Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Stickers

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - Size comparison with a cigarette pack, the universal standard. For an HGUC ki

Size comparison with a cigarette pack, the universal standard. For an HGUC kit, this one's got quite a bit of volume to it.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher (1/2)

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher (2/2)

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The hand grip section of the Mega Bazooka Launcher works by inserting the han

The hand grip section of the Mega Bazooka Launcher works by inserting the hand onto the handle and then sliding a cover over the top to lock it in place,
so once it's secured it won't come loose easily — a nice touch.

Looks like someone cranking a sewing machine... or maybe playing the organ??

Might just be the Mega Bazooka's best angle.

Carrying pose in space.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The Hyaku-Shiki included in the Mega Bazooka Launcher set is the non-plated v

The Hyaku-Shiki included in the Mega Bazooka Launcher set is the non-plated version.
The molded color is, well... something else.

The HGUC Hyaku-Shiki has pretty solid articulation.

Beam saber action pose.

A clay bazooka is included as well.

Standing it up like this really makes the Mega Bazooka Launcher look massive.

Mega Bazooka Launcher mounted on the stand.

The total length looks to be around 20cm or so.

Folded up in transport mode.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The shoulder stock moves forward and backward to transform into transport mod

The shoulder stock moves forward and backward to transform into transport mode.

The handle grip section can rotate 180 degrees and fold up.

The section below that rotates 90 degrees as well.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The barrel can extend and retract at two points. About 4cm of length change t

The barrel can extend and retract at two points. About 4cm of length change total.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The stand comes with two swappable options. The short one is for transport mo

The stand comes with two swappable options.
The short one is for transport mode, and the long one just plugs in when mounting on the display stand.
Looks like there wasn't quite enough time to engineer the stand itself to be extendable too.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - Together with the plated version HGUC Hyaku-Shiki. If you're planning to stri

Together with the plated version HGUC Hyaku-Shiki.
If you're planning to strip the plating and paint it, the non-plated version is a much better starting point,
but if you're just thinking about the straight build look, the plated version still wins.

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - The plated Hyaku-Shiki hijacks the Mega Bazooka~ (1/3)

The plated Hyaku-Shiki hijacks the Mega Bazooka~

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher - A gathering of the HGUC Zeta Gundam family. Looking at them all together, the

A gathering of the HGUC Zeta Gundam family. Looking at them all together, the Zeta family has really grown.
With the Zeta 20th anniversary theatrical release coming up, I'm expecting even more Zeta family members to be added. ^^

Straight build before panel lining

The Mega Bazooka Launcher — long considered the exclusive domain of resin kits — has finally been released as an HGUC injection kit for the Hyaku-Shiki. That's very welcome news. ^^ On top of that, the included Hyaku-Shiki is molded in the non-plated version, and the price only went up to ¥1,800, which isn't that much more than the plated version.

First off, the Mega Bazooka Launcher — properly done as an injection kit for the first time — came out better than expected. The molded color separation is excellent, the sense of scale is there, and most importantly, the transformation gimmick between transport and fixed modes is well executed. The barrel extends and retracts in two stages, and the grip and shoulder stock transformations are clean and satisfying — it really comes together as a well-crafted piece of mecha.

That said, the molded color of the non-plated Hyaku-Shiki itself is a bit of a controversial topic. For those planning to paint it, not having to painstakingly strip off the plating is a huge advantage (though for those who already went through all that effort with the plated version, this is probably bittersweet news ^^;) — but for those going unpainted, it might be a bit rough. The color is straight-up poop brown... and on top of that, the plastic surface has some pretty bad flow marks due to the nature of the molded color. (-_-;;) Honestly, first impressions are just... yikes. The color itself is already poop-brown and grim, but the molding quality looks like a bootleg or candy toy from ten years ago — it's a perfect storm of badness.

In photos it looks a bit better thanks to the lighting, but I wonder if a lot of people won't be put off by that wavy, poop-colored molded plastic. If they'd just gone with a yellow tone it would've looked so much nicer — trying to approximate gold with this color ended up looking cheap instead. Personally, I don't find the color itself absolutely terrible, but objectively speaking, the molding quality is hard to defend.

The non-plated Hyaku-Shiki is of course structurally 100% identical to the plated version — only the molded color is different. So for the Hyaku-Shiki's characteristics as a kit, check out the plated version review. Basically it's a kit with good articulation. So when you set the Mega Bazooka Launcher on the stand and pose the Hyaku-Shiki with it, you can get some pretty natural-looking poses. The hand-locking mechanism — where you insert the hand onto the grip and secure it with the cover — keeps the pose from falling apart easily. It can be a bit tricky to get the pose right and things can feel loose if you're not careful, but once it's locked in properly it holds steady without wobbling. That's a relief.

Anyway, it's a pretty unique variation kit in many ways, but the excellent Mega Bazooka Launcher makes it worth the price. The molded color isn't too bad from a distance either... Bandai trying out these kinds of varied releases is something I'd love to see more of. Looking forward to more Zeta Gundam units showing up. ^^

HGUC Hyaku-Shiki + Mega Bazooka Launcher
2004.7
¥1,800

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.