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Back when Figma Samus Aran was released, we bemoaned the fact that she didn't include a Metroid. At some point, Jakks Pacific released one in their World of Nintendo line, but good effing luck ever finding it. But now, thanks to GameStop and their exclusive sets, we get a second chance!
The lone survivor of a Space Pirate attack when she was a child, Samus Aran now journeys across the galaxy as it premier bounty hunter taking contracts, visiting exotic worlds, and even coming into dangerous creatures like the energy-draining Metroids.
This set comprises three figures from the 2.5" segment of the World of Nintendo line - two Metroids and a Samus. Since nobody cares about a small, unarticulated Samus, we'll start with her.
Samus is wearing her standard armor,
all orange and red and yellow with green highlights and a big teal cannon on her right arm. The finish is metallic, making her look "outer space"y, and she's surprisingly tall for a part of a 2.5" line: 3⅛", even despite her "I'm struggling to maintain my balance" pose. The toy's articulation is limited to swivel joints at the shoulders and waist-chest, and overall, she's incredibly disappointing. The 4" Samus was probably fine, judging by the quality of others in that scale, but this is a glorified cake topper, with worse balance.
Enough of that, let's talk good. Let's talk Metroids! First discovered on planet SR388, this floating lifeform grows by absorbing
the energy around it. It is incredibly durable but extremely weak to cold. A Metroid will grab a rival by the head and drain energy.
Metroids are best described as "space jellyfish," because they have a translucent, bulbous central body with dangling appendages and visible internal organs. The Jakks figure honors this tradition, giving us a clear blue bulb around lumpy red nuclei, with a headcrabbish under-body and four bony spikes that probably serve as teeth.
In the games, Metroids do come in
a few sizes, which is why Jakks was able to include one in the same giant-sized line that brought us King Koopa. But who honestly thinks of Metroids as being that huge? Or has the display space readily available to accommodate it? Wouldn't you much rather have a smaller one that can hover around anywhere? This one is just about 1¾" tall, and features a small, clear display stand to allow it to lift off the ground a little. A very little. Putting it on the stand barely lifts its tooth-legs off the ground.
The World of Nintendo 2.5" scale Metroid is a decent little monster, and would make a great accessory for Figma Samus, but it was packed too lightly and was primarily snapped up by scalpers. Patience pays off, though, since you can now get two of them and a so-so Samus for less than a single one would cost on the secondary market.
-- 10/20/18
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