Product Line / High Grade Universal Century
Scale & Class / 1/144 Scale Plastic Model Kit
Manufacturer / Bandai Spirits
Release Date / 2004
Appearances / Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
The HGUC Gundam NT-1 “Alex” was released in 2004 which, as of the time of writing, is almost twenty years ago. To say that this kit didn’t age well is an understatement, especially after Bandai Spirits used the same engineering in a supposedly modern kit, the HGUC Gundam AN-01 “Tristan.” At the time of release, the HGUC “Alex” has all the nuances of a standard High Grade kit, both in articulation and color separation. What strikes me is just how bare this kit looks when built straight out of the box, and you must at least ink the panel lines at the bare minimum.
I see two reasons for this. First, the white plastic it uses is so white that it easily drowns all the sculpted surface details. This is very evident in the white backpack, which in itself is uncommon among Gundam designs. I also found the sculpted details on mine to be a little soft, even when compared to older kits at the time of release. The second reason is how all the verniers and vents don’t come in yellow plastic. Outside of the white and blue parts, the abundance of these verniers and vents breaks the otherwise monotonous design, and unless you put the extra effort and paint them, the kit won’t look good. As mentioned, the kit has standard High Grade articulation and for more display options, it comes with several weapons. These include a beam rifle, shield, beam sabers (with a single beam effect part), and additional replacement gatling gun parts for the forearms. If you want the kit to look better without putting much effort, then you’re in luck as it includes parts for the Chobham Armor. These are meant to be attached and detached easily and you can use them to cover the otherwise plain kit underneath.
But, as much as it sounds like I’m just highlighting the shortcomings of the kit, if you make the effort of painting the inaccurately colored details, then the HGUC “Alex” will definitely look much better.
