I'm not sure any character pissed me off when they beat me as much as Sagat. Besides just being way taller than everyone else, the way he just crossed his arms and laughed was infuriating! One of the original "bosses" in Street Fighter II, Sagat also was the final boss of the original 1987 Street Fighter arcade game. He's long been Ryu's rival, a story element carried over into most games in the series. Known as the Emperor of Muay Tahi, Sagat is one of the world's top fighters. Sagat is a big guy (seven feet tall) so it makes sense that he's been released as a deluxe figure in Jada's Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers line. Like with
Blanka, I originally preordered him through BBTS when he was listed for $30 dollars but he eventually went up to $35 due to tariffs, inflation, and such. BBTS still honored the original price, which was pretty darn classy. Ready to check out this tribute to the
original Tiger King? Then join me after the break...
The Facts:
Height: 7 3/4ths 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 barbell jointed head.
Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 swappable portraits, tiger shot, and 2-piece display base.
Non-Scalper Price: $35 dollars
Comparison:
* The Jada Sagat is on the left while Hasbro's 1994 Viktor Sagat is on the right. This is mine from childhood and while I still have his weapons around somewhere, his crotch piece has snapped off. Ouch! This guy was a repaint of Sagat from Hasbro's G.I. Joe/ Street Fighter II crossover line. I always thought he was pretty decent and really looked like the game character. I've always called the character Viktor Sagat, too, probably due to the movie, though I don't think the name pops up anywhere else.
The Positives:
* Sagat is a deluxe release and he is suitably large. Standing over 7 inches tall (closer to 8), he's just a massive figure. He's also really heavy and sturdy. Nothing feels hollow here; he's solid. Definitely an impressive figure who looks menacing next to most other World Warriors.
* I really love this line of figures. Maybe it's because I've always wanted a Street Fighter II line since I loved my my G.I. Joe Street Fighters as a kid, but they've always been too pricey, too difficult to acquire, or they just had an odd character selection and never went anywhere (*cough* NECA Street Fighter IV *cough*), but Jada is nailing it. We know that the original cast of 16 is so close to completion and has all been shown with figures from later games coming and Jada has just found the right look for these in my book. They have some nice detail, like the highlights on the muscles, but they also have a slightly animated style that feels like a great cross between the anime inspired game art and the pixelized renditions of the characters in the games themselves. Sagat's Muay Tahi trunks look great and add a nice splash of color to his muscular frame. He really looks ripped, like he's at the peak of physical perfection, and Jada nicely captured the way his massive torso makes his head look small.
* Sagat comes with two portraits that swap easily. First up is one that depicts him looking menacing. He looks menacing in the second portrait, too, though, but this one is just him glaring. He's got an all white eye for his left eye while the right is covered by his signature eye-patch (he lost that one in a fight with Gou Hibiki). He sure has one heck of a chin cleft, too. Sagat just looks like he's judging you for pronouncing his name the same as you'd pronounce Bob Saget's surname.
* The second portrait shows Sagat bearing his teeth. He's pissed, now. Like, really pissed. From this angle you can also see more of his scars. There's one on the left side of his head and one on the left side of his neck. the neck scar is painted on (probably so it doesn't get scraped by the movement of his neck) but the scar on the side of his head is a sculpted detail. Sagat has certainly been through a lot on his way to becoming one of the four Grand Masters.
* The scar on his chest is brutal! It's healed at this point, but it's never going away. This is the scar Ryu left Sagat with at the end of the original Street Fighter. Ryu's shoryuken/ Dragon Punch/ Rising Dragon Fist sure does leave one heck of a mark, doesn't it?
* Sagat is tall, fairly slender in build, and just has an incredible range of motion. It's really fun to find an old player's guide for Street Fighter II (I still have mine!) or to find a table of all of the sprites from the game and try to get Sagat into his many moves. He really moves well with a solid, sturdy feel and all pinless joints. He's an excellent figure that's just superbly designed.
* Four figures are included, each wrapped in bandages to help protect his knuckles. There's a pair of grasping, grappling hands and a pair of fists. Everything swaps easily here, so no worries about breakage.
* Sagat comes with a Tiger Shot projectile that has a fiery looking back and a translucent, bulbous front.
* It can rest on top of the transparent display stand which is both articulated and taller than everyone else's since Sagat is so tall. The hinges allow you to pose the projectile for when he's shooting off those low to the ground Tiger Shots.
Sagat is another really impressive figure in this line. He may get on my nerves when he beats me in the game but he's a cool character and Jada Toys did a great job with him. He's just a large bruiser of a figure and lots of fun to pose. He's a Great and a 1/2 figure and the only think I would have liked to have seen would be a laughing portrait. Still, this guy is just aces. Sagat is the 11th fighter from the main roster in my collection now out of the 16 classic ones (17 if you count Akuma), and with Vega shipping soon we're almost 12. Getting this collection feels like a major feat, doesn't it? Especially when each release is this good.
Looking for more of Sagat? I've also reviewed Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. Street Fighter II
Pack C which includes Sagat.
For more Ultra Street Fighter II: The New Challengers check out the following:
Strangely both Sagat and Blanka cost me the same price as any other Jada SF figure here. They were both £24.99 each. I don't know why. But I was glad of it cos both are chunkers. :D
ReplyDeleteOh my Vega has been dispatched. Nice. Not sure why he wasn't released at same time as Blanka and Sagat
ReplyDeleteThey've weirdly done that with this whole line. Every wave is 3 figures, but two ship and the third ships a month or two later. Ryu and Chun-Li shipped before Fei Long, Bison and Dhalsim shipped before Ken, Cammy and DeeJay shipped before Guile
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