For the past few waves of Predator figures, NECA has been really packing the releases with a wide assortment of accessories. When the Alien vs Predator wave hit with Predator Series 15, fans were treated to all new body sculpts that greatly enhanced the sculpts and articulation. Almost immediately, fans began clamoring for some of the earlier Predator releases to get the new articulation seen with Series 15. Thankfully, those requests were met with the exciting announcements of Ultimate Figures based on the classic Jungle Hunter Predator and the City Hunter Predator.
These new releases would be updated to feature all new articulation, including double jointed knees and elbows. Today we’re taking a look at the first of the two, the Predator 2 – City Hunter Predator. Toyark sponsor Entertainment Earth sent the figure over for us to check out.
Related Entertainment Earth Links: Ultimate Jungle Hunter Predator, Predator 30th Anniversary Assortment, All NECA Predator Figures
Predator 2 – City Hunter Predator Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure
Pros
- Great sculpt
- New articulation is perfect
- Paint deco is nicely detailed
- Excellent selection of accessories
- Includes masked and unmasked head sculpts
Cons
- Breakage issues
Overall
The first Predator Ultimate Figure from NECA comes in the fan favorite flapped window box. The front features artwork from one of the original Predator 2 Posters, while the back showcases some of the features of the figure. The window flap opens to reveal the figure and accessories, with the inner flap having a full photo of the figure. The City Hunter Predator sits in a plastic tray, held down by a few twist ties. The accessories are laid out in front of the figure, which makes them easy to view while inside the box (a nice showcase for potential buyers). Included with the figure are interchangeable masked and unmasked heads, five interchangeable hands, a bloody skull and spine, a smart disc, a removable net launcher, a plasmacaster blast effect, a collapsed spear and an extended spear.
The City Hunter Predator features an excellent overall sculpt. Every last detail is handled with care, from the unique mandibles, to the dreads and the light armor the Hunter wears. Paint is handled with great care throughout, with nice detailing on the unmasked head sculpt and nicely painted netting. It’s a great looking representation of the City Hunter that looks every bit as good as the modern Predator releases even though the original release is one of the earliest Predator releases by NECA. What makes this release worthwhile is the updated sculpt and new articulation. By adding double jointed knees and elbows, NECA opens up a whole new world of dynamic posing. I’m a big fan of these types of double jointed areas as I feel they offer great display options (and better poses for photos shoots). The articulation fits in well as it doesn’t hinder the sculpted details in any way.
Included with this releases are numerous accessories and interchangeable parts. The headsculpts and hands swap out with no trouble and snap in perfectly. The accessories included with the City Hunter are top notch. You get, essentially, every accessory previously included with the different City Hunter releases as well as the plasmacaster blast effect that was included with the Predator Accessory Pack. The effects piece sits perfectly on the plasmacaster. The cannon has newly tightened connection pieces, making it very sturdy, even with the effects piece attached. The smart disk can be stored on the figures hip, which is always a welcome features. All together, these accessories and swap out parts help to make this figure feel truly ultimate.
Prior to this release, the only version of the City Hunter I owned was the excellent Sega Genesis Video Game Appearance City Hunter Predator. I was extremely excited to tear this open and check out the new features. My excitement was tempered a bit upon opening the figure and finding two breakages right out of the box. The flap for the gauntlet on the left arm is held in place by an extremely thin hinge that was broken already. After posting the figure a few times, the hinge crumbled and the flap was no longer attached to the figure. Also the crotch connector for the hip joints was cracked all the way through, resulting in very loose hips on my figure.
If you can avoid the breakage issues I had, then the Ultimate City Hunter Predator is a must own. The accessories, swap out pieces and new articulation all work well together. The figure looks great in hand and offers really good value for the price. Check out some highlight photos below and the full gallery after that.
The Building backdrop is by Extreme Sets.
CompaniesNECAEntertainment Earth
CharactersCity Hunter Predator
Scale7 Inch