Here's one that's been on the back burner for a while - Nendoroid Sombra: Classic Skin edition from Overwatch.
I've mentioned Nendoroids here and there, but I've yet to actually review any on this page. The reason is that, like Play Arts, Nendoroids really aren't my thing. The price isn't horrible, but their small size, tiny accessories, and general inability to stand without support make these figures not really my thing. There are some character designs, like Windwaker Link and Kirby, that fit in perfectly with this aesthetic. Otherwise, as is mostly the case, a more sophisticated design is taken and simplified, given a Kawaii makeover, and then sold to the that particular audience. I do own a few, but overall, they're not the focus of my collecting.
The reason why Sombra, along with a few other future entries, have shown up now is that over the past month or so EB Games has had a combination of their year end inventory purge and several Five Dollar Friday events, accumulating in a small backlog of stuff for me to complain about, including several Nendoroids at rock bottom prices (highest being $10 CAD). So, look for those in the future, which will be touched upon as I literally dig through piles of stuff and unearth them.
For the uninitiated, Nendoroids are about 4 inches tall, and are effectively what 5 Star Pop figures should have been like with their articulation.. I mean come on.. THREE POINTS OF ARTICULATION?!?!? They are always designed using the Chibi artstyle, that is having squat bodies and oversized head.
Sombra is from a First Person Shooter, of FPS, by the name of Overwatch by Blizzard Entertainment. I don't even touch the genre, and even I've heard of this game and some of its characters. Sombra, however, is not one of these characters. A quick glance at the Internet seems to show her to be a saboteur of sorts, being able to hack into equipment of opponents to presumably disable them. Why is she in a tournament where people shoot each other with guns.. I have no idea.
Like with other figures I collect, there's no set price point or fit out for each release - there's a general price point where the figures start at, and prices flucutates depending on how many extra parts they may have crammed into the box. Sombra doesn't come with as many parts as others I've seen in the past, but there's a good reason for it. Sombra comes with the figure, alternate face plate, four additional hands, a translucent forearm and hand, a gun, a teleportation device, several hacking related effects, a overlay to recreate a cutscene, and the standard Nendoroid stand. The reason I say this is relatively light is that back in the day, Nendoroids didn't have articulation in the bodies, other than the head, so there were bent arms and legs included in the set as well. It'll be interesting as I open more boxes, but I suspect that the action figure Nendoroid body, which as reserved for, well, characters with action poses, may now be a standard thing.
The actual articulation in the body isn't going to blow your mind, but for something of this size it's not bad. You get single jointed knees, hips with thigh swivel, waist, mid torso, bicep swivel , single jointed elbows, wrist, and head. Its always been my experience that the outfits the Nendoroids are given are usually not the reason for limits to range of motion - it's generally always the shape of the body, Extremely fine articulation isn't really expect either, given the overall art style the went for seems to focus on the simplicity of the figures and the generally comical look of them. It's kind of like with the Egg Attack Action Black Widow - it's mostly about style, though there is some decent substance under the hood should you desire to utilize it.
Nendoroids are manufactured by Good Smile Company, and as such the same level of attention to paint applications present there are present on this, and every other Nendoroid I've ever handled. Finishes are appropriate, with gloss meant for areas that are highly reflective on the original art. Paint have been applied such that the finish its smooth, with no issues regarding bubbling or general paint adhesion issues. Paint masking is nice and crisp, and decals have been expertly applied. Overall, the look of this and every other Nendoroid figure is sharp, and if you ever pick one up that doesn't look presentable, chances are you have a bootleg in your hands.
Another area that legit Nendoroids always deliver on is build quality. I've never had issues with regards to parts fitting together, unsightly gaps, or flimsy part, and very seldom are there issues with joints being unable to support the weight for a pose. Good Smile Company has been making these things since 2006 and they have a formula that works great. Unlike Figma, I don't think there was a major revision to the Nendoroid body over the years, just expansion to increases the types of Nendoroids that are made. Because the parts on the figures all utilize the same joint system and peg sizes, you can theoretically easily create a character after your hearts desire from preexisting parts.
And that, friends, was our quick introduction to Nendoroids and overview of Sombra. Not really a figure I would pass up for $5, as Nendoroids are fun pieces to play with and are quite well made. It's just that their art style just isn't what I'm looking though as a main line collectible, though as mentioned above, there are exceptions to this rule. Look for more of these to show up her in the days to come.