Wrapping Up 2024: Dee Jay from Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

 

   I'm getting excited with pretty much every release of a new character in Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers toyline. Dee Jay is probably one of the characters who I'm the least familiar with gameplay wise as I didn't have The New Challengers for my SNES until... maybe like 2000? I actually mostly new him from the move where he was played by Miguel A. Núñez Jr. and is portrayed as a computer expert and hacker who is working for Bison just for the money. Unlike Zangief, Dee Jay was getting paid! In the game, though, he's not on Bison's side and is instead a Jamaican kickboxing musician and breakdancer based on Billy Blanks, the real-life martial arts champion and creator of Tae Bo. Dee Jay didn't get an action figure in the G.I. Joe subset or Hasbro's movie based line, so I didn't have a Dee Jay as a kid. I don't recall using any other random G.I. Joes as any of the New Challengers crew from the film, either, so I'm kind of thrilled to have an actual Dee Jay. Ready to check out this kickboxing karate champion? Then get with the beat and join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 1/2 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, shin swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/lateral pec hinges, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, a barbelljointed head, and a swivel braid.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 swappable portraits, necklace, Max Out effect, and 2-piece effect stand. 

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* Let me first say that the colors of my pictures are definitely a bit off. One of the things I really want to work on this year is better understanding my camera. Last year I actually got my first smart phone ever, and I love the camera and the ease of loading pictures. Most shots look great but I'm still trying to find the right balance of getting pictures to look nice while also maintaining the accuracy of the colors. Not only does Dee Jay have darker skin than my photos show but Jada has actually given his muscles some subtle shading, too. It really looks impressive and while not instantly noticeable, it goes a long way towards improving the visuals of the figure. His pants are also a bit darker, more of a burn orange, and they have some subtle yellow shading on the folds and creases. It's top notch work, making Dee Jay an incredible impressive figure despite wearing such a simple outfit.

* Dee Jay is know for his upbeat personality and his charisma. Hey, you don't become a world famous music superstar without some charm, right? He has a massive grin that complements his chiseled appearance. He kind of reminds me of old school Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for some reason. His head is shaved on the sides with a bit of a flattop, or I guess a mohawk. You definitely can tell he was created in the early 1990s, can't you? 

* From the side you can see that Dee Jay has long braids and an "M" shaved in his head. The "M" is short for MAXIMUM which is the slogan he wears on his pants, too. It's one of those words that Dee Jay uses for his brand. It's not short for Mac Daddy, though I remember in 3rd grade when a couple gets at school had "MAC" shaved in their hair. I didn't. Besides having the letter "M" shaved in the sides of his hair, Dee Jay also has an articulated braid. It's on a swivel joint, allowing you to rotate it when posing him. Pretty nice little extra!

* The second portrait shows Dee Jay... laughing? Celebrating, maybe? Getting ready to bust out his maracas for his victory dance? It kind of looks like something you'd see as a YouTube thumbnail or an image on one of those click bait ads. You know, the one that says "Jamaican Breakdancer discovers this one secret trick that Shadaloo hates!"

   Or maybe he's watching Raygun's performance at the 2024 Paris Olypics and can't keep a straight face. 

   It's a fun portrait and should have a lot of uses.

* The second portrait also has the articulated braids, though they're a different mold. These look like they're moving a bit more since this is portrait shows Dee Jay gleefully kickboxing his way to victory.

* Dee Jay's chain is actually a small beaded chain, like a dog tag chain, but gold. It's pretty cool. It reminds me of the dog tags from the older 12 inch G.I. Joes and the G.I. Joe Sigma 6 figures. There is a clasp, but you can also just pull off Dee Jay's head if you want to remove it. 

* Dee Jay's articulation is excellent. I really like the feel of Jada's Street Fighter figures as the joints are well thought out and have an incredible range of motion. While Dee Jay, like many of the World Warriors, isn't wearing a ton of clothing, Jada has still made the articulation fairly aesthetically pleasing. All of the joints are pinless and many are nice hidden like the waist joint at the waistline of Dee Jay's pants and his shin swivel hidden by his baggy pants. He's a lot of fun to mess around with and looks great in a number of poses.

* Why is MAXIMUM written on the side of Dee Jay's pants? Because the word looks the same in a mirror, so when the sprites for the video game were created Capcom didn't need to create two sets of sprites for Dee Jay. Kind of like how Orko's named was changed from Gorpo so Filmation could flip animation cells. An "O" looks the same flipped, while a "G" doesn't. The printing is neat, clean, and quite bold. MAXIMUM, baby.

* Four hands are included for Dee Jay. Besides the standard fists, there is also a pointing finger for catering to his adoring fans and a thumbs up. Nothing's getting this guy down!

* Dee Jay includes his Max Out/ Air Slasher effect. It's a translucent accessory that's meant to be some sort of energy shockwave he can produce. It's a cool piece and it can fit on the included stand to look like Dee Jay is hurling it at his opponents. 

* In The New Challengers, Dee Jay's Max Out/ Air Slasher  starts off vertical before becoming a horizontal projectile. To mimic either part of the attack there is both a hole on the very bottom (see picture on the right), or in the middle (see above picture). Very clever!

* Dee Jay comes with a 2-piece stand with two hinges for making this effect stand in midair by itself. 

   Dee Jay isn't one of my favorite Street Fighter 2 characters or anything. Heck, he's not even my favorite of The New Challengers. But Jada did an incredible job with him and turned out an incredible action figure. This guy is amazing! Definitely pretty Epic with some great paint applications hidden on a deceptively simple looking figure, top notch articulation, and the cool Max Out/ Air Slicer effect. I've got one more Ultra  Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers figure to review, so keep an eye open for Guile in the next few days. So... who thinks we'll get a deluxe/ repaint of Dee Jay with his maracas?

This is the first figure of Dee Jay I've reviewed. For more Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers reviews check out the following:

Cammy

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