[TAO's Note: Another GI Joe Week review from Clark, and this time we dive into the world of Sigma 6 with Gung Ho. Should Hasbro make a return to the world of Sigma 6 and make more figures like this one? You might think so after this review! Read on to see what's so great. ]
Name: Gung Ho
Line: G.I. Joe Sigma 6 (Soldier)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Released: Summer 2007
Price: Retail $9.99, Online $23.99-$33.99
Accessories: Helmet, chest gear, knife and holster, machine gun with bullet chain, giant multi-purpose tool, and belt
Sponsor Listings: Amazon-$24.99
Okay, so Gung Ho has a flat top, I can live with that because he keeps his mustache, and the rest of the sculpt is fantastic. This is exactly what I look for in a Sigma 6 figure, great detail with exaggerated proportions. The face is stern, with an “I don’t mess around” look to it. His muscles are very cut, although not huge and bulky when compared to other Sigma 6 figures. The pants and boots really stand out to me. His pants have animated looking creases and seams, and his boots are huge and made for stomping! His removable vest, belt and helmet look fantastic, and they all fit perfectly. Overall he just looks like he is ready for action, even when standing in a neutral pose. I remember being blown away by the looks of this figure when I got him out of the package about two years ago, and I’m still thoroughly impressed today when I dug him out of a box to do the review.
Sculpt Score: 9 / 10
Most of the body is cast in the appropriately colored plastic, so the paint applications are few, but very well applied. The colors chosen for this figure are great and give Gung Ho a true military feel. All of the paint (basically his hair and stache, neck, fingers, kneepads and straps) have a thick coat with no slop, and the paint also matches the plastic, meaning that although the neck is paint and the arms are plastic, they are the same skin tone. His web gear and helmet have equally good paint apps. The USMC decal on his chest looks cool, and Gung Ho also has the Marine logo tattoo on his left shoulder. I’m glad that the Sigma 6 line did not shy away from characters sporting tattoos (from the tribal tattoos of Spirit, to the old salt tattoos of Shipwreck).
Paint Score: 8 / 10
Gung Ho has the basic Sigma 6 articulation, which you will notice is mostly swivel/hinge joints. Because of the bulk of his boots, instead of getting one swivel/hinge joint for the ankle, he gets a jointed ankle with a swivel at the top of the boots. Gung Ho’s balljointed neck works especially well, he can look up, down and tilt his head from side to side with ease. The ab crunch does not do much good when he is wearing his gear, but has a good range of motion when he is just in his tank top. Gung Ho features the Kung-fu grip with his right hand, and it is the best application of that feature I’ve seen. The spring is very tight, which allows him to hold his weapons securely, and his hand looks like a natural fist when empty.
Articulation Score: 8 / 10
Although Gung Ho displays the perfect animated/exaggerated form, his accessories are based more in reality than other Sigma 6 figures. Because he is from the Soldier class of figures, Gung Ho comes with fewer accessories, and not all of Gung Ho’s weapons are very useful. He comes with what looks like a giant M60, and when you move the bullets back and forth the slide moves forward and backwards, this gives the impression that the gun is firing. Not a great action feature, but it is better than a huge firing missile launcher in my book. The weapon that is a little confusing is his multi-purpose tool, the thing is huge! He has a great knife with sheath that can plug into any of the holes on his legs or back. The vest, belt and helmet are the real winners. They look great and fit very well! Once again, I just love the way this guy looks, and that puts him at a 10 for me.
Fun Score: 10 / 10
For $9.99 retail, Gung Ho was worth every cent! Unfortunately you can’t find him in stores anymore, and it looks like most websites are asking a premium price for him. If you can get him for $15 or less, I’d say go for it, especially if you already know that you like Sigma 6 figures.
Value Score: 8 / 10
9 / 10 - Great sculpt with cool details, and that great animated look.
8 / 10 - Simple yet effective paint applications.
8 / 10 - Standard Sigma 6 articulation, with a great balljoint neck and best Kung-Fu grip!
10 / 10 - A semi-realistic, yet still animated soldier for your Sigma 6 team.
8 / 10 - $10 was a good price for this figure, but I don’t think I’d shell out much more.
92 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy
I curved this guy’s score a little, because he really is that good. If you like the Sigma 6 toys, then this one truly needs to be a part of your collection. All in all, Gung Ho is absolutely one of my favorite figures to come out of the Sigma 6 collection, they got almost everything right with this one!
-Clark
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