OLD Gundam Sentinel 1/144 Ex-S Gundam

Release 1988.11

Price ¥1,400

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/144 Ex-S Gundam - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Only one runner is newly added in this kit.
The rest are a combination of runners from the S Gundam and the booster unit version.

Seals

OLD 1/144 Ex-S Gundam - Parts diagram (1/4)

OLD 1/144 Ex-S Gundam - Parts diagram (2/4)

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Bottom view

Body without the beam smart gun

The sub-arm at the bottom of the beam smart gun can be secured on top of the crotch.

The beam saber storage gimmick is reproduced inside the knee parts.

One S Gundam part is left over as a leftover part.

The limb articulation is slightly worse than the S Gundam's.

OLD 1/144 Ex-S Gundam - Beam smart gun action pose (1/3)

Beam smart gun action pose

Beam saber action

OLD 1/144 Ex-S Gundam - Alongside the HGUC Ex-S Gundam released in 2002. The old kit has a beefier backpack and upper body vo

Alongside the HGUC Ex-S Gundam released in 2002. The old kit has a beefier backpack and upper body volume.

Alongside the 1/144 S Gundam. The legs, torso, and backpack have all been changed.

All three S Gundam variants together, including the booster type

All five old Sentinel series kits together

The long-awaited 1/144 Ex-S Gundam wraps up the old Sentinel series. Compared to the S Gundam, the front design of the legs and torso has been changed, and a large booster unit is mounted as the backpack. Like its predecessors, it combines snap-fit and system injection for easy assembly and a great straight build look right out of the box.

That said, the articulation isn't really any better than the S Gundam's, so there aren't many impressive poses you can pull off. But since it's got a bigger, bulkier build and more stuff attached to it, even a simple pose ends up looking pretty cool. It's worth noting that it can stand upright without much trouble even with that huge booster unit on its back, and the beam smart gun can be locked to the crotch with a fixing pin, so weapon stability isn't an issue either.

Aside from the frustrating articulation, it's actually a better kit than you might expect — though the HGUC Ex-S Gundam is overall the superior release, no question. Still, as you can see in the comparison photos above, the old kit does have a chunkier, more voluminous look to it, so if you're planning to paint it up, it's actually worth recommending in its own right. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.8.5 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.