VEGA

ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II (JADA)

I don’t do a ton of video game-related reviews around here, but the ones I do tend to follow some pretty set themes.  The earliest video game-related figures I owned, long before I’d ever played any of the associated games, were Street Fighter characters, mostly because they came packed with the best X-Men figures available at the time.  Okay, the best Cyclops figure available at the time.  Look, a man’s gotta have his priorities, okay?  But, it did lead me to finding out who the heck these other guys were, and ultimately gaining my own personal appreciation of the characters later.  One of the stand out toy companies these days is Jada, who launched a line of Street Fighter figures last year.  I’m not jumping in as a completist, but I’m picking up some of my favorites, and that includes today’s offering, Balrog Vega!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

Vega was released in the fourth round of Jada’s Ultra Street Fighter II line, and hit retail around mid-August.  The figure stands about 6 1/2 inches tall and he has 34 points of articulation.  He’s sporting an all-new sculpt, as is pretty typical for character debuts in this line.  Most of the Street Fighter cast has gotten a number of changes over the years to their designs as they’ve moved through various iterations of the game.  In Vega’s case, they’ve never been all that drastic, but there are a number of shifts that have occurred to the actual specifics.  Other figures in this line have gone more towards the revamped sprites of various remasters of the game, but Vega seems to lean more into his earliest designs, which honestly isn’t the worst thing, since most of his designs seem to forget he’s supposed to be from Brazil Spain [EDIT: Yeah, I don’t know where I was going with that one, apart from that I was writing this after midnight…].  What’s most notable is that he’s working from a different approach than his old SOTA figure, with the most notable shift being his claw being on his right side, rather than his left.  Most art depicts it on the left, but his sprite always places it on whichever side is facing outwards, so if you’re Player 1 (as this figure’s coloring suggests), he would be a righty.  So, that’s what this one goes with.  The sculpt is a decent one.  He’s got a slightly bulkier build than the earlier Vega, but that’s consistent with the game.  He’s got two different heads, with and without his mask.  Much like Cammy, the ponytail on the masked head is articulated, so that you can make it slightly more dynamic.  The unmasked head is not, though, presumably because it’s less intended for action poses.  Of the two sculpts, I prefer the masked one, since it’s the default look and all, but they’re both pretty solid.  In addition to the sculpted elements, Vega’s also got a cloth sash piece, which has a wire running through it for posing.  I definitely dig it.  Vega’s color work is alright.  Generally basic, but there’s some more involved work for the tattoo on his chest and arm.  Vega is packed with two pairs of hands (fists, and open gesture), a claw piece, a slashing effect, and a loose mask piece.  The claw is designed for the open right hand, as the fist has a claw piece of its own permanently attached.  The effect piece easily slots over either set of claws, and adds a nice little bit of pop to his posing.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

My interest in Street Fighter as a kid came to its head when SOTA’s line hit.  I was super interested in most of the line, but ultimately, I was only ever able to get a single figure.  That figure was Vega, who I’ve held onto since.  I do really love that figure, so I wasn’t sure I *needed* a new one, even given how good the Jada figures have been.  But, it’s Vega, and I do like the design, and I’ve liked all the Jada figures I’ve gotten thus far, so once he was shown off, I knew I was snagging him.  I appreciate that he takes a different approach, and he’s ultimately a better figure, even if I’ve still got some serious nostalgia for the old one.

Shoutout to my friends at All Time Toys, from whom I purchased this figure for review!  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.