HG GTO #026 - RX-78-02 GUNDAM (GUNDAM THE ORIGIN Ver.)

Product Description

Includes

• RX-78-02 Gundam
  • 2 Beam Sabers 
    • Default
    • for Mid Type
  • Early type parts
    • Front Chest
    • Shoulder Cannon
    • Shoulder Gatling Gun
    • Shoulder Magnum
    • Shoulder Armor parts
    • Arm Vulcan panel
    • Forearms
      • Left (Early)
      • Right (Early/Middle)
  • Middle type parts
    • Front Chest
    • Shoulder covers
    • Shoulder Armor parts
    • Left forearm
  • Manipulators
    • General weapon-holding (1 pair)
    • Trigger-finger (1 pair)
    • Open-palm (1 pair)
• Beam Rifle (Early type)
• Beam Rifle (Middle Type)
• Hyper Bazooka
  • Storage Adapter
• Shield

Kit Features & Gimmicks

• RX-78-02 Gundam can be built with either Early or Middle types.

Articulation

• The head can swivel on a ball-joint, or slightly tilt back and forth on a c-clip pivot joint.
• The torso can tilt forward.
• Shoulder joints can tilt upwards and/or frontwards.
• The arms can...
  • Swivel on a ball-and-socket joint.
  • Raise horizontally.
• The upper arms can rotate.
• Arms and Legs feature double-jointed elbow/knee parts.
• The manipulators can swivel on a ball-and-socket joint.
• The waist can rotate on a ball-and-socket joint.
• The hip joint axis can swing forwards (for extra articulation) and backwards.
• The upper thigh joints can swing frontwards (and backwards in a limited extent) on a peg, raise horizontally, and/or rotate on each thigh.
  • Front and side skirt armors are poseable (though slightly) to avoid interference with the leg articulation.
• The ankles can tilt forward, or swivel on a ball-and-socket joint.
• The front toes can pivot.

Weapons/Other Gimmicks

• The hands are swappable.
• Each of the weapons must be wielded by their own respective hands.
• The shield's grip can attach onto the shield in two different ways.
  • The shield can also be stored onto the backpack.
• The Early and Middle Type Beam Rifles can be stored on the rear waist armor.
• Beam Sabers can optionally removed from the backpack as handheld weapons.
• The Shoulder cannon can pivot up and down.
• The Early Type's Shoulder Gatling Gun can be recreated via minor parts rearrangement.
• The Beam Rifle...
  • Early Type's foregrip can swing up or down.
  • Middle Type's foregrip can swing left or right.
• Hyper Bazooka's handle can pivot frontwards or backwards.
  • The Hyper Bazooka can be stored on the rear waist armor via an adapter.
• The RX-78-02 Gundam can mount onto the Action Base. (sold separately)

Tips & Tricks

• For better results, some or most of the details are needed to be painted and panel-lined with Gundam markers and/or Mr. Color paints.
• Topcoat (Mr. Hobby recommended) can be used to protect applied stickers/marking decals and if any, painted details.
  • If using matte/flat-finish top coat, it is advisable not to spray on the clear/translucent parts - can be done by masking or spraying top coat while the said parts are separated.

Customizing-based tips

• If one chooses:
  • the V-fin can be painted yellow and the eyes with pink to make the kit resemble the unit seen in the manga.
  • A second surplus...
    • Shoulder gatling (B2 18) can be used on the Middle Type's right shoulder panel..
    • Arm Vulcan (B2 19) can attach onto the Middle Type' forearm cuff if one intends to build a right arm vulcan.

Variants

Italicized items are exclusives.

• HGGTO RX-78-02 Gundam Rollout Color
• HGGTO RX-78-02 Gundam Yoshikazu Yasuhiko/MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN Exhibition Edition
• HG RX-78-02 Gundam (Cucuruz Doan's Island Ver.)
• HGGTO RX-78-02 Gundam (Clear Color Ver.)

Notes & Trivia

• This item was revealed along with the rest of the new Gunplas in The Gundam Base's "Next Phase: Road to 2020" event held on 28th December.
• Barring the 1/144 B-Club kit released in 2005, this Gunpla is the very first HG iteration of the RX-78-02 Gundam unit from The Origin.