Oh
boy...we got a tough one here. I have no idea how I'm going to fill up a reviews
page with this one...I mean you can only say "this figure sucks" so
many times before it gets repetetive.Valor Vs. Venom Wave 2- Kamakura
Toy
name: Kamakura
Assortment: Valor vs. Venom
Wave 2
Price: MSRP $7.99
Availability: March 2004
Oh
boy...we got a tough one here. I have no idea how I'm going to fill up a reviews
page with this one...I mean you can only say "this figure sucks" so
many times before it gets repetetive.
I think it's a very safe assumption that any figure we see on the lists with "AA" next to his name is pretty much the scarlett letter of sucking. So far we've gotten three Action Attack figures, and while Storm Shadow was almost acceptible, the other two have just been hunks of plastic garbage.
From t-crotches to butt plugs to banana heads, it almost looks like Hasbro is trying to cram about as many sucky features into one figure as possible.
There are consolations...we all know that Hasbro knows that the collectors hate this stuff. So, they have recently promised that any Action Attack figures will be re-released with the same uniform in O-ring design about six months later. That's terrific news, because a lot of these overall molds aren't too bad, they're just trashed by Action Attack.
Another thing it looks like Hasbro is doing, is putting carry over figures from previous waves into the assortments, which some folks have problems with. I don't, and here's why-
If they re-release the main characters as "carry over" packs, then we'll be getting less repaints and re-releases of those main characters. Instead of getting new versions of Duke every few waves, maybe Hasbro will just carry over his Wave 1 pack and give some other characters the new mold treatment. Nothing wrong with that.
Not only that, but so far the two carry overs have included Action Attack figures. So they also use up an "Action Attack" slot with an already existing figure, so they don't have to give it to another figure. Again, a pretty good idea, if you ask me. I'll take carry over figures over repaint/remolded main characters and more Action Attack any day. Works for me. So, what about this particular figure? Did I mention "this figure sucks"?
Figure Mold
The overall mold for this figure actually isn't too bad. He's got a nice basic martial arts uniform with a pretty cool belt/padding across his chest and shoulder. It's a neat design and works well. His wrist guards also have a nice pattern and texture to them, basing them off of his older uniform, but adding some cool design to them.
But this is where any good points end. Really, this figure just does not look like a G.I. Joe figure at all. Neither of his arms have swivel joints. They both only bend at the elbows, even the left arm, which doesn't even have Action Attack. Not only does his waist not have O-ring construction, but it doesn't even swivel. That's right, it just sits there. His legs have no knee joints and the T-Crotch design. Blech.
There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this figure's mold. While his uniform design and gloves do look cool, his goofy open left hand (with two metal plates in it) and his complete lack of hardly ANY articulation makes this figure basically useless. This figure has officially jumped to the top of my "Worst figures of all time" list. He is complete and utter garbage, mold-wise.
Paint Applications/Color Choices
Well, paint-wise, he ain't a whole lot better, His basic green uniform looks nice and the black trimming works, too...but any good points of his color scheme is completely annihilated by his BRIGHT YELLOW HEAD. What the heck?
Accessories
His accessories are pretty forgettible as well. He comes with the mini machine gun that Wave 4 Shipwreck and VvV Wave 1 Snake Eyes came with, but the main "draw" here is his sword sheath and metallic-handle sword. His "Action Attack" his designed for his arm to whip up and use the magnets to grab the sword.
Well, guess what? All the sacfirices to articulation are for naught, because his Action Attack doesn't work either. His arm lifts up and sticks to the sword, but then just sits there. Instead of "Sword Grabbing" action, maybe he should have been promoted with "Deadly Armpit Odor" action, as lifting his arm above his head is really all he can do.
Final Comments
There is absolutely no reason I can think of to recommend this figure other than to laugh and redicule him. His silly colors, lack of articulation, and non-functional Action Attack are all pieces to a big old crap-puzzle. The sad thing is, I'm not even sure the Destro he's included with is worth the price of admission either...
Ratings (out of 10)
Character: 5
Mold : 1
Paint Apps: 3
Value: 0
Overall score (not an average): 0
