Review: HGFC 1/144 Nobel Gundam Berserker Mode

Hey Builders,

I'm here with a review of the HG Future Century Nobel Gundam Berserker Mode. I received this kit as a gift from a close friend of mine, who spent most of his Summer in China. He came back early August, with gifts for a few of our friends in our Gunpla Group, one of which is Gundariumsmith. While this was a kind gesture, please know that our good friend is a troll. He picked up the Gundariumsmith brothers, Morgenroete Munitions and Luna Titaniumsmith the HG Beargguy and HGBF Beargguy III respectively. He got my other friend a GN Archer, and of course, the Nobel for myself. He figured he would get us Gundams, but the girliest ones he could find...

Little did he know, we were all very appreciative and happy with our gifts!

I've loved G Gundam since it premiered on Toonami in the early 2000s. It was one of my favorite shows, especially with the over the top arena fighting style, and of course the finishing SHINING or BURNING FINGER moves. 

THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER!

Heck, we still quote the show to this day, and I still watch clips on youtube. I even got my friend the HG Shining Gundam as a gag gift/reintroduction into the world of Gunpla! We used to watch the show all the time, buy the action figures, and play Gundam Battle Assault 2 on the PSX. Needless to say, this kit brought back some great memories.

Parts

The kit comes with 6 runners, A, B, C1, C2, D and the Action Base. I was thoroughly surprised at how few, (and how pink) the pieces were. They devoted a whole runner to the crazy "hair" pieces, and hey they give you a base too! All in all, I was pretty darn interested in building this kit, especially with how simple it looked. One interesting thing is that this kit has no polycaps whatsoever. None. At all. 

Instead, pieces from the C plates are substituted for various joint parts, as seen here, these are the sockets which are usually where the shoulder ball joints pop into. This is regular plastic, and not the rubbery polycaps we are used to. The other thing I noticed right away was that this piece fits snugly into the chest, that is to say there is no room for the piece to pivot outwards, as we have seen in the recent HGBF line. 

But this is actually remedied by the design of the shoulder ball joint, which is pushed slightly forward on the piece, to allow for more motion of the shoulder.

The other thing I noticed was one of my worst enemies. Thin seal stickers. In most cases I would've opted to paint instead of stick these little acts of Satan on, but I didn't have any glossy faded pink paint, so I just had to suck it up. The last time I had to do something like this was the Sinanju which called for so many thin gold trim seals. This one, however, was much easier to deal with. 

Size Comparison

This kit is fairly small. I guess since its a "female" suit, it tends to be fairly petite... kind of like the GN Archer. I decided to compare it to my smaller kits, the GN Archer and Crossbone Maoh. The Nobel sits right in between in terms of head height, but lacks any extra height because it doesn't have a prominent backpack attachment. Nonetheless, it takes up a lot of width because of that crazy volumized hair. 

Weapons/Manipulators

In terms of extra play parts, this kit has very little. It comes with two beam sabers for weapons, and that's about it. I was kinda looking forward to the beam ribbon thing, especially for the poses you could do with it, but was disappointed to find that it wasn't included in this version. 

In terms of manipulators, it comes with two standard fists for holding weapons, and two open hands, and one left handed peace sign. 

Articulation

In terms of articulation, this kit is a little stiff. Without any polycaps, the range of motion is fairly limited, however, when you get it into a pose, it stays. The only issue is how loose the ankle joint is, which I believe could have been alleviated with a polycap. Its not the best articulation, though it isn't terrible! You get 90 degrees on the arms and legs, and the joints for the shoulder allow it to pivot slightly forward. There's even some sassy hip movement too!

Color and Quality

This kit really shines. No literally. The glossy finish looks just great. The color separation between the orange of the head/hair, and the purple, hot pink and light pink are actually very appealing. They contrast very nicely, and all in all, this kit definitely pops, and stands out among the rest. 

Again, the kit is stiff, but sturdy. It has some weight issues, especially with the hair making it a little back heavy. The high heels for feet, and weak ankle joints doesn't help much for standing either. But they include an action base with an adapter which actually allows for some lean when you put it on. A very nice touch.

Pros and Cons

This kit is straight up beautiful in terms of the color. It is also a very unique build. It's been awhile since I built an HG, and the Nobel has a lot going for it. Trust me when I say, most HGs do not build the way this kit does, and its truly refreshing. Not to mention, this kit seriously looks badass, no matter how you cut it. The unique design, colors, and build are all pros for this kit. 

However, this kit leaves much to be desired. It doesn't come with many play options, nor does it come with many weapons. Two beam sabers is pretty pathetic if you ask me. You're basically just buying a Sailor Moon Gundam with nothing else. Unfortunately this is reflective of the Anime, as the Nobel didn't have much in terms of weaponry besides close combat, and that beam ribbon thingy. Also the lack of polycaps provided for some stiff joints, and also loose joints, depending on where you are on the kit. 

Verdict

I guess I can forgive the lack of weapons since, as you can see, I have a surplus of weapons that it can use, from the Kampfer Amazing's pistols, to the HG Customize Campaign gatling gun. Seriously, if the Nobel had these weapons, it would've been that much more awesome... Also, the hair provides for some really cool action shots, like its falling from the sky with beam sabers or pistols. Pretty cliche anime poses. 

However, after looking online, this kit ships for around $30, and I would definitely not pick it up for that price. I would, however, get it if it was about half that price. The lack of weapons is just not worth it, and for $30 you could get an RG, or a better HG. 

Sorry Nobel, you're awesome, but you're not $30 awesome...

If you wanna check out more of the photos of this kit, check it out HERE!

Til next time!