Thursday, February 22, 2018

Minifigure Review: Pack A from M.U.S.C.L.E. Robotech by Super7

 Over the next week or two I will be taking some time to check out Super7's newest series of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures: Robotech. Be forewarned that my knowledge of Robotech is extremely limited and consists of my memories of the Matchbox toyline from 1985 (most of the figures were the same size as G.I. Joes and I ended up with quite a few of them because they were heavily discounted at some point) and my memories of Robotech being shown on Toonami when I was in high school. I definitely remember watching it, but certainly not every day which makes keeping up with a show like Robotech pretty tough. I'd love to give it a watch through but my guess is that you're not here to hear me muse about Robotech are you? Let's talk about the minifigures. The Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E.s are some of the best that Super7 has made. They're a bit more more rubbery than some of their best lines like Street Fighter II, The Worst, and Iron Maiden, but the sculpts are super crisp and probably as good as any other M.U.S.C.L.E.s except for Street Fighter II. The color is a bit brighter than your standard M.U.S.C.L.E. color but it doesn't look bad and manages to avoid the waxy look of some of these kind of lines. They're quite nice and since the line consists of so many mechs, robots, and fighting units, you should be able to enjoy them even if you have no knowledge of the series. Let's check out Pack A after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 1 3/4ths inches

Includes: 3 figures

Non-Scalper Price: $6 dollars
 Rick Hunter

From what I can remember, Rick Hunter was the main protagonist of the Robotech series. I had the Matchbox figure of Rick in his flight suit as a kid but Super7 has offered up Rick in what looks like a dress suit. I like that he's in the middle of a salute. That's an interesting look for a minifigure. The proportions of these figures are way less "M.U.S.C.L.E.y" than most other sets Super7 has released but he still looks cool. There are lots of details in his dress uniform and in his cool anime hair. His eyes are kind of weird and hollow looking, but that seems to be part of the M.U.S.C.L.E. aesthetic Super7 has been using on multiple lines.
 VF-1A

The ships in Robotech can transform from fairly regular looking fighter jets into either a "Guardian" mode or a "Battloid" mode. This figure represents the Robotech Defense Force VF-1A Valkyrie in Battloid mode, which is when the vehicle is moving around like a mech. There are quite a few Battloid mode fighters in the line but this one looks pretty cool because it is cradling its gun pod with both hands. The sculpt is simple and geometric but effective. I like having little mechs in this scale.
 Battlepod

Last up is the Battlepod, the workhorse ground assault vehicle of the Zentraedi Empire. These ground based mechs have large legs, multiple guns attached, and kind of look like a modified AT-ST or a villain from Battle Toads. The front of the Battlepod doesn't have as much detail as the back does, but overall this is a very cool looking mini. These might be the most un-M.U.S.C.L.E.-like minis that Super7 has made but they are darn fine minis on their own. I really like this one. There is something super cool about having a handful of tiny little mechs to battle with. You know, something like Pacific Rim would be awesome as M.U.S.C.L.E.s.
   Like with the Iron Maiden set, Super7 has taken a properly I really don't have much attachment to and has managed to make minifigures of such good quality that I can't help but want to own them. These guys have been out for a month or so and they're still available if you want them. They're not going to blend in with your classic M.U.S.C.L.E. collection terribly well but they're Great minifigures on their own and they show off some of the excellent work Super7 is capable of at a very low price.


I haven't reviewed any other Robotech toys on the site but I have reviewed plenty of other M.U.S.C.L.E. figures from both Mattel and Super7, including...

M.U.S.C.L.E. by Mattel (1986)
#009 Wakusei Barukan
#080 Paper Miira
#145 Black Tomahawk
#153 Sunigator Shotai
#179 Black Buffalo
#212 Parthenon 

M.U.S.C.L.E. Alien by Super7 (2016)
Pack A: (Alien, Ash, and Ripley) 
Pack B: (Alien Egg, Kane in Spacesuit, and Parker) 
Pack C: (Attack Alien, Brett, and Kane with Facehugger)
Pack D: (Dallas, Kane with Chestburster, and Lambert)

M.U.S.C.L.E. Aliens by Super7 (2017)
Packs A-E

M.U.S.C.L.E. Iron Maiden by Super7 (2018)
Iron Maiden 3-Pack (Red) 

M.U.S.C.L.E. Masters of the Universe by Super7 (2015)
#1 Masters of the Universe Set (Green)
He-Man, Teela, & Man-At-Arms
Purple Skeletor & Skeletoken
Ram Man, Buzz-Off, & Man-E-Faces
Series 3: Packs A-F
Skeletor, Beast Man, & Trap Jaw
Whiplash, Tri-Klops, & Mer-Man

M.U.S.C.L.E.: Mega Man by Super7 (2017)
Pack A: (Mega Man, Ice Man, and Sniper Joe)
Pack B: (Mega Man Firing, Metall, and Fire Man) 
Pack C: (Dr. Wily, Cut Man, and Guts Man) 
Pack D: (Dr. Light, Bomb Man, and Elec Man)

M.U.S.C.L.E.: Street Fighter II by Super7 (2017)
Pack A: (M. Bison, Ryu, and Vega)
Pack B: (Balrog, Dhalsim, and Ken)
Pack C: (Blanka, Guile, and Sagat)
Pack D: (Chun-Li, E. Honda, and Zangief) 

M.U.S.C.L.E.: The Worst by Super7 (2017)
Pack A: (Black Falcon, Snake Tut, and X-2(the Unknown)) -Purple
Pack B: (Batula, Gas Phantom, and Robot Reaper)- Purple

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