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View Poll Results: How Would You Rate This Set? | |||
10 | 13 | 8.23% | |
9 | 8 | 5.06% | |
8 | 29 | 18.35% | |
7 | 27 | 17.09% | |
6 | 17 | 10.76% | |
5 | 13 | 8.23% | |
4 | 8 | 5.06% | |
3 | 11 | 6.96% | |
2 | 10 | 6.33% | |
1 | 22 | 13.92% | |
Voters: 158. You may not vote on this poll |
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12-02-2009, 01:36 AM | #1 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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The Walmart Exclusive Ninja Battles set from the G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra line was released recently and comes with repaints of wave 1 Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow, and a retooled Arashikage Temple base from the Valor VS Venom set of the same name. It's packaged in a unique way, shaped like the platform of the base as opposed to the Battle Stations sets. A lot of fans are on the fence when it comes to this set, so is it worth picking up? Read on...
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12-02-2009, 01:45 AM | #2 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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1st off this set comes with a vast multitude of various ninja weapons and accessories:
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12-02-2009, 01:59 AM | #3 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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As many of you know, I didn't really think too much of this Snake Eyes figure when it 1st emerged online many months ago. It looked bland and incomplete. I thought that it wasn't even finished with regards to deco.
Well now that this figure has been released, the figure itself has not changed. However my thoughts on it have. The deco isn't to my liking but the quality of the figure is. Let's get the bad parts out of the way. 1st off, had this figure had gray camo pants, or even the blue urban camo on most of the movie Joes, it would have looked much better. Then a darker gray for the body and arms. Why does wave 1 version look better in black? The darker color doesn't look as plain. Speaking of darker color, the head and visor on the black wave 1 version are superior. Why? It's because the visor sticks out even more to me on this version. Not physically but wow I can see why most fans prefer the Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes head sculpt, and it isn't just because it lacks a sculpted mouth. It's because the visor isn't so wide! While I like how the lighter color of this visor enables the scuplpted visor lines within to pop out more, overall the visor is just too wide and big. Now onto the good parts. This figure has much tighter joints overall compared to my wave 1 version. My wave 1 figure has significantly looser hips, whereas this version has very tight hips. Loose joints are terrible, especially on ninja figures, so it's good that Hasbro tightened things up for this release. So this Snake Eyes wins for quality but deco could have been much better. I don't mind the figure but it's primarily for the higher quality construction. |
12-02-2009, 02:17 AM | #4 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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Ah yes, Storm Shadow. Most fans who want this set, want this because of Storm Shadow. I don't blame them. I was a big fan of Storm Shadow's costume from Valor VS Venom, though admittedly, not initially.
Here's a short history lesson. Storm Shadow's VVV costume was a significant departure from his previous ninja costumes. It didn't help at all that the VVV wave 1 version had limited articulation due to action attack, and had a scabbard that could not even be attached to his back. Nor did it help that the G.I. Joe VS Cobra version with O-ring got cancelled(Between 2002-04 there was NO O-RING new sculpt STORM SHADOW until VVV wave 4) What the hell right? In addition, the costume didn't scream "NINJA!", it looked like a cross between a shaolin monk costume and a ninutsu gi. Yet over time, the costume design grew on me, the card art by Draxhall Jump was BAD ASS, but the figure wasn't. Until wave 4. Wave 4 of Valor VS Venom brought us the 1st new sculpt O-ring Storm Shadow! Fans had been waiting since 2002 for something like that. So many collectors tossed away their wave 1 versions and quickly bought up the wave 4 version, which was paired with the 2nd version of Kamakura. Unlike the card art, this figure sported hookswords and a backpack that could not only store the swords, but also a combinable 2 piece staff(the weapons sans backpack are included in this ROC set). This mold of Storm Shadow had superb range of motion, of which the Cobra Legions Storm Shadow(with VVV deco) from the 25th Anniversary line, could not even match). This version of Storm Shadow would be used 3 more times:
The figure is a repaint of wave 1 Storm Shadow. I had mixed feelings when I saw this figure months ago. The visual contrast was neat, but the deco on the coattails made me think "baker" or "chef". Now that I have the figure in hand, the deco looks vibrant but I wish it was more cohesive. Maybe if the printed lines on the coat tails weren't trying to mimic embroidery, and if the pants were white instead of gray, the deco might look better to me. Right now, it looks alright but could've been better. So while the deco is okay, the figure itself can move well, until you get to the lower half. Remember the coattails from the wave 1 version that restricted movement? They still restrict movement here. I'm surprised that Hasbro hasn't come up with cloth coattails for this figure yet. They limit poseability for the legs a great deal, which you'll definitely see later in the review. For a ninja figure especially, restricted poseability is very disappointing. No wonder a lot of fans preferred the Paris Pursuit Storm Shadow over the wave 1 version; it's mobility was simply superior. Remember how I mentioned that the Cobra Legions 25th Anniversary Storm Shadow didn't move as well as the VVV Storm Shadow? Well this figure faired off even worse.. Despite my mixed feelings on the deco, I still think it looks better than the deco on Snake Eyes. If only this Storm Shadow could move as good... |
12-02-2009, 02:30 AM | #5 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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As stated earlier the VVV O-ring Storm Shadow made an impact on fans when released years back. This wasn't a figure that fans were too keen on at 1st but it won many of them over myself included.
I really wish the backpack from VVV Storm Shadow would have returned in this set. The fact that it could store both hookswords and the 2 part staff parts was awesome. Instead we get the backpack from wave 1 Snake Eyes that just stores the hookswords, and not as easily at that(it's rigid so you have to angle the swords in and play with them a bit to fit). The deco on the ROC Storm Shadow isn't as cohesive as the VVV version, nor is the range of motion better. In the following comparison images, the ROC version looks rather stiff. Going forward, I hope Hasbro either:
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12-02-2009, 02:35 AM | #6 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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The base has not changed much since the Valor VS Venom days. The pegs were retooled, and the base is molded and painted in darker colors. The Arashikage I Ching symbols are printed on. That's cool, but you know what isn't? The pillars still fall apart very easily. While it's cool to throw one of your figures against it to demonstrate that he just got PWNED, it isn't cool that they doesn't stay together well at all.
What if you want to make a cool display with the pillars up? Well, if you want to do so, you might as well glue the pieces together with elmer's glue(so it's not permanent), or tape it up. It really doesn't take much at all for the pillars to crumble. Displaying it as is, will ONLY work if you don't plan on moving it, or anything near it. You so much as move a figure near it and bump into the pillars, and those things crashing down! |
12-02-2009, 02:44 AM | #7 |
VALKYRIE
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Over the rainbow where your mom is at son
Posts: 23,515
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Remember the falling pillars? Now you get to see them in action! I conclude this review with final thoughts and pictures of NINJA BATTLES!
This set is worth getting. I like that Hasbro retooled the foot pegs so that 25th/Modern Era/Movie figures can now fit them. It has an ABUNDANCE of worthwhile accessories and weapons for ninja fans. Remember how the comic pack wave 9 Resolute Training Storm Shadow had 2 swords and scabbards in the comic but didn't come with them AT ALL? RESOLVED! Simply use the black scabbards and 2 swords from Storm Shadow from this set on that figure like I have pictured and Voila! FIXED! The accessories basically make this set. More ninja weapons shown than in the movie. Weapons for more than 2 people. A base for ninja figures to fight on. The figures are decent, the accessories are the primary attraction, the base is a good platform for them to be displayed on if only the pillars were more stable. It was worth spending $20 on this set as while the figures are for the movie line, I can use the weapons and accessories + platform not only for them but for other Joe lines too(25th Anniversary/Resolute). *For an example of how unstable the pillars are, I had to struggle to snap the last shots without the pillars falling, it does not take much at all to see them fall apart; they need a better balance of playability/stability* |
12-02-2009, 02:46 AM | #8 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: ....
Posts: 22,619
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Thanx for the review
i really want to get this set i never had it before |
12-02-2009, 02:47 AM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: No answer
Posts: 6,187
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I like the snake eyes. I'm getting him from someone on the tank. Removing the visor and turning him into a mystical mercenary that's associated with the Raptor cult.
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12-02-2009, 02:48 AM | #10 |
^No Step^
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Argentina
Posts: 9,056
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That.
20 bucks for a set of that size and with so many accesories isn't bad. And it comes with two figures that can be fodderized. Not bad at all. The SE can be used as a specific character not SE. Are the eyes painted?
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