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REVIEW: Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format NATHAN DRAKE
The Uncharted Series Treasure Hunter Becomes A Sought-After Collectible...
Naughty Dog Studios, the gaming company behind last year’s amazing and award-winning original game title Last of Us, was previously know for their work in PlayStation staple series Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. But the series that really brought their name to light is the popular adventure series Uncharted. The first game in series Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was released in 2007 on PlayStation 3 to critical acclaim and spawned two equally successful sequels, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. The main character Nathan Drake, a roguish and charismatic adventurer, is the supposed descendant of Sir Francis Drake who goes on globe-spanning journeys seeking lost treasures ala Indiana Jones. His third and latest adventure finds Drake in the Rub’ al Khali Desert looking for the “Iram of the Pillars” and it is this look that Sideshow has based their new Premium Format Nathan Drake figure on. An interesting side note is that the statue of Nathan Drake included in the Collector’s Edition of Uncharted 3 was also created by Sideshow.
Nathan comes packaged in an appropriately themed box, made with an all-over worn look similar to the box that the collector’s edition video game arrived in. Inside, a Styrofoam shell protects the statue, with everything wrapped individually. The figure is primarily in one piece, with only the arms, the head, and his second pistol being separate pieces. The base had one of Drake’s hands permanently attached to the wall and features a unique design underneath along with the edition number. The statue’s wardrobe also has some assembly required with collector’s needing to dress Nathan in his harness and holsters, necklace, and shemagh.
One of the first things that fans will notice is the overall dynamic look of the statue. While most of Sideshow’s Premium Format Figures are posed in fairly static, standing poses, the Nathan Drake Premium Format Figure has a dynamic leaping design that is fitting for the fan-favorite character. Nathan is featured in action as he vaults over a crumbling wall with gun at the ready and looks great from any angle. The exclusive version of the statue features two different display options. While the regular version has Nathan wielding a 9MM pistol, the exclusive version includes an extra arm with a KAL 7 Rifle and a 9MM Pistol to holster.
Aside from the awesome pose, the highlight of the piece has to be the head sculpt. Sideshow did an excellent job matching the character model from the game. The face has a lot of realistic texturing including sculpted stubble. This is complemented by an outstanding paint job that brings out the texture and fleshes out the muscle tone in his arms. If I had one criticism for the piece, however, it would be in the paint job on the weapons. The coloring is so flat that it makes them look plastic like toys where ideally these could have been made of metal.
His costuming is tailored well and consists of cargo pants and a long-sleeved short. The clothes have been given a weathering treatment to make them look grimy and worn and really give them a more realistic feel. The harness and holsters are made from a leather-like material that sits loosely on the statues and requires a little fussing to secure. The piece that is most frustrating is the shemagh. It really takes a lot of effort and extra fluffing to get the scarf to lay just right to match the production and game images, but once it’s done it really brings the piece together.
Sideshow does it again, creating a fantastic collectible for video game fans to show their love for the Uncharted series. The Nathan Drake Premium Format Figure is the best Uncharted collectible available to fans and I’m surprised this awesome statue is still in stock. The exclusive version is limited to 500 pieces so if you really want to get your hands on this limited edition treasure you better do so soon before it’s lost forever.
Review and Photos by Michael Klein
Review Sample Courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles
Review Sample Courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles
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