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

 

   Now that Re-Halloween has come and gone I have a ton of non-spooky reviews to catch up on, one of which is Vega from Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers line. Vega (originally named Balrog in the Japanese version of the game) is one of the original four nonplayable "boss" characters and the only character to use a legitimate weapon from the Street Fighter 2 roster. A claw? Imagine showing up to a martial arts tournament where everyone else is using their fists and feet and you whip out a metal claw. Hey, Vega made it happen, so more power to him. With a mixture of Spanish bullfighting techniques and Japanese ninjutsu inspired fighting, Vega stands out even among the already colorful cast of Street Fighter. Vega is named after the star, Vega, which is part of the constellation Lyra and it's also the fifth brightest star in the night sky, so I guess the name works for a guy who stands out with his star power. With Vega's release we are now 3/4ths of the way through the Street Fighter II: The New Challengers main roster which is pretty incredible to me. While I feel like Jada Toys could be releasing these much more quickly, they're steady enough that I'm confident that we'll finish the line and move on to the Street Fighter Alpha 3 roster. Ready to challenge Vega? Then jump in the cage and join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, calve 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, claw, mask, and claw swipe effect.

Non-Scalper Price: $30 dollars

Comparison:

* Just for fun, here's a shot of Jada Toys' Vega with my vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Vega from the Street Fighter II subline. You can twist his waist and he'll spring back to do a "Matador Mash." The claw he's sporting (which doesn't fit all that well) is actually form the Chun-Li figure as, oddly enough, Hasbro didn't give Vega any claws. Weird, right?

The Positives:

* Vega looks pretty impressive here. He's a muscular guy and while he's absolutely shredded, he's definitely more slender and agile than many of the other World Warriors. He fights with a mixture of speed, strength, and high flying attacks. While he's only wearing tight fitting purple and yellow pants, Vega does have a cool snake tattoo around his torso that even extends out to his left bicep. The gold arm bands add a bit more decorative flair, too, as does the red sash hanging around his waist. 

* Vega comes with two portraits that you can swap out. The first one has him wearing his iconic mask which he uses to protect his face. Vega is a bit of a narcissist so protecting his looks is crucial to him. It's a separate piece and you can see his eyes staring through the eyeholes, though this mask is not removable. 

* His second portrait shows off his face while his ponytail is hanging down over his left shoulder instead of hanging down his back. Vega's interesting as he's both a competitive fighter, assassin, and bodyguard, but he also tries to take care of himself in the way you'd expect of a male model. Vega would absolutely and unironically listen to the song "I'm Sexy and I Know It" or "I'm Too Sexy." He probably thinks those songs were written about him. 

* Vega's claim to fame is his claw and he's permanently wearing one on his right hand. It's actually pretty sturdy feeling and not at all rubbery or gummy. It's all gold which does seem a bit odd as everything I see depicts the blades as silver but, according to some interview I read with a rep from Jada, this was a request of the licensor. Maybe Capcom didn't want folks to confuse Vega with Wolverine? It still looks good, though, and the gold matches his arm bands. This claw is not removable and is part of his gloved right hand, which is clenched as a fist. 

* Here's a shot from the back so you can see Vega's ponytail while sporting the masked face and the rest of his snake tattoo. 

* The belt or sash is actually a fabric piece with wires on the edges, so you can pose it in a neutral position or flapping around during a battle. There's a hook on Vega's right side which helps to hold it in place since, otherwise, it's just tied around him somewhat loosely. My guess is that if you really tried you could get this knot loose, but I just didn't try as I like the way it looks and didn't want to mess things up. 

* The articulation doesn't disappoint here, though if you own some other Jada Toys Street Fighter figures you're probably not surprised. The joints have a great range of motion here, especially the arms and those butterfly joints/ pectoral hinges. I'm impressed that I was able to get him balanced on one leg, though if you used a figure stand of some sort you could certainly put him in a more extreme pose. 

* Four swappable hands are included. I've already shown the claw wielding right hand above but there's also a grasping right hand, a grasping left hand, and a left hand fist. Everything swaps easily so you can mix up your poses without fear of any issues. 

* Sometimes Vega takes his claw off, or it goes flying, or he just removes it. Maybe you want two claws, one on the left and one on the right? Maybe you want Vega to hold his mask in his hand and show off. Jada included an extra claw that can fit over either grasping hand and an extra mask that's a bit rubbery which can be held as well. These really give you some great choices to get your favorite Vega pose, whether it's a battle pose or a victory pose. 

* Last up is a cool translucent "slash" effect that you can put on the tips of Vega's claw. It's a bit rubbery so it slides on easily and doesn't scratch the claw or rub at the paint. It's a neat extra effect piece to give your figure just a bit more pizazz.  

The Negatives:

* My only complaint is regarding Vega's pants. The line between the purple and yellow is a little messy and fuzzy in places. Not the end of the world, sure, but just not as neat and clean as I'd like. 

   Vega turned out to be a Great figure. The articulation is excellent, the design is pretty much spot on, and he definitely has some fun extras. With the recent price increase he's now a $30 dollar figure which is a bit of a tough pill to swallow but Jada Toys has continued to put in some great extras like the additional removable claw and mask and the wired soft goods belt. This is a fun line and one I get really excited for every time a new release comes out. With Vega's release we now have 3/4ths of the Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers  main roster and Balrog and Akuma seem to already be appearing for some international collectors, so completing the set is definitely near at hand.



 Looking for more of Vega? I've also reviewed the Super7 Street Fighter 2 M.U.S.C.L.E. Pack A which comes with a Vega minifigure.

For more of Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers check out the following:

Blanka

Cammy

Chun-Li
Chun-Li (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Dee Jay
Dhalsim

Dhalsim (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Fei Long (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Guile
Ken
M. Bison
M. Bison (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)

Sagat
Violent Ken (Deluxe)