OLD Z Gundam 1/300 Psycho Gundam

Release 1985.11

Price ¥600

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

Runners

Along with the waterslide decals, there are also 2 metal wire shafts included.

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + waterslide decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Not bad articulation for a transforming unit.

Action pose

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - To transform into Mobile Armor mode, first remove the head, chest and shoulder covers, hands, shield

To transform into Mobile Armor mode, first remove the head, chest and shoulder covers, hands, shield, etc.

Raise the backpack section and shoulder covers to form the "hat" shape as shown above.

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - Remove the lower legs below the knee, then lift up the front body armor. At this point, the upper hi

Remove the lower legs below the knee, then lift up the front body armor. At this point, the upper hinge that separates the front and rear body armor is operated using a metal wire shaft.

Fold in the forearms and open the covers to align them with the shoulders.

Attach the additional parts for securing the wings onto the hip joints.

Pull out the peg hole for attaching the chest armor from inside the "hat."

Fold the legs as shown above..

Split the shield into two pieces and pull out the hidden wings from inside to attach them.

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - Attach the wings on both sides and the transformation into Mobile Armor is complete. (1/3)

Attach the wings on both sides and the transformation into Mobile Armor is complete.

Once the transformation is complete, the head and hands are left over.

Together with the HGUC Psycho Gundam released in 2004.

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - Together with the 1/144 Gundam Mk-II & Z Gundam. As you can see, it seems like the 1/300 scale w

Together with the 1/144 Gundam Mk-II & Z Gundam. As you can see, it seems like the 1/300 scale was chosen to match the size of other 1/144 kits.

OLD 1/300 Psyco Gundam - Comparison with the 1/220 Mk-II and Z Gundam. Even though the scale is smaller at 1/300, the Psycho

Comparison with the 1/220 Mk-II and Z Gundam. Even though the scale is smaller at 1/300, the Psycho Gundam is still way bigger.

This kit is the 1/300 Psycho Gundam released as part of the old-style Z Gundam series. Since the Psycho Gundam stands over 40 meters tall in the lore, it came out in the somewhat unusual 1/300 scale. As you can see from the size comparison photos above, it looks like the scale was chosen to make it roughly the same size as other 1/144 kits.

The highlight of the Psycho Gundam is its transformation into Mobile Armor mode, and despite being an old kit, it does a pretty solid job of recreating the transformation gimmick. As you can see from the transformation walkthrough, it's a surprisingly complex process that's hard to pull off without following the manual. You can tell a lot of effort went into minimizing parts-swapping and getting as close to a full transformation as possible. Thanks to that, the Mobile Armor mode looks quite convincing — the silhouette honestly holds its own even against the 1/144 HGUC Psycho Gundam released in 2004.

And despite all that transformation gimmickry, the articulation is on par with other old-style 1/144 kits, which is another plus. In particular, the hinge that separates the front and rear of the body uses a metal wire shaft, showing quality that exceeds expectations in a number of ways. That said, as you'd expect from an old transforming kit, there are some concerns around stability and durability, and the complex gimmick does make the build feel a little tricky.

All in all, this is a kit I'd give high marks to for pulling off the Mobile Armor transformation almost perfectly. If you're interested in the Psycho Gundam as a massive oversized unit, this could be a fun and affordable build. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.5.8 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.