The Facts:
Height: 4 inches
Articulation: Ball jointed ankles, swivel/hinge knees, swivel/hinge hips, ball jointed mid torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, double swivel/hinged elbows, swivel/hinged wrists, and a ball jointed head.
Accessories: Master sword, Hylian shield, scabbard, cardboard treasure box.
Non-scalper retail price: $7-$9 dollars.
* Link has a lot of articulation. For being a 1/18th scale figure, Link has far more articulation that most 6-7 inch action figures. He's incredibly fun to pose and you can get him into a number of great battle stances. He balances quite well too, even in more extreme poses. I was reading through a review of the Figma Link (which everyone will inevitably compare this figure to) and was surprised that that figure only had a few more joints than this guy.
* I love this Link sculpt. It captures an expression of determination while still retaining Link's softer features and angular facial elements. His eyes look rather expressive and are sharply painted. While this is based on Link from The Skyward Sword, it's also an excellent basic Link featuring all the elements you've come to expect. Green tunic? Check! Chain mail underneath? Check! Long sleeved white undergarments? Check! Brown boots? Check! This is such an excellent sculpt that is far better than most toys you'll see at mainstream retail.
*There are plenty of cool, smaller details on the figure as well. Things like Link's earrings, the pouches on the back of his belt, and the way the chain-mail peeks out from underneath his tunic really give this character an extra layer of oomph. The pain is also impeccable. The only negative is the serial number stamp on the back of his torso, but that can probably be removed with nail polish or something if it bothers you.
*Look comes with a decent number of accessories. Of course he has the Master Sword and his scabbard and both are decorated with various Hylian symbols. They've also got some additional paint apps such as a white outline around the edge of the blade and yellow highlights on the scabbard. The Hylian Shield is rather colorful and comes packaged in the cardboard chest which you can use as a display element.
The Negatives:
*Link's shield is a beast to get on his hand. It stays on well but it is very difficult to slide his hand through the strap and then have him grasp the handle. After struggling to get it done the first time I decided to simply remove his hand. With constant, even pressure this worked wonderfully. You could also cut the leather strap at the bottom but I didn't want to try that.
* Some of Link's joints feel a bit loose. He's not falling over at all, but they seem like they could be a bit tighter. It doesn't seem to hinder the articulation having a greater range of motion, as here Link is getting ready to play some air flute, but I figure loose joints (mostly the knees) are something readers might want to know about.
Link is probably one of the best action figures I picked up from 2014. Keeping in mind that he's not a $50-$60 dollar deluxe release like the Figma Link but a $7-$9 mass market toy, I think you'll be stunned by how good he is. I just cannot describe how excited I was to be able to walk into a Target or Toys 'R Us and pick up Nintendo based toys. While I've loved them all, Link is my clear favorite of the bunch. While his style is different from the rest of the Mario crew, he's accurate to his source material which I think is important. I'm sure this isn't the last we'll see of Link in this line, but, if it is, he certainly has a figure that should do the Hero of Hyrule proud for only a few rupees at your nearest market. Who can beat that? Easily a Great and a 1/2 figure!*Cuccos not included*
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Mario
Wario
Yoshi
And the following The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time figures:
Link
Ganondorf
Princess Zelda
This is a very good action figure.
ReplyDeleteHe really is! He's one of the highlights of last year (since he's technically a 2014 release).
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