Im glad you posted this, I was going insane trying to figure out how to make the backpack/tail stabilizer sandwich together flush. Glad to see it wasn't just me
Gotta love those BEE-CRAFT illustrations in the manual. They were a great source for giving us world-building supplemental images that would otherwise be locked behind pricey art books or never released. Nowadays Bandai's manuals are blandly utilitarian, and would rather give space to English text than commission great technical drawings. They're as disposable as the runners, whereas the older manuals were worth keeping.
Yeah, I never feel the need to hang onto my manuals after a build. They just end up tossed somewhere random. Would love to see some nice mechanical artwork in them
On the topic of “Decals on production images” My ‘92 1/100 RF-91 kit does feature pictures with the decals/stickers applied, so I guess that idea goes at least back to ‘92 (And yes! It’s an original print :D )
Actually that kit has been printed in January 2014, since it has that small triangle between the two date wheels, which symbolizes an added decade to whatever decade that specific runner mold states, in this case 00. They use the triangle because the decade stamp is the only part of the date stamp that can’t be changed
I have one of these guys, it was a really fun and easy kit to build. My only gripe with it was how shallow the panel lines were. If they made an updated version i would pick it up in a heart beat.
Picked this up from a vendor at Gencon last year for $50 & it's been sitting in my backlog. Really glad I did! Looks like I got a little lucky since it's somewhat hard to find. Great review! Can't wait to build it!
I normally dont panel line, or decal up my kits, as i typically really enjoy the clean bare plastic look, but I lined and decaled this kit to the nines and it ended up looking spectacular. I see the zeta plus as a real workhorse advanced grunt suit and it really sold the look.
For anyone wondering about the original Zeta Plus beam color, it's the 1999 version of SB1, which is in a slightly lighter sky blue color. (I have a 2003 print of this kit.)
You missed the little triangle in between the dials which indicate to add a decade for the year of manufacture. So that Zeta Plus C1 kit was actually made in January of 2014
I like the design a lot, but it has some *brutal* seamlines - not just the leg ones that you pointed out, but the sides of the torso and the main stabilizer. Then again, 20 year old kit. Definitely could do with a Ver Ka of its own (it is IIRC actually a Katoki design, given that it came out of Sentinel), but I wouldn't hold my breath for one. Maybe there's a chance for an A1 in Unicorn colors (same as the HGUC kit).
There’s an A1 unicorn version but it’s P-Bandai and just a recolor of the A1 MG kit but includes the Rezel beam rifle. The only thing new are the parts to convert it into the A2 and the underwing attachment points for the beam rifle.
so did they ever update the Zeta Plus mold? seeing the P-Bandai Zeta Plus Unicorn version up for preorder makes me wonder if its the same old polycap connection for the lower arms that fall off fairly easy after a bit of time. I have the old orange/white test color version so I already know the annoyances of the mold, lol!
It's so hard to find these older kits. I just picked up this Zeta Plus recently after looking for it for soooo long. They definitely need more work and effort than the newer ones. It's amazing how much they've evolved. So kits like these need 2.0.
I have the A1 version (because Amuro) and I really like this kit. It's dated, the articulation is limited, and there is no full inner frame, but the kit looks great and can do some basic poses. Especially when using an action base.
Loved the design of the C1 and a 2.0 would amazing! The beam smart gun was the selling point for me when I saw it in my local hobby store in the early 2000s. I was just getting into MGs so this was like my 3rd or 4th MG.
Fantastic! Just picked this kit up on Ebay after watching this review, can't wait to get built up and painted and maybe some waterslides anyone can recommend?
I really hope if they make a MG Zeta Plus ver Ka it doesn't end up being P-Bandai only (and at that i hope the sentinel colour is the default non p-bandai ver)
The A1 version looks better out of the box, takes up less space, and hews closer to the Zeta Gundam design mold, but the C1 definitely has its appeal. It really benefits from paint, or at least matte topcoat, as the gray plastic has a very toy-like glint to it. Otherwise, can't go wrong with either Zeta Plus MG. If you can set your expectations properly, you're in for a treat.
I have to agree - the A1 colour scheme is just so different and striking compared to the average Gundam colours. They all (up until the most recent release) share the same crappy hip/leg fastener tooling, don't they? The one with that tiny little nub which keeps the hips from flailing around - despite the limited articulation compared to modern kits, I'd still say that's the only real glaring flaw in the design.
The 1.0 frame held together so much better than the 2.0 unicorn color i had. The proportion redesign was nice in the 2.0, but the transform parts were more fragile than my Z+A1.
Awesome video as always! I am really impressed by the poses that you got out of the kit despite the limitations of the hook up with the action base. I could never spread the legs out that far with my ZPlus C1. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Will have to try to fuss with it more!
Fun fact: the Zeta Plus was actually originally designed 1986 by Masahiko Asano and Hajime Katoki in rough draft form for the ZZ anime, and the design was rejected because it was thought that too many Gundams would add to confusion. I had no idea!
Great review. What’s your thought on the screws in the knee joints? Even if they release a new one like they did the FAZZ I’d still want to build this kit. I regret never getting the kit a couple years back when it was still in print and super accessible…
The screws make for a really solid knee joint, and Bandai gives you little ABS pieces to cover them up. One caveat: If you plan on painting the Zeta Plus' entire inner frame after test fitting the parts, you might want to leave the screws until you're done doing that. Taking the screws out and re-screwing them again too many times loosens the entire knee joint.
My favorite Gundam which made me switch from Macross to Gundam for favorite mecha. Initially thought that the MG Zeta ver2.0 hip/waist/back was compatible with the MG Zeta Plus but that wasn't the case, should had kitbashed the parts&repainted it. Planning to mod the MG FAZZ VerKA to a Theta Plus as the heavier version of the Zeta Plus C1. Unfortunately the MG Zeta VerKa still didn't fix the hip/waist issue with all of the previous Zeta and Zeta Plus C1/A1 kits. Actually bought over several of these over a dozen yrs ago when the msrp for this kit was just over $20 so I still have several in my backlog. Bought them thinking that Bandai would release the Ex-S backpack boosters so that I can build the hummingbirds and paint them in various custom colors like the Red/Blue&Gray HummingBirds.
