pretty close call; I wouldn't place anything else on top of it.
So, is it worth spending the necessary amount of money to include the Nikaya in your collection? Considering its obscure origin and the fact that there already is a Converge Argama-class out there I can understand the hesitation, the two figures aren't that different after all. It is a fine entry into the line but perhaps not as crucial as some of the other things you are already considering so I wouldn't worry too much about skipping it.
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