OLD Victory Gundam 1/144 V2 Buster Gundam

Release 1994.2

Price ¥500

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Box side view

Runners

Newly added runners for the V2 Buster Gundam.

OLD 1/144 V2 Buster Gundam - Parts (1/2)

OLD 1/144 V2 Buster Gundam - Parts (2/2)

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

The face parts have been changed — the eyes end up looking really sunken in.

Limb articulation is the same as the original V2 Gundam.

Movement of the repositioned Minovsky Drive unit

Mega Beam Cannon and Spray Beam Pod range of motion

Beam rifle action

Mega Beam Cannon action

Together with the 1/144 V2 Gundam.

Together with the 1/144 V-Dash Gundam.

Together with the V2 Assault/Buster Gundam released in 2015.

Group shot of all 15 kits in the 1/144 V Gundam series.
(Weapon sets excluded)

The V2 Buster Gundam was released as the final kit in the old 1/144 V Gundam series. It's based on the 1/144 V2 Gundam, with a new head, front skirt, and Buster Unit added on top.

Like the previous Zollidia kit, polycap frames are included, but the clear runners and background card have been left out — the last two kits in the line didn't get those extras. This kit in particular is remarkably "lean" (?) in its contents, with absolutely no leftover parts once assembly is complete, which is quite a departure from the series' concept of bundling in lots of accessories.

Since the base body is straight from the 1/144 V2 Gundam, the structural characteristics are the same, but the large new front skirt does restrict leg articulation. On top of that, if you angle the hip joints even slightly too far during posing, the front skirt keeps popping off. The 1/144 V2 Gundam already had shaky joint retention to begin with, so this just makes the kit even more frustrating to handle.

The newly added head has a nice sculpt, but there's been zero consideration given to color separation or stickers, so it looks noticeably out of place compared to the original V2 Gundam. It really feels like the 1/144 V series just kind of phoned it in toward the end.

That said, this kit does have its significance as a release — it's the V2 Gundam with the Buster Unit actually attached — even if it's a somewhat disappointing note to end the series on. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.12.19]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.