Kotobukiya returns with a brand-new exclusive model kit—this time spotlighting MegaMan.EXE in a slick Premium Charge Shot Version. Will this kit bust some viruses or crash and burn in the process? Stick around after the break as we dive into the highs and lows of this release.
Review sample purchased from BigBadToyStore. Go check 'em out!
"Charge Shot!"
The MegaMan.EXE Premium Charge Shot Ver. is easily one of the most challenging kits I’ve ever had to write about. While the end result looks absolutely phenomenal, the path to completion is far from smooth. But before diving into the rough spots, let’s talk about the kit’s strongest asset: it looks stunning. The vibrant colors and glossy finish give it an edge over previous Premium Charge Shot releases, making it arguably the best-looking one yet. It’s a bit puzzling that Kotobukiya opted for this particular color scheme rather than going all-in on a Hub Style variant—but even so, the final product is a real eye-catcher on the shelf.
Almost Hub Style.
I suppose I can't put it off any longer, so let's talk about the huge problem with this one. The shininess of this kit may look great, but it comes at a cost: the coating used to make the kit look so beautiful seems to have made the pegs and holes on the pieces slightly thicker. It isn't enough to visually tell, but you'll definitely know when you start to build it. Some pieces are practically impossible to fit together unmodified, you may notice a bit of gapping in the photos.
Thankfully, this can be mitigated by VERY CAREFULLY shaving down the pegs and holes with a hobby knife, sandpaper, or other similar tools. I did not test heating up the pieces, so I'm not sure how that would affect the coating in any way, so do that at your own risk. The problem seems to be the worst on the gloves and hands. Once you've got the kit assembled, take some time to gently work the joints back and forth to loosen them up—right out of the box, they're extremely stiff. It’s surprising that an issue like this made it past Kotobukiya’s quality control, but thankfully, there are ways to work around it. Still, it's frustrating that the burden falls on the builder to smooth out these kinds of problems.
"Enemy Deleted!"
Enough negativity, though. Let's get back to talking about the fun stuff. This kit comes with all the same accessories as the original MegaMan.EXE kit, but this time, they're shiny! We get an assortment of hands, four faces (neutral, smiling, shouting, and masked), a Buster, a cannon, a long and short sword, and a gigantic Life Sword slash! The sword parts were even cast in an iridescent green to mimic the shining effect from the games. There are several options and combinations, so use that sense & skill to make your ultimate display!
Accessorize!
So, where does that leave this kit in the end? Well, if you are willing to put in some extra work and take your time, you will end up with a very nice looking kit. This unintentionally makes it into a more advanced build than every other kit in Kotobukiya's line-up, but hopefully this will not be a repeated mistake on future releases. Personally, I am glad to have this kit, even if the build was very frustrating here and there. And if this kit isn't doing it for you, the much anticipated Black Zero kit just released and has a normal build with no extra hoops to jump through.
This giant piece breaks the bounds of reality!
Be sure to check out BigBadToyStore for this kit, Black Zero, the upcoming White Axl, Jada Toys Wave 2, older Kotobukiya kits, and so much more! Please use our link so they know we sent ya!
Wasn’t joint thickness a problem on PCS X too? I think this is just par the course for kits with a finish, from Koto or otherwise. Though yes, they have a higher skill floor as a result.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't remember any real issues with the Premium X kit, but this one just seemed excessive with the coating. Looks great in person, though.
DeleteI could’ve sworn TJOmega mentioned it in his PCS X review, though he might’ve just been talking about being able to actually hold the parts.
DeleteIf there actually is a difference, it’s probably from mold layouts. Like if one kit has all the “outside” parts on one side and the “inside” parts on the other, but another kit has some joints on both sides.
I recall hearing about these issues with special coating. Don't recall where.
DeleteI remember seeing people have the issue of the coating on PCSV X peeling off, so maybe that was a much thinner coating or something. I wish I knew more, but I can only say for certain about the things I've had.
DeleteI had the same fitting issue with the X kit. My guess is the tolerances being as tight as they are, adding a coating without changing them makes the pieces a lot harder to fit. I can see why Koto didn't want to do it to save a buck but it is a bit frustrating.
DeleteAs for the coating flaking off, I did not experience that with my X kit, but I did read about it from a few others. I decided to make sure I had clean hands every time I worked on it, and after posing it, just left it alone in my case. No issues.
My recommendation with these Charge Shot kits (and really all Koto kits) are to just take your time with them, and like ColeManX suggests, very carefully shave some of the pieces down with a hobby knife if you're worried about snapping something to make it fit. I have every Koto kit and all I can say is if you savor the experience instead of trying to get them done ASAP, they always turn out good.
If you get a tight joint after cleanup, gently exercise it. That will help loosen it up. If your cleanliness is an issue, a pair of nitrile gloves helps. And if you don't use them for the model, use em to clean the bathroom or something.
DeleteBlack Zero just popped up in stock yesturday, too.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of, I saw on Cults3d, someone made effect parts for Zero that include custom hands. I have been wanting hands for Zero that don't have the thumbs up... A serious oversight by Kotobukiya. You can't use the X version, they are the wrong color. Or shade, that sounds less "racist".
DeleteThat's cool, saves me the trouble. Drawing 3D hands is tricky.
Do you have a link to these? I'd love to see em.
DeleteThe publisher is Velvettoolbox.
Deletehttps://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/z-saber-techniques-megaman-x-velvettoolbox
He did effect parts for several of the kits. Really neat stuff. You have to pay for them, but it was $1.50. So whatever. I printed the hand, and it works. But damn I can't wait for my new printer to arrive... The one I am using sucks and the one I ordered is not yet in stock.
Thanks again for another review! I still enjoy reading these.
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking it out! We are getting lots of releases this year, so hopefully I get to make more for you to read.
DeleteI thought I was the only one with issues on this kit. In fact, this kit broke in so many points to the point I had to hold the entire character with glue. It was my first experience with a .EXE character, and I was hugely disappointed. I opted to go for the original .EXE without this shining Coat, and it worked out way, way better.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like these fancy coats are kinda cruddy. I remember hearing complaints about the metallic coating on the really old model kits flaking off.
DeleteWell that’s chrome plating, which has always required good care and minimal contact. Not a great combination to cover a children’s model kit with it…
DeleteYeah. that stuff is rather infamous. I forgot what kind of plating this one uses - is it electroplating?
DeleteIdk if it’s electroplating, that seems to be mainly for actual metallic coating (the PCS versions are more iridescent). And all the PCS product descriptions just call it an “iridescent coating” which is about as vague as you can get.
Delete