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Play Arts Kai Super Street Fighter IV Series 2
Akuma and Cammy join the fray...
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Square Enix continues to revolutionize the action figure genre with all their exciting video-game-based Play Arts Kai figures. Today, we give you an inside look at the latest Super Street Fighter IV assortment consisting of Cammy and Akuma.
PACKAGING: Each figure is housed within an elaborately decorated window box package which features unique design elements from the popular Capcom game and individually-colored packages which differ by character. The Akuma window box consists of a blend of black and purple while Cammy’s package is predominantly composed of light and dark green accents. The back of both packages showcases the specific packaged figure in three individual poses and ahead shot of the other figure in the assortment.
SCULPT: Both the Akuma and Cammy figures are rendered incredibly well and are sculpted to mimic the unique stylized look of the video game. The realistic wrinkles and tears on Akuma’s dogi result in a fantastic looking action figure and one of the best figure sculpts of the villainous character to date. Akuma’s bulging biceps and chest are represented incredibly well in three-dimensional form and both of the head portraits included with the figure are flawlessly executed and true to the look in the game. Unlike other figural incarnations of Akuma, the Play Arts version features prayer beads that are permanently sculpted around the neck. Both the pants and top of Akuma’s dogi are fabricated out of a flexible rubber which compliments the various articulation joints around the body.
Cammy's body consists of a unique buck which showcases the sexy assets of this female military operative and her revealing one-piece bikini. Cammy features game-accurate gauntlets, gloves and two individual portrait sculpts. You can’t make a great Cammy figure without her iconic never-ending hair braids and Square Enix and has done an amazing job with this crucial sculpted element. The pelvic area on Cammy is made of a flexible rubber material which does not limit the crotch or abdominal joints’ range of movement.
PAINT: The color applications on each figure significantly enhances their overall look. The artists at Square utilized a very effective dry-brush technique on Akuma’s gi and the rope that wraps around his waist and wrists. Akuma’s flesh is airbrushed beautifully in a way that compliments his unique muscular structure and brings out the intricate details of the overall sculpt. The facial expressions on both of Akuma’s portraits are colored flawlessly in airbrush in a way that highlights the amazingly-rendered details. The iconic Dark Hadou symbol on the back of Akuma’s dogi is applied at the middle of the back with a prominent crimson-colored decal.
Cammy features a much simpler, but effective paint application. The vivid blend of light flesh tones on her body bring out a lot of the muscular details and is most noticeable on her thighs. The random scattered camo blotches on Cammy’s legs are applied in a very clean manner but seem to be decals instead of brushed on paint details. Although the pelvic and upper torso are made up of different materials, the paint applications on the one-piece bikini blend seamlessly into each other and the airbrushed details highlight the abdominal muscles incredibly well. Cammy’s big blue eyes are colored beautifully and look fantastic on both portraits. Her crimson-colored beret and gauntlets feature subtle shadow highlights and some minor dry-brushing. Overall, both of these figures are painted incredibly well significantly enhancing their already amazing sculpts.
ARTICULATION: The innovative Play Arts Kai articulation system compliments both figures by providing a wide range of movement and versatility. This allows each character to be posed in many of their numerous in-game fight poses. Both fighters possess more than 28 points of articulation and feature incredibly reliable ratcheting ball joints at the elbows and ankles. Both Akuma and Cammy feature the following articulated joints:
-Ball/Hinged Shoulders
-Hinged Under Arm Extensions
-Swivel Biceps
-Double Ball/Hinged Elbows
-Ball /Hinged Wrists
-Ball-Socket Upper Torso
-Ball/Swivel Abdomen
-Ball-Socket Crotch
-Double Hinged Knees
-Swivel Calves
-Ball/Hinged Ankles
ACCESSORIES: While both of these figures do not include any weapons, they more than make up for that with battle-specific blast effects which attach to their corresponding limbs. Cammy features a twisting energy burst accessory that attaches to the bottom of her boot to recreate her iconic Shadaloo assasin moves from the game. Akuma includes a translucent purple blast that attaches to the fist to recreate several of his devastating fight moves. Each figure also includes an alternate head with different expression and two additional hands.
It is really great to see Square Enix expand their Play Arts Kai collection into other game franchises such as Super Street Fighter. As a result of their majestic scale, sculpted details, innovative articulation and amazing paint apps, these Street Fighter action figures are the ultimate collectible for fans of the game to date. Although these Play Arts Kai figures carry a heftier price tag than most other action figures on the market, you truly get your money’s worth. Once you have them in-hand, you will forget about the $60 price tag and proceed directly to the cash register without ever thinking twice.
Review and Photos by Jorge Pelaez
Review Samples Courtesy of Square Enix
