{"id":26030,"date":"2013-12-08T20:44:22","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T02:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26030"},"modified":"2013-12-08T20:44:22","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T02:44:22","slug":"neca-predator-hive-wars-predator-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=26030","title":{"rendered":"NECA Predator: Hive
Wars Predator Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Vault and I have accumulated a number of NECA toys of late (with hopefully more on the way, I\u2019m looking at you ED-209!), so we thought it might be a good time to kick off another week of reviews! But we need a better name than NECA WECA 2 since you have to say \u201cNECA\u201d wrong to get it to rhyme? We are open to clever suggestions, my brilliant readers! <\/p>\n

I\u2019m kicking things off with one of my favorite new toys this month, the Hive Wars Predator from Series 10, the Kenner based series. These Kenner figures are evil, by the way. When I first started collecting the Alien & Predator lines from NECA, I was happy because, one, they\u2019re awesome, and two, they were a relatively small investment. A Xenomorph. A City Hunter. A Jungle Hunter. A Dutch. Some Colonial Marines. A few other key characters, maybe, then you\u2019re out. NECA had other plans. <\/p>\n

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NECA\u2019s Predator line had already established itself as a great line by crunching through the Lost Tribe of Predators seen at the end of Predator 2. There were some cool figures there, but I was okay to pass on them. I waited, and was really happy when the ball-joints hips replaced the v-crotches and I scored a great pair of the Predators from the first two films. I was good. I kinda wanted Big Red (I still do\u2026 I need to track one down), because he looked neat. He stood out from the Lost Tribe to me because he was a little more \u201ctoyetic\u201d to me. But I was good, I had my two. I didn\u2019t need the legion of others, cool though they may be. <\/p>\n

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And then NECA went for the jugular. If you\u2019re my age, or even a little older and a fair bit younger, chances are you had more than a few Kenner figures. I had tons: Super Powers. The Dark Knight Collection, The Real Ghostbusters, Batman & Superman TAS, RoboCop & the Ultra Police, Terminator, M.A.S.K., Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos, Centurions, The Shadow, Play-Doh. Heck, I had a Care Bear or two. I\u2019ll admit it. And, oh yeah, a little thing called Star Wars. You\u2019ve probably heard of it. <\/p>\n

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A few mega-hits from the \u201cBig Two\u201d aside, Kenner owned the boy\u2019s aisle from the late 70s to early 90s, particularly when it came to licensed toys. And included in that list above but held back for dramatic purposes is, of course, Aliens & Predator. The great thing about that era of toys, and some collectors will balk at this I know, but the toys were\u2026 toys. It wasn\u2019t always about articulation, scale, accuracy, all these things that I think are important today \u2013 I didn\u2019t care much about back then. If Caramel-Spinkick Batman or Screamin\u2019 Winston Zeddemore was fun, I was happy. And if a Predator looked cool in baby blue? So be it. <\/p>\n

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Which brings me back to NECA. While I still really want to see NECA make Harrigan or Keyes in his containment suit, I respect the importance (& need, really) of having to reuse molds. Repaints have always been a toy company\u2019s best friend, but moreso now than ever. And some smart reuse goes along way. With the Lost Tribe complete, NECA looked to an even deeper well for inspiration and they came back with a simple conclusion: If a Predator looks cool in blue, so be it. Continue to Page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

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The original Hive Wars Predator was simply called Warrior Predator<\/a> and appeared, not in the Predator line, but actually in the 1998 KB Exclusive Aliens: Hive War line. Hence the name. The original is pretty faithfully reproduced here. The Jungle Hunter is used as the base buck, with a new right forearm, new calves, a few other new bits like the back of the loincloth, and a new noggin\u2019 to recreate the look. A few details are off, but I don\u2019t think anyone will miss them because the figure just pops. <\/p>\n

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The blue somehow just amps up the figure. It\u2019s silly, but I think this blue one has become my favorite Predator in my still relatively small collection. The update to a realistic look with the darker skin on the shoulders and the lighter color on the exposed areas looks great. The silver\/bluish armor is fantastic too. Particularly on the helmet, it is non-removable unlike the original, but the design is there and looks great. The inset piece with the green visor is also a nice feature and helps bring the figure home. The aesthetics of the whole thing just really come together for me to make something that is much more than the sum of its parts: a blue repaint with handful of new pieces. <\/p>\n

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In addition to the great look, all the things NECA has learned the last few years come into play on the articulation. If I can say one thing that makes NECA stand out, is that they learn and change. So often we are told that something is just the way it is or we even see some figures take a step back in the design and execution, but NECA is the opposite. They\u2019ve improved over the years and even though some of the early releases were cool, they just keep getting better. That\u2019s particularly evident on the articulation. There are ball-joints all over the figure and with great range: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, & ankles. The knees are double-hinge and the waist is a simple swivel. There are a few points I still want every once in awhile, but they would take away from the sculpt and since most of the current articulation doesn\u2019t, I assume that\u2019s why they\u2019re not there. <\/p>\n

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Hive Wars also included a faithful update of the original\u2019s weapon. It\u2019s a neat piece that has the same great silver\/blue color scheme. He looks great holding it, either one-handed or dual-wielding it. It\u2019s look fragile, but it\u2019s got some give and doesn\u2019t feel brittle at all. If I don\u2019t sound as jazzed about it, it\u2019s only because I\u2019m overstaffed on that particular type of accessory and probably won\u2019t have it out for display, but I\u2019m absolutely glad that it was included and it helps seal the deal. <\/p>\n

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Overall, can you tell I love this figure? I have barely even given his two wavemates, Nightstorm & Lava Planet much time. I need to do that if they\u2019re gonna get reviewed this week, but Hive Wars just stole the show for me. His back story, being abandoned on Xenomorph Prime after a disastrous hunt is even intriguing. It makes me wonder if part of his survival has to do with using so much of that blue solvent from the medi-kit in Predator 2 is partially to blame for his skin turning blue. I mean, if I\u2019m spending time making up back story for a particular toy, you know I love it. It\u2019s an already great figure wrapped in a great color scheme. I can\u2019t ask for much more than that. Well, except a GITD Stalker Predator, and the Hive Warrior Alien, and it might be a good time to think about that cancelled Heavy Infantry Predator<\/a> Kenner could never quite get too. Just sayin\u2019. <\/p>\n

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More NECA Reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

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For all our Reviews, check out our
\n Review Index<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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