Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (1/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (2/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (3/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (4/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (5/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (6/9)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Body parts view (7/9)

Body parts view

The Zoid Core section contains a painted Raven pilot figure.

Includes a painted Raven standing figure and a Shadow figure.

Leftover parts.

The Raven Ver. includes a gimmick where the hand can be launched.

You can choose from 2 weapons to attach on top of the head.

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Tail deployment. The tail connection joint has been slightly improved, allowing the tail to

Tail deployment.
The tail connection joint has been slightly improved, allowing the tail to be extended out straight.

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Rawr~ action poses. The neck and tail joints have been slightly improved, allowing it to be

Rawr~ action poses.
The neck and tail joints have been slightly improved, allowing it to be stretched out straight from head to tail.

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Hand launch pose (1/6)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Hand launch pose (2/6)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Hand launch pose (3/6)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - Hand launch pose (4/6)

Hand launch pose

Together with the Geno Saurer normal ver.

The neck joint has been slightly improved,
allowing the head to raise a bit higher.

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. - On the Raven Ver., the lower joint parts connecting the body and tail have been made thinne

On the Raven Ver., the lower joint parts connecting the body and tail have been made thinner,
allowing the tail to be extended out completely straight.

After a long wait, the new Zoid release is the Geno Saurer Raven Ver., a variation of the existing Geno Saurer. The overall look is nearly identical, with only the molded color changed to a blue/red combination.

At first glance it might look like just a molded color swap, but there are actually some internal structural improvements as well. The neck section and the body-to-tail connection joint have been replaced with new parts, making it possible to extend the kit straight from head to tail tip. That said, the improvement in articulation range is pretty minimal — not exactly a major upgrade — so you'd barely notice unless you're looking closely.

On top of that, as befitting a variation release, it comes with painted figures of pilot Raven in both seated and standing poses, along with a small dinosaur-like Shadow figure. A gimmick part that lets the wrist detach and launch has also been added. Probably because of all these new parts and figures, it's priced at ¥8,200 — ¥400 more than the normal Geno Saurer.

The Geno Saurer is one of the more labor-intensive builds among HMM Zoid kits, so once you crack open the bags you'll definitely be kept busy for a good while. On the plus side, the parts are larger than most other Zoids, which makes the actual assembly fairly manageable. Joint strength is pretty average — same as the original kit — not too tight, not too loose.

It's not the most groundbreaking new release out there, but if you've been eyeing a large, detailed, upright-stance Zoid kit, this is a solid enough choice that should keep you pretty satisfied. :-)

Zoid HMM Geno Saurer Raven Ver. | 2011. 8 | ¥8,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.