Kit Review

Straight build + light panel lining + decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Detail close-up shots. There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time.. (1

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Detail close-up shots. There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time.. (2

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Detail close-up shots. There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time.. (3

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Detail close-up shots. There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time.. (4

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Detail close-up shots. There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time.. (5

Detail shots.
There are a lot of panel lines, so I tried some light panel lining this time..

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Head section. The head antennae are really short ;;;;; These are the kind of head antennae that'll split

Head section.
The head antennae are really short ;;;;;
These are the kind of head antennae that'll split opinions..

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Copper foil stickers are applied to the backpack verniers as well, and clear parts are used for the 4 ve

Copper foil stickers are applied to the backpack verniers as well,
clear parts are used for the 4 vernier nozzles.

The copper foil stickers on the elbow area..
After posing a lot, they tend to peel right off -_-

Outer armor removal shot

Internal frame

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame detail shots (1/6)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame detail shots (2/6)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame detail shots (3/6)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame detail shots (4/6)

Frame detail shots

The back frame with the backpack removed

Quite intricate detail on the core block.

Just like the 2.0, the body frame can still be assembled even without the core block.

The frame with the core fighter block installed

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The arm frame assembly method is pretty unique — I was a bit thrown off myself, lol.. Since it's unlike

The arm frame assembly method is pretty unique — I was a bit thrown off myself, lol..
Since it's unlike anything I've seen before, it might feel a bit tricky, so make sure to follow the manual carefully..

Frame articulation is, as expected, great.

Shoulder joint articulation seems pretty decent.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Getting into a kneeling pose is a total breeze~ (1/3)

Getting into a kneeling pose is a total breeze~

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame action poses. The frame itself is quite well-executed.. (1/4)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame action poses. The frame itself is quite well-executed.. (2/4)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame action poses. The frame itself is quite well-executed.. (3/4)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Frame action poses. The frame itself is quite well-executed.. (4/4)

Frame action pose.
The frame itself is quite well-executed..

The mold detail inside the skirt is pretty simple.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - There's absolutely no mold detail on the inside of the outer armor.. It's a Gundam after all, so it's a

There's absolutely no mold detail on the inside of the outer armor..
It's a Gundam after all, so it's a bit of a letdown.

You can fit a separately sold LED unit into the neck area.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Given that the core block system already takes up space.. it's pretty clever how they managed to carve o

Given that the core block system already takes up space..
it's pretty clever how they managed to carve out room for it.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - That said, the LED lighting effect.. isn't all that vivid. The LED unit does seem to be optimized for mo

That said, the LED lighting effect.. isn't all that vivid.
The LED unit does seem to be optimized for mono-eye suits ^^;

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Two types of joint covers are included, and you can choose between an open (vented) style and a closed s

Two types of joint covers are included,
and you can choose between an open (vented) style and a closed style.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - A comparison shot of the two joint covers. Personally, I prefer the vented design with that sense of dep

A comparison shot of the two joint covers.
Personally, I prefer the vented design with that sense of depth. ^^

Both types of cockpit hatch opening are reproduced,
though the angle the cover opens to is a bit narrow.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The duct and maintenance hatch in the crotch area can be opened.. but I kept accidentally pushing it in

The duct and maintenance hatch in the crotch area can be opened..
but I kept accidentally pushing it in by mistake and having to pull it back out, making it a pretty annoying gimmick.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The three chest ducts are designed to move individually... but in practice there's not enough room to mo

The three chest ducts are designed to move individually...
but in practice there's not enough room to move them, and they're too stiff to budge easily.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The core fighter is completely identical to the v2.0. (1/3)

The core fighter is completely identical to the v2.0.

The core fighter block and the dedicated core block.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - You can remove the yellow parts of the skirt to reveal the interior.. but there's not much detail inside

You can remove the yellow parts of the skirt to reveal the interior..
but there's not much detail inside, which is a bit of a shame.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The weapon loadout is pretty simple. The beam Jabelin and Gundam Hammer, which always felt a bit superfl

The weapon loadout is pretty simple.
The beam Jabelin and Gundam Hammer, which always felt a bit superfluous, have been dropped from the 3.0.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The beam rifle and bazooka bodies are the same as the 2.0, with only the grip sections changed to fit th

The beam rifle and bazooka bodies are the same as the 2.0, with only the grip sections changed to fit the new articulated hands.

The beam saber detail is pretty flashy.

Thanks to the articulated hand's unique double-pin locking system, there are no grip issues.

The inside of the shield is a little plain...

It also has a function for mounting other weapons.

A new gimmick has been added where the backpack cover can be slightly lifted up.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The mount hole for attaching the shield to the back is reproduced as a rotating type, so when not in use

The mount hole for attaching the shield to the back is reproduced as a rotating type,
so when not in use you can rotate it 180 degrees to cover the hole.
Now that's some thoughtful attention to detail... ^^

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The center of the rear skirt can be rotated 180 degrees, allowing you to plug in and store weapons using

The center of the rear skirt can be rotated 180 degrees, allowing you to plug in and store weapons using the mounting pin.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The shield body is the same as the 2.0, but new parts have been added to render the circular sections in

The shield body is the same as the 2.0, but new parts have been added
to render the circular sections in pastel colors.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The pin that attaches the shield to the arm is a bit weak.. It seems like the shield is held up more by

The pin that attaches the shield to the arm is a bit weak..
It seems like the shield is held up more by the hand gripping the handle than by the connection to the forearm.

The 1/100 Amuro figure is dressed in a pilot suit.

The articulation is, as expected, excellent~.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The elbows and thighs have armor slide gimmicks.. though the forearm slide gimmick is a bit stiff and ha

The elbows and thighs have armor slide gimmicks..
though the forearm slide gimmick is a bit stiff and has a fairly limited range of motion.

The knees use a premium double-split linked mechanism.
It's really fun to play with in person~

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - When the thigh armor slides, the gray armor piece at the front center bottom also moves down along with

When the thigh armor slides,
the gray armor piece at the front center bottom also moves down along with it.

Shoulder up/down and forward/backward movement.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - A new gimmick has been adopted where both the shoulder armor cover and the inner shoulder cover move tog

A new gimmick has been adopted where both the shoulder armor cover and the inner shoulder cover move together,
maximizing the vertical range of motion for the shoulder..
Thanks to this, recreating scenes where the shoulder is raised looks absolutely fantastic.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The front and rear covers of the shoulder armor move as well, further maximizing the shoulder's range of

The front and rear covers of the shoulder armor move as well, further maximizing the shoulder's range of motion.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The beam saber is mounted on a double joint giving it quite a wide range of motion.. but it moves around

The beam saber is mounted on a double joint giving it quite a wide range of motion..
but it moves around so freely that it keeps falling out of position, which is a bit of a headache.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Waist rotation and side-to-side rotation. Considering it has a core block, the articulation holds up pre

Waist rotation and side-to-side rotation.
Considering it has a core block, the articulation holds up pretty well.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The sole is split into three sections for movement, but when standing it straight, you actually have to

The sole is split into three sections for movement,
but when standing it straight, you actually have to carefully flatten it out, making it a bit of an inconvenient foot gimmick -_-

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The white armor at the back of the foot moves on a surprisingly wide ball joint. Thanks to this, the foo

The white armor at the back of the foot moves on a surprisingly wide ball joint.
Thanks to this, the foot can bend backward quite a lot — it's a really effective idea.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The fully articulated one-piece hand used in the MG Nu Ver.Ka is included. It's a great parts design as

The fully articulated one-piece hand used in the MG Nu Ver.Ka is included.
It's a great parts design as always.. but it does come off easily, so you have to handle it with care..

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The kneeling pose is ever so slightly less stable compared to the bare frame. (1/3)

The kneeling pose is ever so slightly less stable compared to the bare frame.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - You can pull off some pretty dynamic poses~ It's especially a kit where the shoulder joint articulation

You can pull off some pretty dynamic poses~
It's especially a kit where the shoulder joint articulation really shines.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Such a natural sword-drawing pose. (1/3)

Such a natural sword-drawing pose.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The natural sword-drawing pose angle is the best of any Gunpla ever made. The arm moves almost like a re

The natural sword-drawing pose angle is the best of any Gunpla ever made.
The arm moves almost like a real human arm..

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Beam saber action pose (1/3)

Beam saber action pose

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Bazooka action pose (1/3)

Bazooka action pose

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Mounted on an action base. The stand joint parts hold on nice and firm, so you can display it airborne w

Mounted on an action base.
The stand joint parts hold on nice and firm, so you can display it airborne without any worries.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The classic box art shooting pose. Again, those flexible shoulders really boost the dynamism! (1/5)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The same old box art shooting pose. The flexible shoulders really do make it so much more dynamic! (2/5)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - The same old box art shooting pose. The flexible shoulders really do make it so much more dynamic! (3/5)

The same old box art shooting pose.
The flexible shoulders really do make it so much more dynamic!

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Two-handed shooting pose looks totally natural too! (1/4)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Two-handed shooting pose looks totally natural too! (2/4)

Two-handed shooting pose looks totally natural too!

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Recreating the ver. 3.0 box art. Just popping it on a stand already looks awesome. (1/5)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Recreating the ver. 3.0 box art. Just popping it on a stand already looks awesome. (2/5)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Recreating the ver. 3.0 box art. Just popping it on a stand already looks awesome. (3/5)

Recreating the ver. 3.0 box art.
Just popping it on a stand already looks awesome.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - With the RG First. It's not an exaggeration to say the MG First 3.0 is basically just a scaled-up copy o

With the RG First.
It's not an exaggeration to say the MG First 3.0 is basically just a scaled-up copy of the RG.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - With the MG First 2.0. Hard to compare properly since it's got the clear parts on (and they're a pain to

With the MG First 2.0.
Hard to compare properly since it's got the clear parts on (and they're a pain to take off T_T)

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Comparing against the Titanium Finish ver. 2.0 for an exterior comparison. The 3.0 is quite a contrast t

Comparing against the Titanium Finish ver. 2.0 for an exterior comparison.
The 3.0 is quite a contrast to the extremely simple exterior of the 2.0.

Comparison with the MG Gundam Ver. O.Y.W. 0079, which has its own busy panel lines.

Both together make for quite the chaotic panel line combo.

And a comparison with the SoftBank limited edition, Metal-in Gundam version.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 - Both share the same design from the 30th Anniversary First / Odaiba 1:1 Gundam Project, so they have ide

Both share the same design from the 30th Anniversary First / Odaiba 1:1 Gundam Project,
so they have identical panel lines and the same overall look.
Looking at just the exterior, the 3.0 really only adds color separation — the panel lines and seals/decals are e-x-a-c-t-l-y the same.

1.0 - 1.5 - 2.0 - 3.0
The evolution of the MG First Gundam continues...

Straight build

The MG ver. 3.0 of the RX-78 First Gundam — the eternal hero of the Gundam universe — has arrived. This one stirred up quite a bit of controversy even before it was announced... It was released as an MG-ification of the 30th Anniversary 1:1 Gundam Project design, which is essentially the same design used for the RG.

1. A scaled-up copy of the RG...

Right off the bat, the exterior design gives you a strong sense that this is just a blown-up version of the RG Gundam — but that's kind of inevitable, since it's taking the same design concept and moving it to MG scale. The problem is that because of this, the exterior doesn't feel new or fresh at all. When you hear "ver. 3.0," you naturally expect something more, and for Gunpla enthusiasts, this new release left a bit of an aftertaste that was hard to shake.

The biggest tell is that the dry decals — a hallmark of MG kits — are nowhere to be found. Instead, you only get a single sheet of seals that looks like it was literally just scaled up from the RG First, which makes the whole thing feel like an RG in MG clothing. Ultimately, whether this kit succeeds comes down to whether the quality upgrades are good enough to overcome the stale design. My personal verdict? 70% successful.That's how I'd put it.

2. Can the First really need this many parts??

Open the box and you're immediately greeted by over 430 parts — enough to make you wonder, does our First really need this many? Of course, the 30th Anniversary design concept means the exterior armor is made up of multiple tones, so the outer armor itself is split into a huge number of pieces. But the internal gimmicks are also packed in incredibly densely, which drives the part count up and makes the build a bit more demanding. It almost feels like there was a compulsion to be even more precise than the already incredibly detailed RG.

As a result, this is a more involved build than any other First kit out there. The internal joint assembly in the arms in particular uses a method I'd never seen before, and even I was a bit thrown off by it. The build process isn't exactly smooth, but the end result is decent enough, so that's a relief. Between the high part count and the somewhat unconventional assembly style, it does take a bit longer to build than you might expect.

3. Overall gimmicks and articulation are excellent

The exterior design is just too familiar to say much about — it's literally the same look we've seen many times before. In fact, the panel lines and decal design are c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y identical to the SoftBank limited edition Metal-in Gundam.

Instead, this kit goes all-in on gimmicks and articulation. Having more room to work with than the RG allows for several new ideas to be implemented. The standout feature has to be the shoulder joints. The shoulder joint covers are articulated, and the inner shoulder armor also has a slight range of motion, making the up-and-down movement of the shoulders incredibly smooth and natural. The draw pose in particular is genuinely stunning — it's the most natural-feeling pose I've ever seen from any Gunpla kit.

Thanks to those dynamic shoulder joints, just raising the shoulders a little brings a pose to life in a big way. On top of that, the forearm joints fold up nicely, and the fingers use the same fully articulated hand from the MG Ver.Ka — so the arms really do pack in every possible articulation advantage.

The legs are no slouch either — the hip and knee joints deliver top-tier articulation, with the thighs and knees linked together in a double-split movement. The ball-jointed ankles offer above-average range of motion, and there's a neat gimmick where the white rear foot armor moves flexibly on a ball joint, maximizing the forward and backward ankle bend angle.

With all these high-level gimmicks packed in, this kit can rightfully be called the most poseable First Gundam ever made in terms of natural-looking poses and range of motion — and that's easily the biggest selling point of the ver. 3.0.

4. Stability feels just a little lacking somehow...

To achieve all those complex gimmicks, varied features, and top-tier articulation, something had to give — and as you might expect, the overall stability of the kit feels relatively lower as a result. That's just unavoidable.

It's hard to put into words, but while the individual joints are generally solid enough, there are just so many parts combined together that this isn't a kit you can handle carelessly.It's not like limbs are popping off or armor is falling apart everywhere, but it definitely doesn't have that rock-solid feeling the 2.0 had. The joints aren't loose or sloppy by any means, but I just can't bring myself to give joint strength a full 5 stars — that's the kind of feeling it gives.

I think it's an unavoidable consequence of the high part count, intricate gimmicks, and fine part breakdown, but personally I think this is the biggest obstacle to the kit getting a perfect score. There's always a lingering sense that something might come loose, and the upper skirt armor in particular actually does slide off on its own during hip joint movement — so despite the excellent articulation, it feels less than perfect in that regard.

Standing it upright also requires constant fiddling with the feet to get proper ground contact, which makes it hard to get that solid, planted feeling. The feet are on the small side, but it's not just a size issue. It's hard to explain in words — but if you handle the 2.0 and 3.0 back to back, you'll immediately understand what I mean. It's not unstable exactly, but there's an ambiguous feeling where you never quite feel fully confident in its stability either.

5. Other new gimmicks

Despite the core block and the elaborate shoulder joints already eating up space, there's somehow room to squeeze in an LED unit — which is honestly impressive space management. The separately sold LED unit you're supposed to use is a yellow one (not green or red), but since I didn't have a yellow one on hand, I just used a red LED I already had for the review photos.

As you can see though, the LED lighting effect is pretty underwhelming compared to the mono-eye LED glow on other kits — it just doesn't have much presence. So I'd honestly pass on buying the LED unit separately. (There are plenty of other things to like about this kit though-)

Any First Gundam kit should be able to mount the shield on the backpack, and the 3.0 has a neat little twist here. When the shield isn't attached, you can rotate the mounting hole 180 degrees to cover it up so you don't see an ugly gap. It's a tiny gimmick, but it shows a thoughtful attention to detail.

5. Disappointments

It's a good kit, but here are the things I wish were better:

- Can't be helped, but the biggest disappointment for buyers is that the design isn't new at all.
- For all the parts and complex gimmicks, the stability feels just a little lacking in comparison.
- The LED unit gimmick that was clearly put in with a lot of effort doesn't have much effect, and it also makes the neck connection feel slightly insecure.
- The shoulder joints are very flexible, but the shoulder armor itself feels a bit loose and tends to move independently from the body.
- The connection between the shield and the forearm is a bit sloppy and comes apart easily.
- The feet are a bit too flexible, which makes getting solid ground contact a bit of a hassle.
- The ankle joints themselves are solid, but strangely the entire ankle assembly tends to pop out on its own during posing.
- The foil on the copper stickers is fragile and starts to peel with repeated posing (especially at the elbows).

6. It's decent, but calling it a 3.0 feels like a stretch.

To sum it all up — it's exactly what the heading says. It's incredibly detailed as you'd expect from the latest First Gundam kit, the articulation is genuinely great, and the gimmick execution is very polished... but calling it a 3.0 leaves you with an inexplicable sense of "is that it?"

A big part of that is because the design isn't new at all, and even the weapons and Core Fighter just reuse parts straight from the 2.0. In terms of versioning, this is more like a 2.7 than a true 3.0. The "3.0" title implies a sweeping, comprehensive overhaul, and slapping it on this kit feels like a bit of a stretch.

Honestly, it would've been better if they'd just gone with something like MG Gundam Ver. 30th Anniversary and named it after the design concept itself. Instead, they stamped "3.0" on what is genuinely a high-quality kit, and now it ends up being unfairly underrated because of the expectations that title brings.

In the end, "3.0" is Bandai's name for it, and it feels like a statement: this is what the definitive modern Gundam design looks like. Countless people have already seen the 30th Anniversary 1:1 Gundam at Odaiba and Shizuoka, and this kit seems to be Bandai's way of officially declaring that this design is the Gundam of our era.

The context around it is a bit messy, but judged purely as a kit, it absolutely belongs in the top-tier lineup. It doesn't quite hit the level of craftsmanship that would blow your mind, but you do get the sense that they gave it everything they had out of respect for the First Gundam — and that counts for something.

And as a bit of an aside — it feels like we're in an era where that analog craftsman sensibility is getting harder and harder to find. As precision CAD design keeps advancing, Gunpla is starting to feel like MSG to me... like, it tastes good, it's genuinely delicious, but somehow you just don't feel quite right afterward...

Bottom line — this is definitely a kit worth building if you're a Gunpla fan, so I'd recommend it without hesitation. As long as you don't go in with sky-high expectations just because of that grand "ver. 3.0" title, I can honestly say this is a fun kit that lets you enjoy modern Gundam design and Gunpla engineering to the fullest. :-)

MG RX-78-2 Gundam ver. 3.0
Category	Rating	Analysis
Seam Lines	★★★★★☆	Piece by piece — the highest part count ever means seam lines are basically nowhere to be found.
Molding Color / Color Separation	★★★★★☆	Thanks to the three-layer exterior molded color combination, color separation is also top-tier.
Proportions	★★★★★	The head antenna got a bit smaller, but the overall proportions are super refined.
Articulation	★★★★★★★	Top-class articulation. The shoulder joints especially deserve some serious praise.
Joint Strength	★★★★☆	The complex part layout makes it feel a bit less sturdy compared to the 2.0...
Internal Frame	★★★★★☆	The color combination is intricate, and both the detail and the sense of depth are sharp and clean.
Detail	★★★★★	Overall, it delivers detail that's worthy of the MG line.
Weapons / Accessories	★★★★★	A few of the more redundant weapons got cut, but it stays true to the basics.
Parts Count / Price	★★★★★	432 parts total. 96 parts per ¥1,000. More parts means a higher price tag.
Uniqueness	★★★★★★	Falls a little short of what you'd expect from a ver. 3.0, but it's still a solid kit. One way or another, there's no question this is a high-quality kit.
Dalong's Point : 108 pts.

MG Gundam ver. 3.0 | 2013. 8 | ¥4,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.