Frame Arms 1/100 Gourai 2

It’s been over a decade since Kotobukiya first launched its Frame Arms model kits, and one of the lineup’s oldest entries which also became a trailblazer for the Frame Arms Girl series, is finally getting an upgraded version! Simply dubbed Gourai 2, this model kit highlights just how far Kotobukiya’s Frame Arms line has come. Scheduled for a June 2026 release, Frame Arms Gourai 2 will retail for 8,000 Yen. 

Getter Robo Freeing Dynamic Change Getter Robo G

Freeing is best known for their 1/4 scale bunny waifu PVC figures, so it may come as a surprise that they also produce mecha robot toys and now they’re re-releasing a product from the Getter Robo G series. Dubbed Dynamic Change, this particular product features Getter Robo G with a full transformation gimmick. Scheduled for August 2026, Dynamic Change Getter Robo G will be priced at 11,800 Yen.

Dynamic Change is one of the Getter Robo toys that offers a full-fledged transformation gimmick. The set allows complete transformation of Getter Dragon, Getter Liger, and Getter Poseidon from the Getter team’s combined plane mode. As expected, the intricate engineering required for these transformations limits articulation, but the final product is still impressive and fascinating for collectors.

Personally, I’m particularly interested in this release because Ryoma with his Getter Dragon was the MVP of my recent Alpha 3 playthrough, making this figure especially appealing.

Anko Miniblocks Hospital Playset Brick Model Review

 

 After covering the Anko brick model car series, I’m moving on to my collection of their playset line, starting with the Hospital. This belongs to one of K-Mart’s earlier batches of playset releases, which feature three separate building sets designed to connect side by side to form a larger street layout. The first one I assembled happened to be the Hospital variant.

Like the others in the series, it’s a two-storey building with interior details that are visible from the open backside. For its price point, it’s a solid and well-designed set, even if it doesn’t necessarily stand out on its own.

Where these sets really shine is when collectors manage to gather multiple buildings from the lineup and connect them together. I already have the Police Station ready for a future review, and I’m looking forward to eventually getting my hand on the Fire Station to complete the trio.

SRW Alpha 3 4th Playthrough | Kusuha's route Complete!

I finally wrapped up my fourth playthrough of Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 last week, almost exactly as I predicted when I started this run in late February. It took me around 55 hours over the course of a month to finish, marking my return to the game after a 14-year gap.

To be honest, this kind of commitment isn’t as easy as it used to be. Back in my college years, I could pour endless energy into long RPG sessions without a second thought. That’s no longer the case—but even so, I’m genuinely glad I followed through. This run felt like a proper homage to one of the most legendary titles in the SRW franchise.

More than just a revisit, this playthrough will also serve as a deep refresh of my understanding of Alpha 3’s storyline, something that will be reflected, at least in part, throughout this post.

March 2026 Loot

 

Relatively modest, but still a sumptuous haul this month! While the overall net value might be a bit lower than previous months, this batch is packed with bargains. Most of the loot consists of brick models and model kits, with a few filler items scattered throughout.

The highlight of this month’s haul is no doubt Berserk's Figma Skull Night, easily surpassing the value of much of the rest of the batch by more than tenfold. Following closely are the Hexagear V-Thors variant in second place and Moderoid Arklaud rounding out the top three.

The brick model section is especially diverse this time. I managed to pick up a promising playset from the Bebe series by Top Toy, along with some Wekki Shop playsets. Against my own resolution, I couldn’t resist to obtain some few new additions for Super Mecha Champions Qbricks, seems I’m still attached to the SMC series after all. I also finally added some F5 Brick models to my collection, featuring mini transformable military vehicle mecha. While I had the chance to grab the Four Divine Beast brick models, I’ve decided to reserve those for another time.

Lastly, I scored some Treasure X items at an incredible rate—80% off, which is practically a steal! I’m still hoping to snag the larger Treasure X playset in the near future.

All in all, this month’s haul is solid, and I expect next month’s loot to lean even more toward the heavyweight collectibles. Still, this batch delivers plenty of variety and value to enjoy.

Mugenbine Saw Vol 02 Special Set

Bandai’s revival of the classic ’90s candy toy lineup, Mugenbine, has finally caught my attention with their latest iteration! Once a modestly popular series in its heyday, Mugenbine is back now reaching Volume 2, released in March 2026, priced at 3,800 Yen for a box set of four. 

Uma Musume Nendoroid Super Creek

With the resurgence of Uma Musume following its global release and its featured appearance in Cinderella Grey, Super Creek is finally getting her own Nendoroid! This marks her first major piece of merchandise, with more on the way. Kotobukiya even has already revealed a prototype for her upcoming PVC figure. Scheduled for release in August 2026, Nendoroid Super Creek will be sold at 7,600 yen.

Among Uma Musume trainees, Super Creek is not especially renowned for her race record. However, her strong maternal aura  amplified by the fandom’s well-known “goo goo babies” meme, has made her a beloved character within the community. The Nendoroid version presents a noticeably more wholesome and sanitized interpretation compared to her popular fan portrayal, though that certainly won’t stop creative collectors from recreating the meme with their own display setups.

While I may have stepped away from the Global version of Uma Musume due to its lingering JP-style “Saturnian” rigidity, I remain open to engaging with the franchise in forms that are less time-demanding.

Police 911 The Keisatsukan 2

One of the light gun arcade games I played as a teen left a lasting impression on me because of its unique gameplay experience. Fast forward 20 years, on a random whim, I decided to look it up—and that search ultimately led me to Police 911 – The Keisatsukan(ザ・警察官).

It turns out this light shooter is part of a series made by Konami in the early 2000s, spanning three main entries and even receiving some PS2 ports. The installment that left the deepest impression on me was Keisatsukan 2. In this game, you play as one of four law enforcement characters traveling across various Japanese crime scenes to take down gang leaders.

What made Keisatsukan stand out was its motion cover system, which tracked the player’s body movements to take cover. At the time, this was a remarkably sophisticated feature that I haven’t seen replicated since.

My personal favorite character in Keisatsukan 2 is the Incognito Police, who sports a groovy afro, stylish attire, and a versatile firearms loadout with balanced stats. There’s also a SWAT member with a high-fire-rate SMG, but its slow reload speed makes the Incognito Police my go-to choice for most missions.

While I really doubt I will ever encounter this arcade game anymore, I will definitely give the game a try as my way to pay respect for the experience it gave me as a kid.

Xabungle Soul of Chogokin GX-38R Iron Gear

Xabungle islikely one of Tomino’s more underrepresented mecha series, but Bandai has once again shown it some attention. Compared to classics like Dunbine, Xabungle may feel neglected, yet it has now received the premium Soul of Chogokin (SOC) treatment. This time, the spotlight is on the iconic transformable battleship, Iron Gear, scheduled for release as a P-Bandai item in August 2026 at 34,000 Yen. 

Warhammer 40k Joytoy - 1/18 Ultramarine w/ Assault Cannon Review

I’m slowly clearing the backlog of my JoyToy collection reviews, though at this pace it doesn’t seem like it will end anytime soon. This time, I’m taking a look at one of my Space Marine Terminators: the Ultramarines Terminator with Assault Cannon.

The Terminator Armor series is one of the stronger entries in JoyToy’s Warhammer 40K lineup in terms of overall value. Thanks to the characteristically bulky design of Terminator armor, limitations in articulation are far less noticeable. The heavy proportions actually work in the figure’s favor, making it feel solid and imposing rather than restricted.

On the battlefield, the Assault Cannon variant provides invaluable fire support for a Terminator squad. Terminators are essentially heavy juggernauts, frontline units that carve their way forward through sheer durability rather than mobility. In open combat, the Assault Cannon’s high rate of fire is devastating, easily mowing down lightly armored threats in a role somewhat comparable to a Heavy Bolter.

In the Space Hulk card game I own, however, the Assault Cannon Terminator isn’t always the optimal choice against Genestealers. Mechanically, it functions like a Bolter unit with triple attack dice. In theory, that means it can eliminate up to three Genestealers in a lucky roll but with 50% odds, it can just as easily backfire. It’s powerful, but far from foolproof.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to complete my First Founding Terminator collection eventually, just as I did with my Intercessor Marines. At the moment, I am still weighing my options for the Raven Guard and Space Wolves Terminator Candidate , so the hunt continues.

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (GBC)

Considering that I grew up with Power Rangers as part of my childhood, it’s no surprise that I eventually played some of the video game adaptations. My gateway into Power Rangers games happened to be Lightspeed Rescue, which probably explains why I still have a soft spot for that series.

There were two Lightspeed Rescue games that I played: the PlayStation (PSX) version and the Game Boy Color (GBC) version. Although I played the PSX version first, I want to talk about the GBC version before getting to it.

Developed by Natsume, the GBC version of Lightspeed Rescue offers a bite-sized Power Rangers experience. Among the various Power Rangers games I’ve played, this one stood out because the gameplay isn’t focused solely on defeating enemies. Instead, players are tasked with civilian rescue missions, which can be just as challenging due to environmental hazards like fires and collapsing structures.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Power Rangers game without Megazord action. The GBC version of Lightspeed Rescue includes Megazord segments, featuring two available Megazords. That said, expectations should be kept in check, these segments are far more limited compared to the brawler-style Megazord combat found in the PSX version.

30 Minutes Mission 1/144 Xenovalt

30 Minutes Mission usually flies under my radar, especially since its JRPG fantasy counterpart, 30 Minutes Fantasy, caught my attention instead. The line focuses on original mecha model kits, almost reminiscent of designs you would expect from a long-running original game series like Border Break. It’s a flexible, modular lineup that has quietly sustained itself for years. 

Animester x Bilibili 1/12 22 & 33 Action Figure Set

Some rather unusual offerings from Animester: an action figure set dedicated to Bilibili! While this platform might not be well-known outside China, Bilibili is a major social media platform in China specializing in anime and pop culture. Its influence is strong enough for the hobby industry to release tribute products. Animester is presenting action figures for the Bilibili mascots 22 & 33, featuring a futuristic theme simply dubbed Bainianji (拜年记), or the CNY anniversary version. Scheduled for Q4 2026, the figures will be available in several options: Action Figure only for 348 RMB, Action Figure & Motorcycle set for 528 RMB, and the full 22 & 33 set for 1056 RMB.

This is definitely a premium product from the Chinese hobby industry — hobby figures over 500 RMB are still rare in China. Given the unusually high price, it’s unlikely these products will reach many overseas collectors, even if the quality is unquestionable. Personally, the futuristic motorcycle rider caught my attention, though the price is beyond my budget.

This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered Bilibili mascot crossovers. The Final Gear series previously featured a collaboration unit with Bilibili 22 & 33: a Bomber mecha, a heavily modified CN-exclusive grunt unit. If Bilibili and the Chinese hobby industry continue to thrive, I expect we’ll see more products for 22 & 33 in the future.

As a parting gift, here’s a reference for the Bilibili 22 & 33 crossover unit in Final Gear.

Hardcore Mecha Mechatalk Part 2: Steel Dawn Catalogue

Moving on to Part 2 of my Hardcore Mecha Mechatalk series, this entry focuses on Steel Dawn, the game’s primary antagonist faction. As usual, the Mechatalk is organized according to the main mecha development branches and surprisingly, Steel Dawn’s lineup is quite diverse for what is essentially a rebel force.

Steel Dawn is a heavily armed rogue terrorist organization seeking to force Mars’ secession from the Earth Government. The group is led by the ambitious mercenary Xerxes Nomad, a man willing to employ any means necessary to achieve his vision even at the cost of innocent lives.

Given its status as a non-state actor without the same level of funding as the Earth Government army, Steel Dawn’s forces are predominantly ground-based and rely heavily on conventional projectile weaponry. Their designs reflect practicality and battlefield efficiency rather than technological extravagance.

That said, the faction is far from underpowered. Steel Dawn allocates significant resources toward heavily customized units for its ace pilots and even fields high-mobility aerial machines such as the Halberd series. At the top of the hierarchy, its leaders command their own Mobile Armor class units  effectively one-man armies that rival government superweapons.

Hopefully it won’t take too long for me to wrap up the Mechatalk article for Thunderbolt, along with the main Hardcore Mecha overview.

Girls Frontline Fire Control

I picked up this particular Girls’ Frontline spin-off last year but only started giving it proper attention over the past month. Although it isn’t developed directly by the team behind GFL2: Exilium, it still offers enough appeal to attract both long-time Girls’ Frontline fans and more casual players.

Girls’ Frontline: Fire Control is essentially a MOBA with mechanics adapted to fit the GFL universe. Since the Girls’ Frontline series is a popular gacha franchise centered on anthropomorphized firearm “waifus,” Fire Control integrates light FPS elements to stay true to the brand’s identity. However, at its core, it remains a MOBA experience.

One of the game’s strengths is allowing players to use well-known T-Dolls from the original title, with their weapon classes naturally translating into MOBA roles. My current mainstay is WA2000 known as Makiatto in GFL2, the classic tsundere red-haired sniper rifle who fills the ADC role in Fire Control. The role transition feels seamless and faithful to her original identity.

Personally, I think Fire Control works well as a casual MOBA alternative. For it to survive and thrive long term, however, consistent content updates will be crucial especially new stages and the addition of fan-favorite T-Dolls to keep the existing fanbase engaged. With major names like HK416, UMP45 and Type 95 still available to headline updates, the game has strong potential to maintain momentum. The recent QoL improvements seen in GFL2: Exilium may also indirectly strengthen confidence in the broader franchise.

To me, Girls’ Frontline: Fire Control demonstrates that a successful gacha franchise can transition into the MOBA format to reach a broader casual audience while retaining its core fans. If successful, perhaps other major gacha titles such as Fate/Grand Order might one day experiment with similar diversification strategies.