5inch Mechanism model kit series by Plum

[Big s]

A smaller 1/48 version of the power doll kit that is designed to be more poseable and a bit simpler to build. There will still be seam lines, but it looks like the c clip joint connections allow for easier clean up and painting. There’s no hand options shown, but those may come up in an option pack since it has connections shown. They also negated the wiring on the lower legs for better movement, but it probably won’t be too difficult to modify it by drilling a few holes and adding your own. just thought I’d add some pics of the old 1/35 kit for comparison. I do think the older one looks a bit better, but it’s definitely more work and has less range of movement.

 I’m just really hoping this new line does well enough to get more Assault Suit Leynos kits. I wouldn’t mind an easier more poseable kit from that game

[JB0]

Man, Power DoLLs is a weird first release to launch a line with.

Not saying it's a bad design or anything, just that it lacks a bit of star power to really bring in attention.

[Big s]

11 minutes ago, JB0 said:

Man, Power DoLLs is a weird first release to launch a line with.

Not saying it's a bad design or anything, just that it lacks a bit of star power to really bring in attention.

I kinda thought it was an odd one as well. Plum seems to have mostly video game franchises, so they pretty much have a limited group to pick from as far as classic mecha video games and since they already did a couple kits from Power DoLLs, they probably didn’t have to do a new license.

previously they had mecha kits from the Assault Suit franchise, Cloud Breaker and Power DoLLs and maybe only space ships from a few classic shooters from what I remember, but who knows, maybe they’ll get some new licenses for this new line.

I’m always curious about a new line of mecha model kits and hopefully Plum has learned a few things from their older kit projects 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

If this line will help expand the Valken/Leynos lineup, I will gladly support it.

[Big s]

7 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

If this line will help expand the Valken/Leynos lineup, I will gladly support it.

That’s my big hope. I really love my assault suit Leynos kit, but it was a lot of work and is a bit clunky and I’d love a newer somewhat easier one that would have better articulation. Not only that , but some of the bad guys in those games looked great too and I’d really love kits of some of them 

[Big s]

i figured there’d be option sets coming, but it unfortunately doesn’t look like extra hands are included in these option packs 

[Big s]

Not sure if anyone remembers Wolf Fang: Kuuga, but this is the next franchise to have a kit in this line. It’s a little simple looking in the surface details, but seems pretty spot on for an older ps one game. Of course those simple surfaces kinda would make it rather easy to add some personal details.the lil dude is a great bonus in my opinion.

Edited July 18 by Big s

[renegadeleader1]

Plum has done kits for Assault Suits Leynos, Assault Suits Valken, Power D.O.L.L.s, and now WolfFang.

 

Maybe one day we'll get kits for Metal Storm, Metal Warriors, MUSHA/Robo Alleste or Xardion as well.😆

[Big s]

32 minutes ago, renegadeleader1 said:

Plum has done kits for Assault Suits Leynos, Assault Suits Valken, Power D.O.L.L.s, and now WolfFang.

 

Maybe one day we'll get kits for Metal Storm, Metal Warriors, MUSHA/Robo Alleste or Xardion as well.😆

The majority of their sci fi products seem to be from video games, so those are definitely possibilities 

[JB0]

1 hour ago, renegadeleader1 said:

Plum has done kits for Assault Suits Leynos, Assault Suits Valken, Power D.O.L.L.s, and now WolfFang.

 

Maybe one day we'll get kits for Metal Storm, Metal Warriors, MUSHA/Robo Alleste or Xardion as well.😆

I would LOVE an M-308 from Metal Storm!

I actually bought the Retro-Bit boxset a little while back, and the figurine was part of why. But it was an abysmally poor sculpt, and the box set would've been better for not including it.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I love PLUM and their subject material of video game mecha.  I only saw Wolf Fang at the arcades a couple of times, but I thought it was a cool game.  I'm gonna guess PLUM will make a variant kit with quad legs and wheels later on.

 

Since renegadeleader1 mentioned it, Good Smile's Moderoid line has Xardion covered:

Edited July 18 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[renegadeleader1]

12 hours ago, JB0 said:

I would LOVE an M-308 from Metal Storm!

I actually bought the Retro-Bit boxset a little while back, and the figurine was part of why. But it was an abysmally poor sculpt, and the box set would've been better for not including it.

I really can't see why they wouldn't do it eventually considering they've done model kits from an Irem game before with the R-Type series.

 

6 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

I love PLUM and their subject material of video game mecha.  I only saw Wolf Fang at the arcades a couple of times, but I thought it was a cool game.  I'm gonna guess PLUM will make a variant kit with quad legs and wheels later on.

 

Since renegadeleader1 mentioned it, Good Smile's Moderoid line has Xardion covered:

I first hear of WolfFang while preparing a panel on mecha videogames for Anime Boston(I went deep down the rabbit hole for that one 😂), it's a shame it's not better known as it's pretty damn good and rather deep for something that was supposed to be an arcade quarter muncher.

 

Anyways, I need that Xardion kit! I really wish I got the Blodia and Cruise Chaser Blassty kits when I had the chance.😢

 

Well, here's hoping someone releases a Thexder kit eventually.😆

 

 

[Big s]

7 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

I love PLUM and their subject material of video game mecha.  I only saw Wolf Fang at the arcades a couple of times, but I thought it was a cool game.  I'm gonna guess PLUM will make a variant kit with quad legs and wheels later on.

 

The description says four kits in this series with optional parts to swap between them

13 hours ago, JB0 said:

I would LOVE an M-308 from Metal Storm!

I actually bought the Retro-Bit boxset a little while back, and the figurine was part of why. But it was an abysmally poor sculpt, and the box set would've been better for not including it.

I love the design, even if he’s missing a head unit. Now that I look at the face years later, kinda reminds me of a disgruntled fish robot 

[JB0]

11 minutes ago, Big s said:

I love the design, even if he’s missing a head unit.

That's actually one of the things I like. I appreciate it when mecha has some less-anthropomorphic features.

 

Disgruntled fish... I'm gonna imagine him muttering "I coulda been in Darius" for a while.

Edited July 18 by JB0

[Big s]

2 minutes ago, JB0 said:

That's actually one of the things I like. I appreciate it when mecha has some less-anthropomorphic features.

Yeah, it’s definitely good for a change. Hope that it gets some attention 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

On 7/18/2024 at 2:23 AM, JB0 said:

I would LOVE an M-308 from Metal Storm!

I actually bought the Retro-Bit boxset a little while back, and the figurine was part of why. But it was an abysmally poor sculpt, and the box set would've been better for not including it.

There was a M-308 kit made last year that resembled what it looked like in the in-game scenes rather than the cartridge box art:

It looks quite snazzy, it reminds me of a Guges from Appleseed.

[Big s]

3 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

There was a M-308 kit made last year that resembled what it looked like in the in-game scenes rather than the cartridge box art:

It looks quite snazzy, it reminds me of a Guges from Appleseed.

Is that from cut scenes? I don’t remember it looking like that in gameplay.

Resin kit?

[JB0]

It looks to be based on the ending cutscene, but with a lot of liberty taken(it is pretty low-res in the ending). The bulbous head seems to be an attempt to create a lineage between Tamtex's M-308 and irem's far more famous R-9.

 

It is also colored like the JP version's sprite instead of the US version's.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

1 hour ago, Big s said:

Is that from cut scenes? I don’t remember it looking like that in gameplay.

Resin kit?

As JB0 mentioned, the M-308 sprites in the JP version were white:

Apparently when the game was localized, the design was changed and an intro cutscene was omitted.

And yes, it's a resin kit.  I tried and failed to get it at an auction:

And that definitely looks like a R-9 cockpit grafted onto a mech:

Edited July 20 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[Big s]

5 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

As JB0 mentioned, the M-308 sprites in the JP version were white:

Apparently when the game was localized, the design was changed and an intro cutscene was omitted.

And yes, it's a resin kit.  I tried and failed to get it at an auction:

And that definitely looks like a R-9 cockpit grafted onto a mech:

Oddly the gameplay looks a little closer to the cover design, but that’s pretty close to the cutscene, maybe just the upper legs and arms are a little longer than they should be, but not by much. I actually really like this design 

I really didn’t get a chance to play this one as much as Assault Suit Leynos, because I was totally obsessed with that on the genesis when it came out as Target Earth. So I really didn’t get as caught up in the Metal Storm info.

[JB0]

12 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

Apparently when the game was localized, the design was changed and an intro cutscene was omitted.

Intro cutscene wasn't complete yet. The US version actually came out first, and the stage changes were made after its release. We essentially got a paid beta.

[Big s]

31 minutes ago, JB0 said:

Intro cutscene wasn't complete yet. The US version actually came out first, and the stage changes were made after its release. We essentially got a paid beta.

That’s usually the opposite of some of these games, although not the only time something like that has happened.

There seems to be a rather interesting story behind this game that I never knew about. 

[JB0]

56 minutes ago, Big s said:

That’s usually the opposite of some of these games, although not the only time something like that has happened.

There seems to be a rather interesting story behind this game that I never knew about. 

Yeah, I'm curious what was going on in Tamtax and irem at the time. 

[Big s]

Here’s the next one already up for preorder in the Wolf fang line