So, you're in charge of Gundam merchandise for Bandai. You've just decided to start a range of completed figures in order to widen the appeal of the already phenomenal model kits. But what to lead the range? It's got to be Gundam itself, right? Right!

But wait - why do a figure of the Gundam which was prominent for the whole series and three smash-hit films? Who'd want to buy that? No, why not leaf through Mobile Suit Variations, a fictional reference book detailing various mobile suits which never made it to the series?

Believe it or not, this is basically what Bandai did in 1984. In fairness, the original Gundam was five years old by then, Zeta Gundam was still a year away and Mobile Suit Variations (MSV) was current. While Bandai hadn't really done a proper figure of the original Gundam (the contemporary toy was made by Clover), they'd done plenty of model kits and probably wanted to give buyers something a bit different. So, from the pages of MSV came the experimental Full Armor Gundam, chosen to launch the High Complete Model range.

The backstory for the Full Armor version of Gundam is that removable armoured parts were added to the basic design to give it more protection and additional weaponry. Sadly the armour is all moulded on for the HCM version (the much more recent Fix Figuration version of the type features drool-worthy clip-on parts).

The odd thing is the figure doesn't look particularly bulky. Sure, it;s not as graceful as the Kado Senshi Gundam, but it really isn't any stockier than, say, the HCM Mark II. This isn't a complaint, though, as the Full Armor version treads a good middle path between Bandai's later anime accurate figures and Clover's charming less accurate chunks of diecast. If Bandai had taken off the artillery and painted it in the Gundam's anime colours, I doubt many in 1984 would have cried foul. Of course, the Gundam's such a great design that it's hard to mess up anything based on it.

Also working well is the more militaristic colour scheme - dark green with some grey parts and a few orange highlights. It's plausible without being too dry, and makes a great contrast on the shelf alongside the more famous colourful Federation mobile suits. The only real fault is that the orange plastic is cheap soft stuff, which does show up on close inspection.

There's also a surprising heft to the toy. Like other High Complete Model figures, the Full Armor Gundam has an internal metal skeleton, but it just feels that bit heavier than others from the line. Aside from the orange and red bits, the plastic is good solid stuff.

Articulation-wise it's again about standard for a HCM - turning head, lots of movement in the arms (down to moving trigger fingers) plus moving hips, knees and ankles. Enough to do some natural-looking poses, if (obviously) not of the range more modern features would give you. The overall result is a figure which nicely treads the line between retro class and newer figures - this thing was probably years ahead of its' time.

As well as being in Full Armor, the FA-78-1 has some additional weaponry.

The most obvious is the Cannon, similar to the model featured on the HCM Gelgoog Cannon. It's fixed to the larger backpack (as is a small non-functioning missile launcher) and can flip down over the robot's right shoulder. It looks better halfway between the back and shoulder, but it's still a fun little feature.

Then there's a double Beam Gun. It can be attached to either forearm of the Gundam, roughly mirroring a shield on the other side (I actually prefer it mounted on the same side as the cannon, which gives a nice asymmetrical look). it's a cool-looking twin-barrelled gun that can be pointed wherever the arm can. It's linked to a handle that nestles in the Gundam's hand (complete with a trigger hole the finger can fit through). This looks great, but can be a bit of a pain to assemble.

The Full Armor Gundam is a solid figure that's quite impressed me. It manages to avoid the trap a lot of HCM figures fall into (while it's been superseded by newer figures, it still retains old-fashioned charm), and has a nice design to it. It's well presented, looks sharp and doesn't do too badly for features.