Before the folks at Toy Notch got in touch with me about checking out their latest figures, I had nearly forgotten that Capcom’s Lost Planet series was a thing. This is how they remind me.
Technically it was my pals at Toy Dojo who reminded me during a conversation about Transformers (most of my conversations). Would I be interested in checking out some figures that actually had a video game attached to them? A Wikipedia search for Lost Planet later, and I was on the line with the official Capcom licensee.
I kid Lost Planet. I really enjoyed the first one. The second, with its odd co-op campaign put me off, and by the time the third installment rolled around I’d completely lost interest. All I wanted to do was run around as cool characters and maybe ride some mechs.
The first batch of Lost Planet 2 and 3 figures from Toy Notch let me run around as cool characters and ride a smallish mech. See? They get it.
Each 1/18 scale figure (think the smaller G.I. Joes) comes packaged in a lovely white box. Slip off the outer sleeve and you;’ve got a cool way to display your figures without getting them all dusty, smoky or bacony.
My favorite feature of the figures is the way they’ve got their wrists setup. The left wrist turns in a circle, while the right wrist turns and pivots up and down. This give the figures the perfect amount of articulation to grip their weapons with the left and cup the barrels in the right.
Love this guy’s metal feet.
Overall detail is pretty spectacular, though the figures do suffer from issues common to other lines at this scale. Figures with exposed skin can be a little blotchy.
Those with exposed eyes can be a little bit derpy. Poor girl.
Then there are the two Lost Planet 3 figures, which have the monumental task of portraying two recognizable characters, Jim Peyton and Caleb Isenberg, whom are of course the very best of friends and never kidnapped or threatened anyone in the other’s family at all.
From a distance they actually look pretty great. It’s when you get up close that the likenesses fall apart a bit. Caleb’s cool washed-on stubble looks a bit rough. Jim looks bewildered.
My favorite figure of the lot is the Ex-Nevec.
Covered from head-to-toe in cool purple armor, red wiry bits dangling down to his knees. He looks like something Cobra would have recruited and mass produced.
Such a bad-ass.
Or a “Made In China” ass, if you will.
Rounding out the wave and giving me great hope for the upcoming mech is the Evax transforming vehicle.
It’s a sled!
It’s a walker!
It’s a sweet ride for you and your best gal.
As for the price, Big Bad Toy Store currently has each four inch figure listed at $20.99, with the GTF-13M Evax selling for $79.99. Not cheap, but small runs on niche licenses get you higher prices.
Toy Notch’s Lost Planet line is a wonderful batch of nostalgia for a game franchise that deserved better than it go. Maybe one day Capcom will bring it back better than ever, but until then Lost Planet’s glory is captured nicely in these lovely plastic pieces.
Now get out there and kill some giant bugs!
Contact the author at fahey@kotaku.com or follow him on Twitter at @bunnyspatial