{"id":14767,"date":"2011-10-11T13:27:53","date_gmt":"2011-10-11T18:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=14767"},"modified":"2012-04-16T04:01:18","modified_gmt":"2012-04-16T09:01:18","slug":"vault-review-metroids-samus-aran-a-dimension-diver-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=14767","title":{"rendered":"Vault Review: Metroid’s Samus
Aran, A Dimension Diver Kit"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Any of you have a Holy Grail?\u00a0 A toy that you covet so much that it becomes an obsession in your hunting?\u00a0 That\u2019s what this Samus Aran figure is for me.\u00a0 After years of searching I was finally able to acquire one for a reasonable trade.\u00a0 Definitely feels good.<\/p>\n

I love Samus Aran.\u00a0 Anyone who\u2019s read my Most Requested<\/a> last year knows I\u2019ve been waiting for a decent figure of this character for a long time.\u00a0 I finally got my wish when The Good Smile Company announced they\u2019d be making a Samus figure<\/a> in their Figma line.\u00a0 I am super excited for this figure, and I finally thought I could stop obsessing about the rare and expensive Dimension Diver kit that I\u2019d had my eye on.\u00a0 But the Toy Gods were being extra kind to me, and I was presented with an opportunity to pick up this model for a very reasonable price.\u00a0 Even with the new figure coming, I couldn\u2019t say no.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This figure was made by a small independent toy company known as Dimension Diver.\u00a0 They\u2019re based in Japan and create small runs of garage kit figures to be sold at various conventions like Wonder Fest.\u00a0 Even with the high retail cost of at least $100+ per figure, they still usually sell through their products quickly due to the excellent sculpts and quality of their products.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Interestingly, this Samus figure is an officially licensed Nintendo product.\u00a0 Dimension Diver was able to acquire a \u201csingle day license\u201d to produce and sell their figures with the blessing of the parent company.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Each figure comes unassembled and requires a fair amount of work to put together.\u00a0 This usually entails cleaning the pieces to remove any of the chemical release agents that may still be left on the various parts.\u00a0 Cutting and sanding any extra flash.\u00a0 Gluing areas like the upper and lower chest or inner and outer thigh pieces together.\u00a0 Finally you\u2019ll have to drill deeper holes to accommodate the joint system.\u00a0 This last step is the most precarious since it has the greatest potential of ruining the figure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The joint system this figure uses are similar in function to Revoltech or Figma figures.\u00a0 A various sized ball hinges connects two body parts together with pegs, allowing for a swivel\/hinge motion from each joint.\u00a0 This gives Samus swivel\/hinge movement in her neck, shoulders, elbows, wrist, torso, hips, knees, and ankles.\u00a0 The only area that doesn\u2019t have one of these joints is her swivel biceps.\u00a0 As you can imagine, this gives her a huge range of movement, but you do want to make sure the joints aren\u2019t too tight or they can break.\u00a0 Continue to page 2…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When it comes to color, the Dimension Diver folks do a terrific job of trying to mold most of the pieces in the colors they need to be.\u00a0 This is unlike most garage kits, which are usually just molded in white.\u00a0 Personally, I haven\u2019t decided if I\u2019m going to paint her yet.\u00a0 If I do, it\u2019ll be sparingly and just the areas that need highlighting like her cannon or the black lines that separate her armor.\u00a0 I did paint the inside of her visor with a metallic green because I didn\u2019t think the transparent green that it came in was dark enough.<\/p>\n

Speaking of which, I love the little translucent orbs that go into her knees and hands.\u00a0 They really look fantastic and add an air of energy to the figure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Surprisingly this kit comes with two left hands, one open and the other is a fist.\u00a0 Since her face is masked, these alternate hands add a lot to showing emotion and mood.\u00a0 They also make for even more dynamic posing.<\/p>\n

Samus also comes with an alternate \u201cpowered up\u201d head for her cannon.\u00a0 This piece isn\u2019t necessary to enjoy the figure, but it\u2019s a nice detail that just allows for more options when it comes to display.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One thing that did bother me was the two translucent triangles that go into the sides of her chest.\u00a0 These pieces were incredibly small and difficult to deal with, and eventually I discovered they didn\u2019t even fit into the holes properly.\u00a0 So I\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m going to do with those two little holes yet.<\/p>\n

Also, the amount of work you have to put into prepping the joints was more intensive than I expected.\u00a0 There\u2019s also going to be a fair amount of sanding and bulking up the joints so they fit properly.\u00a0 It\u2019s a bit tedious, but you\u2019ll definitely need a pin vice and you\u2019ll want to go slow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I know it\u2019s not for everyone, but this is an excellent figure.\u00a0 I\u2019m not used to this kind of detail and articulation from a garage kit, and the finished product really blows me away.\u00a0 Even though I\u2019m still picking up the Figma, I definitely don\u2019t regret getting this one either.<\/p>\n

-Vault<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Any of you have a Holy Grail?\u00a0 A toy that you covet so much that it becomes an obsession in your hunting?\u00a0 That\u2019s what this Samus Aran figure is for me.\u00a0 After years of searching I was finally able to acquire one for a reasonable trade.\u00a0 Definitely feels good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[34,10],"tags":[1229,1230,453,1228,1115],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/samaTN.jpg?fit=50%2C50&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pObc6-3Qb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20111,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=20111","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":0},"title":"Vault Review: Figma Samus Aran","date":"August 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, the wait is finally over and I have one of my most requested characters in action figure form.\u00a0 What\u2019s even better news is that Good Smile has picked up a few more of my favorite Nintendo licenses and Samus won\u2019t be alone on my video game shelf for long!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/samu01.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4068,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=4068","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":1},"title":"Most Requested Figures: Metroid’s Samus","date":"February 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"In "Requests"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16800,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=16800","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":2},"title":"Sponsor Announcement: Past Generation Toys","date":"February 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This week @ PastGenerationToys.com FREE SHIPPING at Past Generation Toys on ALL orders shipped within the lower 48 United States! Pre-Orders Marvel's the Avengers Marvel's the Avengers Action Figures and Vehicles Marvel Legends Marvel Legends Series 2 Action Figures Living Dead Dolls LDD Series 23 includes Quack, Teddy, Betsy, Agatha,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sponsors"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23535,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23535","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":3},"title":"Vault Review: Figma Pit (Kid Icarus)","date":"May 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I hope everyone had a good long Memorial Day weekend.\u00a0 I\u2019m kicking off this week with another recently arrived import figure.\u00a0 So let\u2019s take a look at Figma Pit, the angelic protagonist from Nintendo\u2019s Kid Icarus franchise. I remember playing the original Kid Icarus game back in the 80\u2019s, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/pit1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23169,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=23169","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":4},"title":"Vault Review: D-Arts Pok\u00e9mon Mewtwo","date":"April 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It seems like Noisy and I could do a month of Transformers reviews if we combined our purchases, but that would get pretty boring for everyone.\u00a0 So today I\u2019m taking a break from my growing pile of TFs to take a look at my newest Japanese import, D-Arts Mewtwo. It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/mwtw1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22314,"url":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/?p=22314","url_meta":{"origin":14767,"position":5},"title":"Vault Review: Figma Link","date":"January 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year.\u00a0 While Noisy gets his new house of boxes organized, I\u2019m back with my regular Tuesday review.\u00a0 So bear with me as I get back into the swing of things with a look at Figma\u2019s Skyward Sword Link. This is actually a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.itsalltrue.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/link1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14767"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18058,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14767\/revisions\/18058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsalltrue.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}