Action Figure Review: Cammy from Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

 

   I was incredibly excited a couple weeks ago when I received my Big Bad Toy Store shipment that had Jada Toys' Cammy, Guile, and Dee Jay. It's not just that I love this line, which I do, but that all three of these characters felt pretty significant to me in some way. Guile was my first Street Fighter figure when I found the Street Fighter 2 subset of Hasbro's G.I. Joe toyline as a kid while Cammy and Dee Jay were two figures I really wanted, especially after seeing the live action movie, but Hasbro never released them in any form. I want to say I was aware of Cammy due to seeing her in the arcade game or in a video game magazine, by Kylie Minogue's portrayal of the character was definitely my first real introduction to the character. Between Hasbro's movie line and the G.I. Joe subset, over a couple years I managed to at least complete the classic roster of twelve World Warriors. Now I have Cammy, and I'm thrilled. Ready to check out the British Special Forces and MI6 agent who has a past with Shadaloo and is a staple among the cosplay community? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 5 1/2th inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, boot swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, a barbell jointed head, and swivel braids (x2).

Accessories: 2 swappable portraits, 4 swappable hands, and a Cannon Spike energy effect.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* One of the things I really love about this line is that Jada Toys has truly leaned into the anime inspired, 1990s video game aesthetic that is recognizable from the Street Fighter II era. Cammy is instantly recognizable and is noticeably smaller than the rest of the figures, which is accurate. She's extremely petite. She's also decked out in her combat gear, and outfit she wears to give her the greatest range of movement. While the paint applications look simple, there's actually some deceptively complex paint applications that aren't immediately noticeable. Cammy's one-piece leotard has some darker applications that subtly highlight her muscles, especially her abs. Her legs also don't just have the green "camouflage" splotches; she has some highlights on her thighs, biceps, and shoulders, too.

* Cammy comes with two portraits, the first of which is pretty standard. She's got her blonde hair in braids with a loose bit in the front popping out from underneath her beret (Capcom really was into berets in the 90s, it seems). She has the scar on her face and an expression that makes it look like she's focusing, taking in or letting out a deep, controlled breath. 

* Cammy has articulated braids! How cool is that? They're on a swivel and can rotate, positioning them flat against her back, have them pop out at more extreme angles while in battle, and anything you can work out in between. It's a clever feature that's found on both portraits and it really adds to the figure's posing options. 

* Cammy's second portrait shows her with a much angrier expression, right as if she's in the middle of a match. The Delta Red beret isn't removable on either sculpt but it really is pretty nice looking and sits at the perfect jaunty angle. Her braids are also poseable and are a bit wilder than those on the standard head.

* The articulation in this line has been excellent so far and Cammy is another knockout. She has a crazy range of motion in most of her joints and has some improvements over some of the previous figures such as a balljointed neck and a barbell jointed head. Everything is nice and tight and she has a great range of motion ins most all of her joints. Her hips have an insane range of motion, allowing for some incredible kicking poses.

* Cammy has four swappable hands: A pair of flat palms with a slight curve that can be used for fighting poses or "hands on the hip" poses and a pair of fists. They swap easily and they look like they have a bit of armor on them, or perhaps some features that make getting hit with them really suck. 

* Cammy comes with an energy effect that can fit over either of her feet which is designed to represent her Cannon Spike energy effect. I don't recall the in-game effect (at least in Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers) having an effect like this, but it's still a cool way to represent her signature special move. It's a clear white tip that spirals out into yellow tails. There is a hole for attaching it to a stand, but Cammy herself doesn't come with one. This is an aerial move, so a flying/ jumping stand for Cammy would have been welcome. 

* I rarely count a cardboard interior as an accessory but Jada Toys has really been making some cool pieces that look like the stage backgrounds from each figure's home level. Cammy's is an English castle with a view of the countryside and some mountain in the background. The bridge her fights take place on is actually the ground, and the bottom of the cardboard display looks like it's made of stone. Nice!

   Cammy really turned out to be a nice figure. I mean, that's not crazy surprising as Jada Toys seems to be putting a lot of effort and thought into this line, so kudos to them for another solid release. If I had a complaint, it's that I think Cammy could have used another pair of hands or two and a stand for her to recreate her attack. At the very least, a stand for her energy effect to help keep her leg up. Everything we get here is excellent, though, and it's exciting that Jada is getting closer and closer to finishing the roster of The New Challengers. She's a Great figure and well worth picking up.

   This is the first review of Cammy White/ Killer Bee that I've reviewed. For more Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers reviews check out the following:

Chun-Li
Chun-Li (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Dhalsim
Ken
M. Bison
Violent Ken (Deluxe)