Super Robot Chogokin UCR-10/A Review

Armored Core is a game series that I don’t have a lot of experience with. I can remember when I was younger playing some of them on PS2, but back then I don’t think I had the mental capacity to sit down and truly enjoy a complex mech-fighter. Thankfully to get me back into the Armored Core series, Bandai’s Tamashii Nations has done me a favor with releasing a Super Robot Chogokin version of the UCR-10/A mech, and it’s a hell of a good one.

The first thing I noticed when picking up my Hobbylink Japan package from the post office was the sheer weight of the thing. I know I would only be receiving two items (the other being a Robot Damashii EVA), so I immediately smirked when I realized I was getting some diecast Chogokin goodness.

Starting off with the toy, it’s got a great, gritty mech look to it. 95% of the toy is the same bronze color, and I’m really ok with that because it conveys exactly how this toy feels: gritty, sturdy, and ready to kick some ass. Despite my first glance, the head actually has some good ball-jointed articulation when you get everything settled in, and the sculpt seems to be pretty spot on to the aesthetic from the Armored Core art that I’ve seen.

While the arms and shoulders might look to be pretty statuesque, I was really pleased to find out the amount of articulation that was actually in them. Each of the two pauldrons are connected to the torso via a ball-joint, and the arms are then connected to the shoulder pauldrons that allows them to be swiveled laterally. To make things even better, a bicep swivel is also present along with double-jointed elbows (with some diecast!) The hands then simply plug in via ball-joints (more info about the hands in the “Accessories” section below.)

The waist articulation is really something to marvel at as well. While I was expecting a simple swivel, the UCR-10/A is actually able to bend forward and backward, and not just a little bit. This gives another awesome variable to how you choose to pose this guy.

Once again, the lower body also managed to surprise me in terms of articulation. The hips are ball-jointed and give just enough articulation to the legs to get some awesome poses in. The knees are like the elbows in the sense that they’ve got two joints, but the knees joints being a little further apart give this section of the legs an extreme amount of articulation (enough for the ‘bot to kneel!) UCR-10/A also has a neat foldable shield on the left leg that can be open or closed, depending on the look you’re going for. Other than that, there are a few miscellaneous armor plates on the legs that can be moved around a bit to prove this thing’s got even more little details.

Perhaps my favorite part of the toy, the feet. Yes the feet. Not the guns or armor, the FEET! This things feature a ton of diecast, with the entire bottom skids being diecast. They really give the toy some weight a really solid feel. In terms of articulation, there’s a swivel at the ankle for rotation, as well as a swivel for some ankle rocking action. The front part, or “toe” section is also hinged for some cool poses, as is the other piece attached to the side, which does a great job of stabilizing the ‘bot and keeping him standing.

UCR-10/A has got some great accessories, and they’re what you’d expect from something coming out of an Armored Core game. Included with the base figure are four unique guns, four unique hands, and an attachable port for a Tamashii Stage. The guns themselves all look spectacular in every aspect. Tons of detail and they feel very sturdy for plastic weapons. The minigun’s barrel is even able to rotate around! The four hands included each correlate to a certain gun. Hand A to Gun A, etc. While this is nice in the sense that you’re getting a near perfect fit with each combo, it does mean that you can only use certain guns exclusively with either the right or left arm. Two of the weapons are also able to be attached to the back of the shoulders. The included port for a Tamashii Stage simply attaches firmly to the underside of the UCR-10/A.

Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the Super Robot Chogokin UCR-10/A from Bandai. I’m glad that my premonitions about some of the articulation that may be lacking were proven wrong with how much there actually is. Combine an absolutely stellar looking toy sporting a hefty weight and some diecast, with some great weapons and I think you’ve got something that just about any collector can get behind. Now to just get my hands on the Grind Blade weapon set! Thanks again to HLJ for providing this figure for review, and get your UCR-10/A at Hobbylink Japan!