The main thrust of the Victory toyline were the Mobile Suit in Pocket figures. A score of these were released, all fully articulated and with a number of accessories. The boxes invariably claimed they were 1/144 scale (like High Complete Model), but they weren't. On average 3.5" tall, the toys were much closer to 1/200 scale (around that used for the Mobile Suit in Action range) - I've no idea how Bandai made that sort of mistake, and was pretty pissed off when my first purchase from the line appeared. As such, I only bought a couple. While I don't have a full list, it seems the majority of the Mobile Suit designs from the Victory anime were turned into MSiP figures - for most of them it's the only action figure version they've ever received.

The little plastic robot isn't bad for what it is. There's decent articulation for something this old and small - the head is mounted on a balljoint, the shoulders rotate and swing, the elbows bend, the hands spin, the hips and ankles bend and the feet can move a little for balance. Being light plastic the figure can manage a fair range of poses without overbalancing. The only real restriction is that common Gundam failing of a solid skirt around the hips, meaning the hip joints have very little range.

The only real concession to the small size is that the mount for the shield is moulded basically onto the elbow in the same colour as the rest of the arm, and looks a bit weird, especially as the joints aren't quite up to doing many different blocking poses. Still, the shield is included with some decent weaponry, including the standard Beam Rifle, a Beam Saber and a slightly larger, more jagged Beam Saber. It's not a bad figure per se, though the design is a little bland, it's just not what I was expecting.

So pissed off was I with Bandai's scale lies that I immediately curtailed plans to buy any other MSiP figures (they're pretty easy to find for the most part, generally being about £10-15 shipped on ebay). However, I got a Zolo in a job lot with some other Gundam figures, and was actually pleasantly surprised. The basic template of the toy is identical, complete with the self-assembly backpack and about the same articulation (though the head just turns instead of being mounted on a balljoint; on the other hand, the skirt is more flared allowing for slightly improved hip articulation).

However, the Zolo (a Zanscare Empire suit designed for combat on Earth) has a rather pleasing design. It's smooth and contoured while at the same time tapping the look of the Zaku or Hi-Zack. It cuts a nice line between functional and slick, with some neat touches. The accessory kit is similarly smart, with a round Beam Shield, a Beam Saber and a nifty Beam Rifle, not to mention an energy axe.

The Zolo is a nice suit - the only shame is we didn't get a bigger toy that has the Zolo's great conversion. The top section of the suit converts into a futuristic helicopter in the anime (hence the round shield), which is nice and different from another Core Fighter.

Every now and then I'm tempted to round up more MSiP figures - while they're not 1/144, they're scaled nicely to each other and are nicely equipped.. Having a large number in a big melee would be fun, even if some of the other designs are mental. However, by themselves and without any real love for the Victory anime, they're not particularly impressive toys.