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REVIEW: NECA Pacific Rim 18" Striker Eureka
I Like Big 'Bots and I Can Not Lie...
NECA has released their latest towering 18-inch tall Pacific Rim action figure, the Australian Jaeger Striker Eureka. The third Jaeger in the series following Gipsy Danger and Cherno Alpha, the Striker Eureka stands strong with loads of updated sculpted detail. Like the smaller version, the 18" Striker features flip out wrist blades, but as a bonus to the larger figure, LED lights have been added in the head and chest. The 18" Striker Eureka is currently in-stock at BigBadToyStore.com priced at $99.
Let me dive right in by saying that updated sculpted detail is an understatement. NECA's 18" Striker Eureka is an entirely new figure that makes their initial 7 inch release look like it was made by another company. I don't mean that as an insult, as their 7" Striker was pretty dang cool looking at the time. However, now we have something to compare it with, and *WOW*, it's just amazing to see what a larger size/ budget can do for a toy two years later. Like the 18" Gipsy Danger and 18" Cherno Alpha before it, the 18" Striker Eureka's improved look is all about the added panel lines. Where the 7 inch figure was smooth as a baby's butt, the 18 inch Striker Eureka appears like a colossal war machine with sculpted detail everywhere.
One of my favorite aspects of this mech has always been its head. It has a sleek modern profile, which I'm sure was the designer's intention as the Striker Eureka is the most current generation of Jaeger. The detail here is remarkable, the fine-tuned sculpting really bringing this robot to life.
Having a figure this large also allows for improved deco. Here NECA has replaced the use of silver paint on select armor pieces with a nice coat of beige. The subdued military color truly goes hand-in-hand with the Striker Eureka's primary grey paint scheme. Jaeger insignia, serial numbers and other realistic trimmings have also been applied to this larger figure to great effect. The bulldog biting a bomb logo is particularly awesome; the logo calling to mind the nose art used on vintage WWII fighter planes.
Unlike past 18" Jaegers, the Striker Eureka does require some minimal assembly. In order to package this beast properly, the Striker's back fins were left off and must be plugged in. To do this, use the hairdryer trick by heating up the holes on the back and then firmly pushing the fins on. Trust me, if those holes aren't softened up, you'll never get those fins on. The plugs on each fin are specific to either the left or right holes, so deciding which one goes where should be easy to figure out. While talking about the fins, I'd like to point out the nicely sculpted exhaust ports. You'll note that NECA used a different plastic for the slotted coverings, really adding a layer of depth and realism.
The back is also where you'll find the button to activate the 18" Striker Eureka's light-up feature. This one actually took me a little time to figure out as this button is extremely well hidden (yay!). See where my finger is pointing in the photo above? There's a dark grey exhaust port squarely on the back divided into four quadrants. Pushing the TOP segment down triggers the lights. Pretty dang nifty! The features that illuminate this time around include white lights on the top of the Striker's head, as well as in the center of the chest, along with red/violet lights along each side of the Jaeger's upper torso. The red and white color scheme comes across very patriotic and looks killer in the dark. Like the light-up feature on past 18" Jaegers, the lights stay activated until the button is pressed again. And yes, batteries are included - simply pull out the safety tab.
Big and bold, the 18" Striker Eureka looks GREAT. But they don't call it an action figure for nothing: this thing can MOVE. Believe it or not, the 18" Striker is way more articulated than the 7 inch figure. You get a ball-jointed head (only side-to-side swivel on the 7"), ball-jointed shoulders, swivel/hinged elbows, swivel/hinged wrists, a swivel waist (nothing on the 7"), hinged/swivel thighs, hinged/swivel knees, and ball-jointed ankles. You also get the Striker Eureka's calling card: the flip out wrist blades! These are much nicer on the larger version as they stay in position better and they fold out of sight into the robot's arms quite nicely.
All this articulation makes for tons of display options, however stability does become an issue. Because of the Striker Eureka's top-heavy design, the abundance of leg articulation - while not necessarily weak - can create balancing problems. It's just the nature of the beast. You'll find that you can get the Striker into some really dynamic poses (like my photos above), but I would not risk leaving it like that on display for fear of an eventual shelf dive (bombs away!). Unlike the much sturdier standing 18" Gipsy and Cherno, the 18" Striker is one of those massive figures you'll want to brace against a wall while on display. That reminds me: I wonder when we'll see those 18" figure stands from NECA? The 18" Striker Eureka, unfortunately, truly needs one.
Prolonged stability issues aside, NECA's 18" Striker Eureka is an amazing action figure. I wish all my favorite smaller figures came in this size. This scale screams fan devotion and quite frankly, these big figure are just so much more fun to play around with (and they look so much cooler!). I still love my smaller 7" Pacific Rim figures, but with three of these massive Jaegers now in my collection, those smaller robots just don't impress like they used to. In the case of the new 18" Striker Eureka and its smaller 7" cousin, the difference is radical. I've heard NECA mention that they'd like to re-release the 7" Striker using this new and improved sculpt, and I say go for it. Whatever the size, the Striker Eureka is a phenomenal robot design. All we need now is an 18" Crimson Typhoon to complete the "big four" - quite literally. And while I'm making my wish list, I also wouldn't mind seeing the Horizon Brave on this scale. I have the 7 inch figure arriving soon - full review to come!
Miss my past NECA Pacific Rim figure reviews?
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of NECA
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Re: REVIEW: NECA Pacific Rim 18" Striker Eureka
Well, I'm glad the Pacific Rim robo fans are gettin' lots of what they love, but personally I couldn't care less about the robots. I'm all about the Kaijus, baby.
It's been a loooong wait for more 18" Pacific Rim kaiju since the 18" Knifehead was released, but I will keep waitin'... *shoves hands into pockets and kicks at a pebble as a tumbleweed goes rolling by*
