Oddly enough, the only figure from series 1 of Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers line I reviewed was
Chun-Li. I must have gotten overwhelmed with new releases or something, so I never had the chance to review Ryu, the deluxe Evil Ryu, and Fei Long. That means that my review of the recently released Fei Long (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive) should be a bit more exciting. This guy was a WonderCon exclusive who was also available on Jada Toys' website. Since Walmart and GameStop have started carrying this line, it's become a lot easier to find the older figures, particularly Fei Long and Chun-Li. The standard Fei Long is wearing his black pants while this Player 2 version is sporting purple. I hate to say it, but Fei Long's palette swap just isn't as exciting as most other palette swaps. I kind of wish Jada had given him the Bruce Lee inspired Tang suit that Fei Long sometimes wears in some artwork and in the pre and post-fight images. Still, there are a few cool extras here and the figure is better than the original release. Ready to check out Fei Long? Then join me after the break...
The Facts:
Height: 6 1/8ths 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, and a barbelljointed head.
Accessories: 8 swappable hands, 3 swappable portraits, 2 pair of nunchaku, and Shienkyaku effect.
Non-Scalper Price: $40 dollars
Comparison:
* Here's a comparison of the two figures with the Player 2 Fei Long on the left and the standard release Fei Long on the right. Other than some mild differences in the skin tone, the color of the pants are the only difference below the neck. The portraits are very different, though, as the original Fei Long has painted skin on the face, giving it a very different look from the Player 2 release with less paint but cleaner paint apps overall. I think the newer version fits in with the rest of the line better.
The Packaging:
* Here's a shot of the box. It's cool, nothing too crazy, but it has some excellent artwork and the backdrop inside does look like Fei Long's signature stage from the videogame.
The Positives:
* Of all the Street Fighter II cast, I think Fei Long is probably the least exciting. Don't get me wrong, I dig his Bruce Lee inspired vibe, but compared to most other characters, he's pretty plain. He's a martial arts actor and stunt man, but when it comes to fighting he's just sporting pants. Here they're purple. Now, did Jada capture
Bruce Fei Long well? I think so. There are plenty of details in the material of his pants and his physique is slim and muscular with some paint apps to give definition to his muscles. The purple pants actually give him more character, I think. I remember back in the early 1990s I had a cousin who told my grandmother he wanted shiny, purple M.C. Hammer pants for his birthday. My grandmother thought that was hilarious. She was asking me and the rest of my cousins: "Would you wear shiny, purple pants? Do you want to go to school dressed like Ali Baba?"
I doubt anyone gives Fei Long crap about wearing purple pants. His aren't shiny and he's a master of Kung Fu.
* Three portraits are included here and they will fit either release of Fei Long. These portraits are molded in Fei Long's skin tone and have less paint but cleaner printing. They actually look better in hand than the painted portraits from the first release does. This is the standard portrait, I'd imagine. He looks a bit pissed off here. He's very serious and dislikes lethargy, apathy, and indifference! His eyebrows are pretty fierce, too. Jada Toys has really captured the artwork of Street Fighter II well, a mixture of 16 bit gaming and anime.
* The second portrait is also reworked from the basic figure. He looks a bit apprehensive here. Or maybe pensive. Yes, pensive. Let's go with that. Pensive is a good description.
You know why I think I'm not as crazy about Fei Long as I am about most other Street Fighter II characters? He didn't appear in the live action movie. He's the only one of the main 16 characters from that era who wasn't in the film (Akuma didn't make it either, but he wasn't playable at first).
* The new portrait for this release is pretty awesome as it shows Fei Long letting loose a cry, absolutely inspired by Bruce Lee. The eyes look great here and his mouth is legit hollow and open, like he's channeling his chi and letting it out! Very cool!
* The articulation is excellent here. While his outfit might be a bit plain, it also means there's nothing that interferes with his articulation, so you can get some incredible poses out of Fei Long. He has a great range of motion, especially in his torso and legs. He feels pretty sturdy, too. Jada Toys has really impressed me with how well this line is engineered.
* Four alternate sets of hands are included. There's a pair of posing/ gesturing hands, a pair of fists, a pair of grips for holding the nunchaku, and a pair of flat palms for various strikes and poses. They swap easily and really diversify the number of poses you can put Fei Long in, adding so much expression to his poses.
* Fei Long's Shienkyaku ("kindling flame leg") is included here again, just like with the base figure. It's a cool fiery effect that covers his leg. You really do need to use a display stand of some sort (one doesn't come with the figure) but it fits well and looks impressive. These effects are much cooler than the missile firing weapons that G.I. Joe: Street Fighter 2 subline had. A Knockout Launcher? Sonic Boom Bazooka? No, these energy effects are much cooler (though I did love those toys as a kid and still have mine).
* Fei Long doesn't use his nunchaku in his actual fights (not that I'm aware of, at least), but he does use them to show off and in his promos. Jada Toys included two pair and they even have real little metal chains. Nifty!
Fei Long is an excellent figure. Again, he's not the most exciting, but Jada Toys captured him well and he's fun to pose. Cool portraits, a nice assortment of hands, and some nunchaku. Still, he's pretty light for $40 bucks. I know he's an exclusive, but most other exclusives in this line have felt pretty loaded. Fei Long feels a bit lacking for the price. He's a Good and a 1/2 figure and there's nothing technically wrong with him, but he's not a standout in the line. It would have been nice if he came with some sort of diorama piece, such as one of the mythical statues in the background of his level. Something extra to really give this guy the punch he deserves.
This is the first figure of Fei Long I've reviewed on the site. For more Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers reviews check out the following:
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