Gunbluster (OJR)
I will open this review with a statement: Gunbluster is the sexiest Zoid ever. Period. None of those flashy Zero armors come close, and the elegant Kingliger, red Energy Liger, and Stego are a distant second. Nothing (and I mean nothing) beats royal blue, white, black, and eleventybillion gold chrome spinny guns on a stompy thing, do you hear me?
Now that you all think I'm crazy, I'll tell you a little bit more.
In Zoid Graphics' take on continuity, Gunbluster was created with the sole purpose of saving Shuu and company from the forces that had them pinned down on Nyx. Armed only with Raynos, Cannonfort, and the like, the group needed something smitier, and right away. Gunbluster was the first something, clomping in like a slow-paced knight in shining armor to save the battered Republic lot from a swarm of approaching Dark Horns. It accomplishes similar in fanbook-land, making it easily as heroic as any Liger.
The model reflects this, carrying a good amount of bulk for its smallish-medium size. It's rather similar to a Horn in footprint, but lower to the ground and more compact...and to be honest, more shuffley than stompy, even if it's a stompy at heart. Gunbluster is not a Zoid that's going anywhere fast, but it's not a Zoid that's going to be pushed around either. The Hyper Rolling Cannon may not turn to the sides like a Hibilt Vulcan, but if you are in front of it, you are dead. Like the vulcan, those top guns all spin, working off a series of gears in a rather grade-up fashion.
Really, Gunbluster is the gradeup that isn't: stuck somewhere between their size and a regular Zoid, it's got spinny gears but no port, and power emblems but no empty slots, as it can't actually hold any grade-up weapons. Said emblems, if you have an old box handy or are geeky enough to have memorized the number system, are happy to tell you the stats in ZEP for Gunbluster's body, shield, and gun turret. Or rather - mine would be happy to tell me, had one of the emblems not skuttled off to points unknown. Bugger.
Since my Bluster was built already and it's been a while since I built my NAR, I can't remember too much of the building, though points of interest beyond the spinny gun bits would be Gunbluster's jaw (acutally driven off its leg movey bits) and power switch (pull out, push in, instead of flipping anything). They're unique to the design, as far as I know. In another small grade-up moment, it has one-piece legs, with just the feet and a few bits of armor separate, and the eyes are gold chrome like the guns.
Gunbluster, however, doesn't suffer from having one-piece legs. With how short they are, they actually make for a pleasantly rolling shuffle that suits it perfectly. On short carpet (we don't have any shag, just a rug) it soldiers on where cat Zoids stick, tail bobbing slightly. On wood floors it gets a bit bolder, the tail-bobbing turning into a resolute clonk clonk clonk and the walk gaining a bit of a stomp. It's not a speed demon, just like its real counterpart, but it certainly doesn't care. It has the look of something very hard to faze more than anything else, and like a Horn looks bigger in motion.
The guns? Round and round they go, happily blasting apart imaginary foes and blinding opponents foolish enough to face Gunbluster on a sunny day. Pity you don't get many of those on Nyx...
So is an OJR Gunbluster really worth the amount of money you'll pay and hunting you'll have to do? They're pretty rare, even built, and fetch pretty high sums boxed or not. If you're a big fan of the design, Mk.II colors, and/or shiny moving objects, the answer is a resounding yes. If you're just looking to give the mold a try, get a new one. All the mechanics are still there. In fact, the only real difference beyond color (and the battery cover now being screw-shut) is a very minor molding change. The old Gunbluster has a couple of slim tubes going from the back of its body to the gun turret. They're completely gone on the newer models, perhaps damaged on the mold and not seen as worth recovering.
(On a very odd note, a very similar style tube is missing from the Gravity Cannons on the Deadborder rerelease. Nonsensical conspiracy theory, anyone?)
Written January 17th, 2006, revised February 22nd; revised again May 25th, 2007
