Making his debut in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), the robotic rival to the King of Monsters has been a staple of the franchise ever since. Appearing in multiple live action films, as well as a brief appearance in the recent animated film, Mechagodzilla has proven to be one of Godzilla’s fiercest opponents. Over the years, different versions of Mechagodzilla have had different origins. In his original incarnation, Mechagodzilla was constructed by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, and was disguised as the actual Godzilla. When Mechagodzilla finally faces off with the real Godzilla, it sheds its faux exterior to reveal its true form.
Tamashii Nations has released a new S.H. MonsterArts figure based on the original incarnation of Mechagodzilla. The figure, which stands a little over 6″ tall, the figure includes interchangeable hands, adjustable panels on the figure, a Cross-Attack Beam effects piece, and a stand for the effects part. Bluefin was kind enough to provide the figure for us to check out. After the jump, check out our thoughts on the figure, as well as over 45 photos of the 1974 Mechagodzilla.
S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 1974 – Mechagodzilla Figure
- Excellent metallic finish
- Very good articulation
- Nice mix of plastic and diecast metal
- Easy to swap out hands
- Surprisingly intricate parts and pieces on the joints
- The sculpted details are great
- Can be posed in flight mode
Cons
- The Cross Attack Beam doesn’t attach to the figure
- No stand for flight mode
Overall
Packaged in a windowless box, Mechagodzilla’s packaging features a design similar to many of the S.H. MonsterArts releases. The front is shown with a great photo of the figure, while the back showcases multiple photos, showing the various features. The figure sits inside a plastic clamshell, allowing for easy re-packing for storage if needed. As previously stated, the figure includes interchangeable hands, adjustable panels on the figure, a Cross-Attack Beam effects piece, and a stand for the effects part.
Once out of the package, the figure is pretty much ready for display. the first thing I noticed was the weight the figure has. It’s an unexpected, but welcome heft from the diecast parts in the lower half of the figure. This makes Mechagodzilla sturdy as a rock when posed and with three points of balance (feet and tail), there should be no balancing issues. The sculpt work is incredible detailed for something based on a 1970’s man in a boxy suit. But there’s a nice steel texture throughout, with spot on attention to details, such as rivets throughout. There’s nice work on hiding the joints as well, using small separate plates that can move with the joints and look like a cool retro robot rubber connector piece. Along with the nice sculpt work is a wonderful metallic paint job. The silver paint used shines when even a small amount of light hits it. The stark silver allows for the smaller painted areas, such as the eyes and decals on the shoulder to really pop here. The overall look is that of a small film model as opposed to a fully articulated action figure.
Mechagodzilla has a set of interchangeable hands, which are easy to swap out, but snap on tightly. There’s also a Cross Attack Beam included. The chest opens up to show where the beam originates, but the beam itself does not attach to the figure. Instead, there’s a small stand that attaches to the beam to hold it in place. It works perfectly fine. But the beam itself is so light, and the figure is fairly heavy, that I’m surprised they didn’t have a way for it to simply attach to the chest. The figure can also convert to flight mode. Two of the smaller dorsal fins on his neck retract into the body, allowing the head to tilt all the way back. It works great, but you’ll need to improvise if you want to display him this way, as no stand is included. Those are both very minor nitpicks, but simply something to note.
In the end, this is an excellent version of the Showa-era Mechagodzilla. It’s fun to pose, has a good range of motion and a great overall look. If you’re a collector of S.H. MonsterArts, then this is more than a worthy pick up.
Check out some select photos below. After that, you can see the full gallery.
CompaniesTamashii NationsBluefin
CharactersMechagodzilla
Sub-LineSH MonsterArts